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December 31, 2008 at 03:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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This year we have decided to recommend a creative approach to our week of fasting and prayer. We are proposing a PARTIAL FAST rather than a FULL LIQUID ONLY FAST. Both types of fasting are equally valid, but this year's partial fast has a very specific purpose.
We want to fast in the spirit of Isaiah 58 this year. Consider the impact of the following verses (Isaiah 58:6-8):
"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness [a] will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
We are recommending that as we set aside the next week to seek God, that we eat a diet similar to what the poorest of the world experience every day. Much of the world lives on less than $1 per day. That works out to a rather small portion of a meal or two of beans for a day.
As we limit our eating to this meager amount, we will pray that God will sensitize our hearts to the needs of the world around us. We will also encourage those that fast to consider donating the money that they would normally spend on groceries/and eating out for a week...FOOD FOR THE POOR so that we are 'putting our money where our mouth is' (pun intended).
I am very excited at how God is going to use this week of fasting and prayer in my life. By the way, the promises of Isaiah 58 are powerful. Read verses 10-12, and claim them for your own life in 2009.
December 31, 2008 at 08:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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As we kick off our WEEK OF PRAYER this week, we have a special guest worship leader this weekend. Michael Olson is a gifted song-writer and worship leader. He will be leading worship in our three regular services for the weekend.
Then on Sunday night, at 6pm, we will start our week of evening prayer/worship events with a night of worship as led by Michael Olson. You can listen to some of Michael's music here. Can't wait for this week to begin!!
December 30, 2008 at 07:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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These last few days of the year, I typically work through a process of life-evaluation:
Let me start with Step #2 in the above process. My Long-Range Life Goals are not something that I have felt released to share on this blog . But I have taken some time to look at them and add to them. In terms of the 12 Month Goals, last year I set 15 targets for the year. In some of my areas I did very well:
Then there were several goals that I got part of the way there. But progress toward a goal is better than nothing at all. So I don't look at 50% as failure.
My final goal for last year was to LIVE OUT OF JOY. This one is hard to evaluate. But I think I can say that I am doing this more now than ever. What about you? How did you do last year? What are you shooting for in the months ahead? Let me challenge you to be thinking through this issues so that you can live at your best.
Read more about effective goal setting here.
December 29, 2008 at 02:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Can you believe it will soon be 2009? Wow. Another year is past, and a new year is upon us. This coming weekend is the kick-off, not only for this new year, but for a week/month where we emphasize stepping up our game spiritually.
I am going to start a series this weekend called, DYING TO LIVE. It will be based on Colossians chapter three, which is a powerful prescription living a NEW life in Christ.
So often, when we begin a new year, we look to initiate some positive changes and improvements in our lives. But lasting change is easy to miss. In order to succeed, we have to approach life-change through a process that really works.
The reality is that we have to DIE before we can really LIVE. That's the recipe we find spelled out for us by the apostle Paul in the book of Colossians. This week, we also begin our Week Of Prayer. I am so looking forward to what God has in store for us in the next month.
December 29, 2008 at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Mark Batterson has some great thoughts about the effort it takes to rise above the patterns of the past. BTW - Mark's blog is an excellent read, especially at this time of year, because he has some wise thoughts about goal setting and the new year.
December 28, 2008 at 05:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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A tradition that I have truly grown to enjoy is something do on New Year's Eve. We open the church for about 2 hours, from 6pm till 8pm. Several of our pastoral team are available in the front of the Sanctuary to pray over individuals and families as we start the new year.
The whole concept of 'blessing' is something that I think is both powerful and significant in our lives. A 'blessing' is verbally picturing a positive future for someone else that is based on the promises of God. When we 'bless', we also convey and affirm our value for the person being blessed.
Those are the natural benefits of the practice. Spiritually, I have experienced how the Holy Spirit gets involved in those moments. Often prophetic messages are birthed, and physical or emotional healing is released. With every person/family that I pray over, I have a sense of expectation that God will get involved in this special process.
If you live in the Pittsburgh area, we would love to have the opportunity to bless you this New Year's Eve.
December 28, 2008 at 04:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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This past year, I chose the One Year Bible as my reading plan. For those that want a consistent, easy to follow Bible reading pattern, the One Year Bible is the best that I have come across. In these last few days of the year, the readings are from some of the prophetic books.
A few days ago, I was struck by this one verse from the Zechariah 8:12.
For I am planting seeds
of peace and prosperity among you. The grapevines will be heavy with
fruit. The earth will produce its crops, and the heavens will release
the dew. (NLT)
Often the beginnings of God's blessing are sent in the form of small seedlings. Peace and prosperity are planted in us. And just like seeds take time to grow into fullness and fruitfulness. So God's provisions often come in similar fashion.
I must confess that when I look for peace and prosperity, I look for it in the form of a dump truck. I want him to back up and just unload it on me in one big release. But God starts His work, often in the form of seed. It is so small. It is planted in the ground. Then nothing seems to occur.
But over time, and with our combined faith and obedience, the vines eventually are 'heavy with fruit.' Don't you love that phrase! Lord, let that be the case for me this upcoming year. Plant your good seed in my life so that my future can be heavy with fruit.
December 27, 2008 at 10:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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My prayer for you this Christmas is that God would give you a fresh and clear revelation of the person of Jesus Christ.
I pray also that God would release every good thing that He has promised for your life in this upcoming year.
I pray that you would prosper and be in health and that your soul (the center of your spiritual life) would explode with fullness and power in this season.
May God give you the capacity to enjoy the small abundant blessings of God in your life, to walk with both courage and faith, to recognize your need for God enough to choose to depend on Him, and to fully realize just how much He loves you.
BTW - I am so very thankful for my family this Christmas. My gorgeous wife Melodie. My four amazing boys...David (17), Joshua (14), Caleb (11), and Jonathan (9), and my beautiful daughter Alissa (16).
Have a fantastic Christmas!
December 25, 2008 at 05:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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I pulled a Christian classic off the shelves in preparation for the message on Christmas Eve. It is a book by A.W. Tozer entitled, The Knowledge Of The Holy. Here are a few quotes:
So what are you thinking about God? What do you believe about who He is? He is all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere-present, unchanging, and holy. He is both merciful and just. He is filled with grace and yet absolute in truth. He is not a distant, disinterested God. But He is a self-revealing God who loved us so much that He pursued us by coming in the flesh.
Most relevant to us today is that God came in the body of Jesus. And Hebrews 1:3 tells us that Jesus is the radiance of God's glory and the EXACT REPRESENTATION of His being, sustaining all things by the power of His word.
On this Christmas Eve, as we celebrate the birth of Christ into the world, our job is to lead our families to worship in both spirit (with sincere passion) and in truth (with accuracy for who He really is). May God give you and your family a revelation of Jesus this year.
December 24, 2008 at 10:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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I just completed reading Francis Chan's book, Crazy Love. In it, he provides some very interesting facts about God's creative genius. I plan on sharing this, among some other things, during the Christmas Eve Services. But this was too good to wait to share.
Did you know that a caterpillar has 228 separate distinct muscles in
its head? That's quite a few for a bug. The average elm tree has
approximately 6 million leaves. And your own heart generates enough
pressure as it pumps blood throughout your body that it could squirt
blood up to 30 feet. (I've never tried this, and I don't recommend it.)
Have you ever thought how diverse and creative God is? He didn't
have to make hundreds of different kinds of bananas, but he did. He
didn't have to put 3000 different species within one square mile in the
Amazon jungle, but he did. God didn't have to create so many kinds of
laughter. Think about the sounds of your friends laughs - wheezes,
snorts, silent, loud, obnoxious.
How about the way plants defy gravity by drawing water upward from
the ground into their stems and veins. Or did you know that spiders
produce three kinds of silk? When they build their webs, they create
sixty feet of silk in on hour, simultaneously producing special oil on
their feet that prevents them from sticking to their own web. (Most of
us hate spiders, but sixty feet an hour deserves some respect!) Coral
plants are so sensitive that they can die if the water temperature
varies by even one degree.
Did you know that when you get goose bumps, the hair in your
follicles is actually helping you stay warmer by trapping body heat?
Or what about the simple fact that plants take in carbon dioxide
(which is harmful to us) and produce oxygen (which we need to survive)?
I'm sure you knew that, but have you ever marveled at it? And these
same poison-swallowing, life-giving plants came from tiny seeds that
were placed in dirt. Some were watered, some weren't. But after a few
days they poked through the soil and out into the warm sunlight.
Whatever God's reasons for such diversity, creativity, and
sophistication in the universe, on earth, and in our own bodies, the
point of it all is His glory.
December 23, 2008 at 10:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Here are some interesting links to check out:
One last thought: Did you know that you can buy the album of David Santistevan's latest recording on iTunes now? Click here to find out more information.
December 23, 2008 at 09:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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During the weekend service, I asked for a raise of hands, 'How many people have not seen the movie--It's A Wonderful Life'? I was astonished to see that maybe as many as 1/3 in the audience had never fully watched that movie.
Then yesterday, I was meeting with some of my pastoral staff. We started to talk about the Classic movies, "A Christmas Carol", "Gone With The Wind", "Le Miserables", and my favorite "Wonderful Life". To my surprise, they had not seen these either.
We began to talk about how this current generation is missing out on some of the more beautiful stories because they take too long to develop, since they were written in a former era. Movies and TV Shows today are fast moving, with multiple sub-plots, and lots of action. Many of the Classics require a degree of slowing and patience to enjoy them.
One of the pastors then observed, 'This may also be why people struggle to read the Bible regularly.' We are so used to being assaulted in our senses by quick moving, 30 second sound bites of information, that we often lack the discipline to do the work of pressing into an ancient text.
Somehow I think something very rich is lost when we fail to enjoy and experience the richness of the stories and lessons of the past. We can quickly become superficial and dull, if we only live on the 30 second, fast moving, sub-plots of todays entertainment style. Now don't get me wrong, I love a fast-paced multi-faceted program.
But I think it is also good to learn to enjoy a nice slows single storyline that brings to the surface something very rich and powerful. So here's your homework for the Christmas season, WATCH A CLASSIC this year. You won't regret it.
December 23, 2008 at 07:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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December 21, 2008 at 08:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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This weekend was so enjoyable for me. Friday I spent the entire day with Melodie to celebrate her birthday. The actual birthday was Saturday, but we used my day off to spend together. We did some shopping. Then I took an hour to coach my Upward Basketball practice (I am coaching both Jonathan and Caleb this year).
Friday night I took her to the Cheesecake Factory, and we pigged out. The wait was almost an hour for a table, but the food was worth it.
Saturday, I spent the morning in prayer and study. It was great to have a few hours of solitude just to be alone with God. In the afternoon, I watched the Patrick Stewart version of A Christmas Carol with Alissa and Joshua.
Then the weekend services were just so much fun! You have to love a Preschool Choir. They were absolutely adorable. The Crosstown Kidz Choir did a fantastic job with the APC Worship Band playing live along with them. I met so many guests who visited with us to see their child or grandchild perform.
The story of Zaccheus us one of my favorites. It gives me hope. If Jesus can transform a man like him, certainly there is hope for me. I also love the full meaning of Luke 19:10.
The son of man came to seek (relentlessly pursue) and save (restore, heal, and make whole) what was lost (ruined, worthless, and destroyed).
I am really looking forward to the Christmas Eve services. They are some of my favorite moments of the year.
December 21, 2008 at 02:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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December 19, 2008 at 02:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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On Wednesday, my new shoes arrived in the mail. Mel had ordered me a pair of shiny, new black Florsheim shoes. They looked great! When we took them out of the box, they had a strange smell. How to describe it?
It smelled a little like the clothes I bring back from a missions trip to a third world nation, combined with moth balls, and a new leather scent.
Yes, they smelled disgusting! I thought they probably just needed a little air. So I wore them to work on Thursday morning. But the airing out didn't seem to help at all. In fact, the smell filled the air of every room I entered.
I felt like I needed to cry out UNCLEAN, UNCLEAN like the lepers used to have to do during the times of the New Testament. It was awful. And I tried everything I knew to deal with the smell. I put some strong air fresheners in them. Someone told us to freeze them for 2 hours. We did that. No matter what we tried, the odor remained.
So we sent them back to the company. They apologized and are sending a new pair. What's the moral of the story? I am not sure. Maybe you could help me come up with that? What should I learn from this one?
December 19, 2008 at 07:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Pittsburgh City Outreach is a great church that meets on the North Side of Pittsburgh. APC helped to launch them two years ago. This past Sunday, they had one of their highest attended services ever. They sponsored an event called Winter-Reach in which guests received some gifts for Christmas.
Total attendance for the day, including kids, was over 200!
PCO has such a unique impact on this area with its Men's and Women's Recovery Homes. The goal is to help those who are struggling with addiction find a place of freedom, and become a full-out disciple of Jesus Christ.
I am so proud of Pastor Brian and Angie and so happy for how PCO is touching the city of Pittsburgh for Christ. Way to go guys! And congrats on your big day! You can view more pictures of Winter-Reach at PCO here.
December 18, 2008 at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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One of the great Christmas passages in the Bible is John chapter one. As a writer, John used some poetic language to describe deep theological truth. John is the one gospel writer that stands out distinct from the other three. The purpose of John's writing was to persuade people to believe in Jesus. He was giving more than history, was was presenting a case for Jesus as the Son of God.
So the book begins...
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and that Word was God. (John 1:1)
When we see the God as a self-revealing, pursuing God, these verses make so much sense. Jesus came to reveal God to us. He is God in a body. Like a 'word', He communicates to us who God is and what He is like. Jesus is the revelation of God to us. So we can read John like this.
In the beginning was Jesus. And Jesus was with God. And Jesus was God. Jesus was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made that has been made. In Jesus was life, and that life was the light of men. (John 1:1-4)
And Jesus became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
No one has ever seen God, but Jesus, the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made Him known. (John 1:18)
December 18, 2008 at 09:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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During the month of December, we are partnering with a very creative organization to equip people to live out the meaning for the season of Christmas. The organization is called FOOD FOR THE POOR. They exist to provide food, housing, health-care, micro-enterprise development assistance and emergency relief to the poorest of the poor.
If you would like more information about how to get involved, you can visit the Food For The Poor website HERE.
December 17, 2008 at 08:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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This past Sunday afternoon was our Give-A-Gift Store at APC. There were 90 families who were helped, which represented 239 children who will be impacted by this effort. That's a thought right there. Think of the 239 Christmas mornings that will better this year.
Another point of celebration is the 65 volunteers who donated 262 total hours to sort gifts, set up tables, wrap the presents, and pray with those who participated.
We also want to express thanks to the hundreds of people who donated money or brought in gifts to help this event happen. We appreciate you.
December 17, 2008 at 08:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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I hate confrontation! There I said it. It's true. Healthy confrontation is one of the leadership skills that I have worked hard to develop, but I must admit that I have a natural aversion to it. What I have learned is that you cannot have a healthy relationship without some degree of healthy confrontation.
If we avoid issues, they have a lingering and even growing affect.
If we deny issues, they are still there.
If we speak the truth, but fail to do so in love, we will do nothing but divide.
If we love, but fail to speak the truth, we will do nothing but enable the problem.
So how do we speak the truth in love? What is the key to healthy confrontation?
The final thing necessary for a healthy confrontation is to conclude with an agreement. Decide to agree. Or sometimes, you have to agree to disagree...without being disrespectful to each other.
So I might state something like...'Are we OK with each other? Can we agree to the following together (and then state some specifics).' Then I end with more affirmation and state the value I have for the relationship.
Anything you would add to this process?
December 16, 2008 at 12:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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I just completed reading Bill Johnson's book, STRENGTHEN YOURSELF IN THE LORD. It was filled with practical teaching on specific habits that are involved in learning how to build yourself up spiritually. Here are some quotes from the book:
This book was well worth the read and I highly recommend it.
December 16, 2008 at 07:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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December 15, 2008 at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Ok. I admit it. I scream at the TV during football games. My family is amused by my antics. But I can't help it. I have always been pretty passionate that way. When I played basketball, I was the guy waving the towel, and shouting encouragement from the sidelines.
I confess that I am in a really good mood this morning!
I could go on and on. Today, I will rest and recover physically, and I will continue to enjoy a fantastic weekend in every sense of the word.
December 15, 2008 at 10:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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I was reminded this morning of a very wise statement. I am not sure who originally stated this, but it has become one of the guiding themes to evaluate my life.
What you are is more important than that you do!
Being is more important than doing!
So the real question we have to constantly ask is not what am I doing, or even how well am I doing? The real question is what am I becoming? We live out of what we are. The greatest influence of our life extends out of what we are. We need to regularly look at the trends in our life as to what we are becoming.
Am I becoming more compassionate toward people or less?
Am I more generous or less?
Am I more passionate as a follower of Jesus or less?
Am I experiencing greater freedom in Christ or am I more entangled in bad habits again?
Am I more disciplined or less?
God help me become what you want me to be!
December 13, 2008 at 09:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Heard the saying, 'Speed of the leader, speed of the team?' My personal experience confirms that axiom. One of the greatest challenges a leader faces is the need to develop speed of leadership. What is 'leadership speed?'
It is the ability to exercise self-leadership with such consistency that enables the leader not only to set the pace for everyone else (by being out front), but to motivate others by casting vision that is both clear and compelling.
Leaders tend to fall into one of the following categories in this regard.
It is impossible to lead an organization of any size or effectiveness without good leadership speed. In future posts, I hope to outline what I am working to do to maintain my pace of leadership.
December 12, 2008 at 09:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Here are some really insightful posts from some bloggers that I regularly read:
FINALLY, I LEAVE YOU WITH SOME THOUGHTS FROM GROESCHEL'S POSTS:
I am as susceptible to spiritual droughts as the next pastor.
Because I know my vulnerabilities, I work hard to keep my passion alive.
Here are a few things I try to revisit:
What works for you?
December 11, 2008 at 08:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Wednesday night was such a great night for me. I moved back and forth between two events happening on the APC campus. First, I was invited to the Christmas party that the Celebrate Recovery groups were holding. There was over 60 people present for this celebration. I love hearing the stories of impacted lives through this great ministry.
In the Chapel, ONE HOUR WITH GOD, was happening. The room was packed!!! We had to set up extra chairs to make accommodate the crowd. Several people expressed how they so needed a night just to worship and pray in the middle of this busy season.
Afterward people were hanging out enjoying some cider and cookies. That's when it hit me strong. I really love my church! Maybe I feel it a bit stronger since I was just away for 10 days? But I am so thankful for the opportunity to serve at Allison Park Church.
December 11, 2008 at 07:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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December 10, 2008 at 02:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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It has been a wonderful tradition at APC over the past fifteen years to have a specially set aside WEEK OF PRAYER AND FASTING to begin the new year. There is no better way to set a solid course for the upcoming 12 months than to take some extra time to seek God.
This year, our WEEK OF PRAYER is scheduled for the first full week of January (Jan 4-9th). We have some very special things already planned.
Instead of having a speaker during this year's evening services, we are going to have some special Worship Guests (Mike Olson, Denise Graves).
Also, in a few days I will announce a very powerful and creative way that we will approach the fasting process. This is something that I think everyone can do that will make the experience even more profound.
Looking forward to starting the new year right!
December 10, 2008 at 09:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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December 08, 2008 at 08:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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December 08, 2008 at 07:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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This morning, during our APC Board Meeting, we had an excellent strategic discussion about how to do a GRAND SLAM job of engaging the Active Members in our church family. The discussion centered around the upcoming Annual Vision Meeting in January 2009.
We decided that there are seven critical things that must happen in effectively leading not only our Members but the entire church family (regular attendees included).
Today's discussion for us was just the first step of trying to take our efforts in this area to the next level. I will work to keep you posted on the creative ideas that we come up with. Would love to hear any suggestions or creative ideas that work for you.
December 06, 2008 at 05:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Last week I completed a great short little book by Andy Stanley entitled, Making Vision Stick. I thought I would type out a brief overview outline of what he presented:
When speaking to leaders on the subject of vision, I like to joke that the three primary obstacles to making vision stick are success, failure, and everything in between. There is no season in which a leader can push autopilot and expect the organization to remain vision-driven.
If God has given you a picture of what could be and should be, embrace it fully and refuse to allow the busyness and urgency of life to distract you.
December 05, 2008 at 03:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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This is an awesome combination. Two things I love: my Italian heritage and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Thanks to Marcia for passing this video on to me. One day, I would love to visit this place. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO.
December 05, 2008 at 09:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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A few weeks ago, I was teaching in the MCM Ministry School. My assignment for that day was to study the preaching pattern of the book of Acts. Honestly, I have never looked that closely at the way the apostles preached before?
What was central to every message that the apostles shared was the declaration of the risen Jesus! They preached a person, not a process of salvation, or a propositional truth. They described how He was crucified. But then they focused on how He now was ALIVE.
This is the center of what Christianity is about. We serve a person who is alive. He speaks. He pursues. He loves. He provides proof of His resurrection by doing miracles. He is active in the world, not hidden or dormant.
So often people want to make Christianity into something else:
How awful to miss the central idea of the Christian faith! Christianity is about a relationship with a LIVING PERSON. He is present in the NOW. He is not some dead historic hero from the past. He is not some distant disinterested force in the universe.
We declare Jesus who is alive! He is God in the flesh. He was crucified for my sin. He was buried. Yet, He rose from the dead. He appeared to over 500 witness as being alive. He ascended to heaven. But He is still active in the world every day, providing convincing proofs that He lives.
I have discovered that when I preach him, a powerful anointing falls on my life and ministry. Even now as I write this, I sense the Holy Spirit's confirming presence. The Holy Spirit loves the preaching of a living Jesus. Something jumps on the inside of me when I talk about the person of Christ.
It's almost like divine sparks in the atmosphere when Jesus is preached. And the key is Jesus. Not just explaining the way of salvation: turn from your sin, ask God to forgive you, and He will come in and make you spiritually alive. That is the process of salvation.
We don't just preach a process. We preach a person. And when we talk about the person of Jesus, the Holy Spirit coats our words with His power. Try it out today. Tell someone about the person of Jesus. Talk about what He is doing in your world today. Watch and see what the Holy Spirit will do when you speak of Jesus.
December 05, 2008 at 08:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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In a few minutes I leave my hotel room, here in Sweden, and travel to the airport to go home. I am so excited. This has been a longer trip than normal for me, 10 days. I am longing to see Mel and the kids. I find myself counting the hours until I am home (right now if everything goes well...I will be home in 20 hours).
This past weekend, I shared a message with Harvest Center that in many ways has become a life message for me. The core idea of the message is this: JOY IS IN THE JOURNEY NOT IN THE DESTINATION. I take the thought out of Luke 10:38-42, where Martha was putting off enjoyment of Jesus and his work until after the chores were done.
She bought the lie that when I get there, then I will have joy.
When this problem is over...
When my vacation arrives...
When I finally meet Mr. or Mrs. Right
When I get that job I always wanted...
Jesus said to Martha, 'you are worried and distracted about so many things. Only one thing is needed!'
Slow down. Appreciate the small things in life. Invite Jesus into every moment. Choose joy NOW. Don't put it off until later. I am constantly challenged by this thought.
And today, I must really work hard to put it into practice. I don't want to just ENDURE the trip home. I have a nine hour flight from Sweden to Atlanta. Then Atlanta to Pittsburgh.
I want to ENJOY the trip home. So I invite Jesus into my moments today as I travel. I look forward to the destination. But I will take time to appreciate the moments along the way. I hope you can do the same in your journey throughout this day regardless of where you are or what is happening.
December 03, 2008 at 02:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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This weekend we launch into a new series for the month of December. I am so looking forward to being back at Allison Park Church!!!! I fly out on Wednesday at about 6am (Pittsburgh time) and arrive at about 10pm. It has been such a profitable time here in Sweden.
The title of the NEW series is THE CHRISTMAS CONSPIRACY. Doesn't that sound like a good movie?
So what's the Conspiracy?
I guess you will just have to show up to find out? No, I won't do that to you! Actually, the idea of Christmas is a total conspiracy from the very beginning. It is God conspiring to overthrow the powers of darkness through the coming of His Son Jesus.
Truly, the baby born in Bethlehem began a revolution that has radically changed the world. To be true to its origins, the celebration of Christmas should always remain as such a conspiracy to overthrow the darkness and radically alter the world.
Too often the celebration of this holiday has become about spending money and giving material items. Or simply about some days off, some good food, and some time with family.
But for true followers of Jesus. Christmas should ignite in us a fresh commitment to revolutionary lifestyle. I hope you can join us for this important month. Here's a look at the topics:
This new series will not only be shared at APC but at a total of eight of the MCM Pittsburgh churches. And during this month all of these churches will do something to activate the spirit of giving.
Each church involved will donate $10 in honor of every visitor that attends their church during the month of December to an organization called Food For The Poor. Most of these same churches will also be reaching out to their communities through the Network Of Hope's Give-A-Gift Store.
Hope to see you this weekend so that together we can join the revolution.
December 02, 2008 at 10:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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The Swedes celebrate a wonderful holiday here in December as they lead up to Christmas. It's called LUCIA. The day is named after a girl, as legend has it, who used to bring food to the persecuted Christians hiding in the catacombs in Rome.
In order to see on her way down to help these believers, they believe she wore candles in her hair. As the story goes, eventually she was caught, and burned at the stake for her crime of helping believers. Now, as this is a new story to me, I cannot tell you if the legend is true or not? Read more here.
On December 13th, on of the darkest days here in Sweden (and believe me it can seem at times as if they whole day is darkness with just a few hours sunlight), they celebrate LUCIA. They light candles, gather with family, and celebrate the thought that the days of darkness are almost over.
The days of light are on the way.
There is a lot of potential meaning in that thought. We believe that too. That the days of darkness (not just physical darkness...but spiritual) are almost over. The day of light is on the way.
December 02, 2008 at 01:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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December 01, 2008 at 12:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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