The LaunchPad

True Or False

Brian Lippert (or Media Director) did an excellent job on this video to intro the message this weekend.  BTW - the answer to all of these questions is FALSE. 



Why is the answer FALSE? Because the promises of God are something that we have to agree with/fight for not something that we just fall into. We live life on a battlefield. God's promises arm us for victory, but they do not remove the need to fight. So fight on today!

Recipe For UNBREAKABLE Faith

Probably the theme verse for the UNBREAKABLE SERIES has been 2 Corinthians 1:20 which says, 'For no matter how many promises God has made, they are YES in Christ, and so through Him the AMEN is spoken by us to the glory of God.'  Faith involves this unique mixture:

God's Promise + Christ's Finished Work + My Agreement = Breakthrough Answers

STEPS TO THE BREAKTHROUGH ANSWERS:

1.  Identify An Unsolvable Problem (shouldn't be too hard...we have enough of them)

2.  Select A Biblical Promise (ask the Holy Spirit to direct you to a verse you can aim at your problem).

3.  Remember The Basis For Faith Is Jesus (Jesus has ratified a new unbreakable covenant; God has said 'yes' to Jesus as our human representative; we therefore pray in Jesus name).

4.  Say 'Amen' (which means 'I agree' or 'May It Be'; we confess or declare our agreement with what God has promised concerning our problems).

5.  Persevere On The Promise (in spite of what you see or feel...keep standing on the promise).

So don't throw away your confidence, it will be richly rewarded.  You need to persevere, so that after you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.  Hebrews 10:35-36

John Wooden's Poem

Tom Rees posted this video of the great UCLA men's basketball coach, John Wooden.  He is reciting a poem that contains his philosophy of life.

What A Day Is Worth?

I just finished working through Tim Elmore's HABITUDES workbook on 'self-leadership'.  In it he had a chapter on Opportunity (Time Management), and he included this list. 

To realize the value of one year, as a student who has failed his final exam.
To realize the value of one month, ask a month who just gave birth to a premature baby.
To realize the value of one week, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize the value of one day, ask the daily laborer with ten kids to feed.
to realize the value of one hour, ask a boyfriend and girlfriend who are waiting to meet.
To realize the value of one minute, ask the person who has just missed his flight.
To realize the value of one second, ask the person who survived a car accident.
To realize the value of one millisecond, ask the person who won a gold medal.

Everyone has 86,400 seconds each day to use or abuse.  What will you do with yours today?

NYC Trip

This morning, a team of 22 people departed from APC for a three day missions trip to New York City.  While they are there they will minister with acts of service on the streets, in homeless shelters, and within churches.

Pastor Andy is leading the trip, and my son David is one of the team members.  The two of them have something in common...THEY LOVE MISSIONS!!! I am fairly sure that they both will end up serving as full-time missionaries at some point in their future. 

David is already planning his path in that direction.  He graduates from High School in two weeks.  His plan is to spend a year at the MCM Ministry School (while at the same time working to make money for college).  After his year at MCM, Dave will move on to a College or University somewhere to prepare himself for ministry. 

As a part of this NYC trip, Dave was asked by Andy to prepare a message in case there is an opportunity for him to preach.  He was both honored and excited at the opportunity!  Not knowing where to start, he asked me to help him figure out how to properly outline his thoughts.

I have to tell you...THAT WAS AN AWESOME MOMENT FOR ME!!!

He selected the passage of Mark 1:40-42 where Jesus healed the man with leprosy.  Together, we worked on a struture for his thoughts, his introduction, some stories, his main point, and the final challenge.  Later I found him working to type out his message so that he could get it into final form.

If  you think of it, pray for the NYC Team as they minister over the next few days.  I can't wait to hear the stories of what God will do through them...AND YES...I am a proud dad!

Steelers Connection

This morning I had the privilege of having a cup of Starbucks coffee with the new chaplain to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kevin Jordan.  This will Kevin's second year of working with the Steelers (pretty good first year...they won the Super Bowl!)  Previously, Kevin was the chaplain for the UCLA Bruins.

In the mid-90's Kevin was a pretty successful wide receiver in his own right for UCLA (pictured here in the Rose Bowl).  He played briefly in the NFL and then began his work for Athletes in Action, the sports ministry division of Campus Crusade for Christ.

Kevin's wife Jenny is a professional women's beach volleyball player (actually one of the top players in the world).  She represented the USA in the 2000 Olympic games.  They now have two beautiful kids and have moved to Pittsburgh to work with the Steelers.  Below is an article, that appeared in the Baptist Press, that talks about his new role with the Steelers.

"Football was just something I did because God gave me the ability to play," Jordan said. While his own playing days are over, the 36-year-old chaplain still has plenty of experience in knowing what NFL players go through on a daily basis.
...
The opportunity to work with the Steelers after last year's season required a step of faith for Jordan and his wife Jenny, a former UCLA volleyball player who grew up in Southern California. Although it entailed a move to the snowy Northeast, they felt God's perfect timing.

"I made the move in the summer after we had prayed about it and were counseled by AIA," Jordan said. "We felt it was the right thing to do."

It didn't take Jordan long to learn he had an ally in head coach Mike Tomlin, who was in his second year with the Steelers and is a protégé of former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy.

"Mike has a vision for the things he thinks are important and the things of the Lord," Jordan said.

With the team in a heated game-like scrimmage, Tomlin installed Jordan as the referee for a key goal-line stand, leaving it to the chaplain to declare whether a Pittsburgh player had scored.
..."I was only there a few weeks and just trying to remember the player's names back then, but Mike was always trying to graft me into the team," Jordan said.

Jordan has spent as much one-on-one time as possible in building trust and a relationship with the Pittsburgh players. He also has started a couples study on Monday nights and a coaches Bible study on Saturday mornings. The regular Sunday morning chapel services, attended by about 25 players and coaches, have been a mix of Jordan speaking or bringing in special guest speakers.

Pray for Kevin and Jenny as they continue to make adjustments to the Pittsburgh area and as they continue their ministry to these local athletes.

Anxious Implications

Steven Furtick osted some powerful thoughts about what our choice to worry implies....

Anxiety is sin.  My anxiety infers that:

-God is incompetent.
If I’m anxious, it suggests that there’s an issue in my life that God is potentially incapable of resolving.  If His arm is not short and His ear is not deaf , why am I kicking and screaming trying to save myself?

-God is forgetful.
Do I suspect that my need has slipped God’s mind?  Does the Lord need me to send Him a reminder in the form of my panic and stress…just to make sure He doesn’t miss the appointment?

-God is indifferent.
1 Peter 5:7 teaches that I can cast all my anxiety on Him-because-and only because-He cares for me.  By refusing to cast my cares on Him, I expose my deep down belief that He really doesn’t care-about me…about my particular burden.  Anxiety puts the pressure on me to perform as my own personal Savior, thereby undermining the intentions of God on my behalf.

Anybody other than me need to repent?

Be anxious for nothing.
Anxiety is unbiblical.  It’s counterproductive.  And it’s a direct insult to the proven character of a powerful, faithful, loving God.

Steven Furtick osted some powerful thoughts about what our choice to worry implies....

Anxiety is sin.  My anxiety infers that:

-God is incompetent.
If I’m anxious, it suggests that there’s an issue in my life that God is potentially incapable of resolving.  If His arm is not short and His ear is not deaf , why am I kicking and screaming trying to save myself?

-God is forgetful.
Do I suspect that my need has slipped God’s mind?  Does the Lord need me to send Him a reminder in the form of my panic and stress…just to make sure He doesn’t miss the appointment?

-God is indifferent.
1 Peter 5:7 teaches that I can cast all my anxiety on Him-because-and only because-He cares for me.  By refusing to cast my cares on Him, I expose my deep down belief that He really doesn’t care-about me…about my particular burden.  Anxiety puts the pressure on me to perform as my own personal Savior, thereby undermining the intentions of God on my behalf.

Anybody other than me need to repent?

Be anxious for nothing.
Anxiety is unbiblical.  It’s counterproductive.  And it’s a direct insult to the proven character of a powerful, faithful, loving God.

Testimony From This Weekend

Here's a great story about God's healing power of Jesus and His new covenant promise.

Honor To Whom It Is Due

Chilly posted ten great quotes from American founders today in honor of Memorial Day.  Check out all ten here.  Below I have listed my favorites of the group:

“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” ~ Benjamin Franklin

“Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath?” ~ Thomas Jefferson

“How soon we forget history… Government is not reason. Government is not eloquence. It is force. And, like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.” ~ George Washington

Have a great holiday today and don't forget to remember the sacrifices that have been made and continue to be made to provide for your freedoms.

Tony Dungy - Pastor To The NFL?

It's wonderful to see the respect that Tony Dungy has earned in the world of sports.  Recently, he was asked to take a role of as a mentor in the life of Michael Vick (who was convicted and imprisoned due to cruelty to animals). 

Dungy recently wrote about his experience with Vick in Sports Illustrated.  You can read the entire article here or visit Dan Patrick.com to hear an interview about it.

In many ways it appears that Dungy is filling a pastoral or chaplain role within his relationships in the NFL.  Here are his words...

I've always been drawn to young men and the issue of fatherhood because of the impact my dad had on me. I leaned on him for advice for 48 years, and he shaped me into the man I am today. I'll never forget being thrown out of a basketball game in ninth grade for fighting. (I know that's hard for people to imagine after watching me on the sidelines.) Afterward, my dad calmly told me how he saw it. "You let your emotions help your opponent instead of your own team," he said. "You have some talent, but you'll never be a great player until you get those emotions under control and use them for good." I listened to him, and that was the beginning of the "cool" Tony Dungy persona.

As a Christian, I follow the Biblical model of how a community should be structured—wisdom should be passed down from elders to juniors, and when that doesn't happen the results won't be good. That's why I'm concerned about the number of young men growing up without active fathers in their lives. This is an increasing problem all across society but especially in African-American homes.

It's ironic that, as I'm leaving pro football, one of the people I'm trying to help was once one of the NFL's biggest stars. But I'm concerned about Michael Vick's life, not his career. And Michael's future, just like those of thousands of other inmates around the country, is worth saving. Michael came into the NFL with a lot more fanfare than Josh Freeman but with less guidance. Does that excuse some of the mistakes he's made? No. And Michael certainly had the benefit of many support people in college and the NFL. But our decision-making processes are formed much earlier than that.

I firmly believe Michael deserves a second chance in life. I understand how appalling dog fighting is, and in no way do I condone it. But he was given a punishment that the court deemed appropriate, and now he exits prison having paid for that crime. It's time to let him bounce back after that loss. If we are willing to forgive Michael and take an honest look at the person who is leaving that prison, we might be surprised at what we see. We might see a man who says "I'm sorry" with his actions and not just his words. We might see a man who wants to get back to his three children and stop the cycle of young people growing up without a father to help them.

Working My Faith

At the beginning this year, I NAMED MY YEAR based on the theme of what I believed God wanted to do in my life in 2009 (and I encouraged my readers to do the same).  I declared that 09 would be a year of BREAKTHROUGH FAITH.

The skill that God is teaching me is to believe past my feelings, circumstances, or tendency to give up.

I have to confess that in the past, I have been a little too quick to get discouraged.  God gives me a vision for something.  I begin to believe in His promise.  Life gets tough.  The prospect of breakthrough becomes a little more improbable.  So I start to sulk, faint, give-up, or simply want to run away and hide.

So this year, God is asking me to toughen up my faith a bit.  My challenge has been to push past the initial wave of resistance, and look past discouraging barriers.  How?

1.  I have an IMPOSSIBILITY PRAYER LIST where I have listed my big 'God-sized' prayers.

2.  I declare God's PROMISES over this list every day.  There are about 10 things on this list and I have a Biblical promise for each.  So I speak these promises over my impossibilities.   As I do this I fight in faith.  I pray these things through until I have experience the shift in my heart from heaviness to peace. 

3.  I refuse to BLAME. When things don't happen fast enough, I want to blame someone or something (usually I blame me...but sometimes I blame people in my life, or my circumstances, or even God).

4.  I spend a lot of time in WORSHIP.  If I don't worship I will probably worry.  So I choose to praise God until His presence fills my life to the point that it doesn't even matter anymore.  This helps me get my focus off the PROVISION and back onto the PROVIDER as the source of my life.

5.  I ENJOY my life.  Yes, I believe that BREAKTHROUGH is on the way.  But my joy is not in the destination, it is in the journey.  So I can enjoy learning this lesson of faith.  In fact, just like there is an endorphin rush that comes from a good physical workout.  So there is a rush of Holy Spirit joy that comes from a workout of faith.

When I am done with a prayer season, and I have declared my breakthrough promises, and fought the fight of faith...Its as if I can feel my FAITH MUSCLES growing stronger.  I love that. 

How about you?  Are you working your faith?  And what about your THEME FOR 2009?   Still making progress?

Love, Forgiveness, & A Sense Of Humor

I found this video on Craig Riggle's blog.  It is an amazing description about how love, forgiveness, and humor is the best response to hate. This video is from a program that I have never heard of before, ENOUGH ROPE. It looks like it is on ABC somewhere?



If you visit Craig's blog, you can see a second video that tells the story about how Pastor Watts led this Klu Klux Klansman to Christ, and how eventually this former Klansman preached in Pastor Watt's church. Amazing stuff.

Throw Back Vocabulary

I was thinking this morning about some very important Biblical terms that make such a difference in my life when I understand them and align myself with what they represent.

1. Consecrate = to dedicate or set apart for a high/special purpose.

Consecration is something we do.  We set ourselves apart from the common or base things of the world in order to be special unto God and to live for His high purpose.

2.  Sanctify = to make pure or free from sin; to render holy or distinct/special unto God.

Sanctification is something that God does to me or in me.  The Holy Spirit works to empower me to live above sin and to live for God's special purpose.  Without His sanctifying work, my efforts to consecrate myself always fall short.

But I have to choose consecration and the Holy Spirit does the work of sanctification. if you say that sentence out-loud, you will sound very theological and impressive! :)

3.  Holy - something sacred; special; totally other; to be without sin or evil intent; to be good to the core.

Too often the word holy has come to mean 'without fun' or 'goody two-shoes'.  But Holy is the word we use to describe God.  He is absolutely good to the core.  He is without any evil intent.  He is unlike any other being in the world.  He is totally OTHER and unlike anything else that we could try to compare Him too.

When He calls us to be 'holy', He is asking us to be like Him.  He is not asking us to be religious, rule-oriented, dull, or self-righteous.  He is simply asking us to act as if we are specially set apart for His high purpose.  He wants us to see ourselves the way He sees us, which is specially designed for relationship with Him and for His highest purpose.

So we can live holy and yet with passion, joy, courage, vision, and life.  But as we live, we seek to reflect the nature of God which is absolutely good to the core.

GOD...MAKE ME HOLY!  I consecrate myself to you and to your purpose, so sanctify me by your Holy Spirit that I might become like you.

Prayer + Your Brain

Cindy K sent me a link to this article about how prayer and meditation can alter your brain in a positive way.  You can read the entire article here.  Below is an excerpt.

So far, scientists have focused on people who pray or meditate for one, two or more hours a day. They think that studying spiritual virtuosos will offer clues to the brain workings of more typical believers. But now Newberg and others are turning their attention to people who want to enrich their spiritual lives, but don't have that kind of time.

And there's hope for people with jobs and kids.

Neuroscientist Richard Davidson says you can change your brain with experience and training.

"You can sculpt your brain just as you'd sculpt your muscles if you went to the gym," he says. "Our brains are continuously being sculpted, whether you like it or not, wittingly or unwittingly."

It's called neuroplasticity. For years Davidson, who is at the University of Wisconsin, has scanned the brains of Buddhist monks who have logged years of meditation. When it comes to things like attention and compassion, their brains are as finely tuned as a late-model Porsche. Davidson wondered: Could ordinary people achieve the same kind of connection with the spiritual that the monks do — without so much effort?

I wondered that, too. And when I heard his lab was launching a study lasting two weeks, I said, "Sign me up."

It turned out I was too old for the study. But they let me see what it was about. For 30 minutes every morning, I settled into my chair to the soothing tones of a meditation CD. The voice of a University of Wisconsin graduate student urged me to shower compassion on a loved one, a stranger, myself.

The trouble came when I was asked to visualize someone I had difficulty with in life. I became surly, as I reflected on the minor tragedies in my life and the people who caused them. When I saw Richard Davidson, I didn't mention how ill-tempered I had grown.

"Is there a capacity to change my brain if I continue with this?" I asked.

"Absolutely," he responded enthusiastically. "I would say the likelihood is that you are already changing your brain."

I hope not. Others, however, were far more successful in cultivating a spiritual mind-set. Davidson couldn't tell me about the results of my study, which have yet to be published. But he could say there were detectable changes in the subjects' brains within two weeks. Another similar study, where employees at a high-tech firm meditated a few minutes a day over a few weeks, produced more dramatic results.

"Just two months' practice among rank amateurs led to a systematic change in both the brain as well as the immune system in more positive directions," he said.

For example, they developed more antibodies to a flu virus than did their colleagues who did not meditate.

Winning Methods (p3)

I started a series of posts about how and why we choose particular ministry methods and style last week based on Paul's remarks in 1 Corinthians 9.  Just a quick re-cap:

• The message is sacred.  Methods are not. 
• Methods remain flexible as long as they are not immoral, unethical, or doctrinally unsound.
• We choose our methods based on what will be most effective in 'winning' people to Jesus, and not based upon personal tradition or preference.

So what is most effective?  And who determines that?

It all depends on who you are trying to reach! This past month, we sent a Missions Team to Thailand.  In preparation for that trip, they took time to STUDY THE CULTURE.  They learned some dos and don'ts:

• It is an insult to speak negatively of their king.  They will be highly offended.
• If you wear a yellow or red shirt, you may set off a riot.
• If you show someone the soles of your feet/shoes, it is extremely offensive.
• They are used to western entertainment, so anything performed on the stage has to be done with excellence or they will not be attracted to it.

The Team also learned the kinds of questions that a Buddhist person has about God, and how to answer those questions properly.  Effective ministry in the culture of Thailand required both a study and understanding of God's Word and a study and understanding of Thai culture.  The goal was to bring the message of Jesus to the Thai people in a way that was culturally understandable to them.

This is the way a missionary thinks.  They study the culture they are sent into so that they can translate the message in a way that is linguistically and culturally understood.

The same study of culture has to happen if we are to reach unchurched people in Pittsburgh, PA.  Within our region, there are many unique sub-cultures that need to be reached...youth, young adults, international students, families with young children, senior adults, etc.

Each of these sub-culture groups has a particular cultural expression in their music, dress, needs, turn-offs, and taboos.  In order to reach people in these sub-groups, we have to be willing to adapt our methods without compromising our morals or our message.

That's why we don't use piano and organ in our Youth Service @ 220.  The Youth Service has a band with electric guitars, messages that include video clips, food available in the snack bar, games to play before and after the services, and topics that are relevant to the issues they are facing.

The challenge happens when you have a BLENDED CHURCH (as Allison Park Church is) with people from many sub-cultures and generations, who are all experiencing ministry together.  I will try to tackle that challenge in the next post.

Encouraging Trends

A new Gallup Poll, conducted May 7-10, finds 51% of Americans calling themselves "pro-life" on the issue of abortion and 42% "pro-choice." This is the first time a majority of U.S. adults have identified themselves as pro-life since Gallup began asking this question in 1995.

Read the overview of this research here.

My First Webcast Talk

Last this morning I was part of my first speaking experience through web-cast.  A group of pastors were gathered in Tennessee to talk about church planting.  I was one of three speakers who were set to address the group. 

I sat at my desk, looked into the Web-cam on my computer, and spoke through the speaker-phone in my office.  After I shared for about 10 minutes about the APC church planting story, the pastors there asked specific questions for me to address.

It went really well.  It took us a while to get started because they were having problems with the internet connection on their end.  But once we were up and running, the process was very easy and user-friendly.  Thanks to Cindy for helping me with the tech aspects on our end.

What I shared with the pastors was seven things that MULTIPLY when a church choose to reproduce itself by planting another church.

1. Spiritual Sons - a pastor has the chance to reproduce himself in someone else by raising up, releasing, and coaching a new church pastor.
2. Souls - church plants are the one of the best tools to win people to Jesus.
3. Resources - as we sow seed, God causes a harvest.   As we have given, God has increased our finances, our property, and our capacity.
4. Opportunities - planting in a new city creates new opportunities to have a presence, meet specific needs, and built new influence in this specific community.
5. Leaders - in every area of ministry, leaders must be reproduced.  Worship, childrens, youth, admin, and volunteers have to be recruited, trained, and released.  Often people who are on the sidelines in a pre-existing church setting, find a meaningful place of service in a church plant.
6. Stories - with every new church comes the stories of transformed lives.
7. Favor - this is something that is hard to measure, but has unbelievable value.  Matthew 6:33 says it all... SEEK FIRST the KINGDOM OF GOD and His righteousness, and ALL THESE THINGS will be added to you as well.

The Tennessee District has me scheduled to do at least one more of these Web-Casts on the same topic, I think with a new group of pastors.  I am looking forward to trying this same technology out for some future pastors/leaders meetings.  What an amazing world we live in when technology makes these kinds of things possible.

ONE FINAL THING:  I am so happy to report that ELEMENT CHURCH had a fantastic second monthly preview service with 109 people in attendance.  Looking forward to GRAND OPENING in August. 

Inspirational Speeches

Ben Arment posted this video on his blog last week.  It is a compilation of many of the great inspirational speeches in the movies.  This is a true skill...giving people a vision worth sacrificing for; motivating people to rise to new levels.  Be inspired today.

Speaking Via Video Conference

Tomorrow at 11:30am, I will be speaking to a group of pastors in Tennessee about church planting.  What is unique about this moment is that I will NOT have to travel.  They will be piping me in via Skype onto a big screen.  I will share for 20 minutes and then they will fire questions back to me through the same platform.

I have to say that I am really looking forward to this event.  The use of this kind of technology has so much potential in connecting leaders together from around the world.  My hope is that we can use this same concept here during some of our MCM Pittsburgh Pastor's Meetings in the future.

How would this help? 

It would allow us to hear from some of the most effective pastors and leaders from around the world, without having to ask them to travel to Pittsburgh to speak to us.  We actually tried something similar to this many years ago.  APC used to host monthly ALL NITE PRAYER MEETINGS (starting on Friday and going to Saturday at 6am).

We didn't have the benefit of video conference calls, but we did have leaders call in and we broadcast their voices over the sound system.  We actually had Dr. Cho (from the largest church in the world in Korea) and Leonard Ravenhill (the great revivalist) call into our prayer meeting.  It was awesome.

Anyway, I am looking forward to my first video conference event.  I will let you know how it goes.

To Lean In And Kiss

A few days ago, Johannes Amrtizer wrote a post about the power and intimacy of worship.  I thought it was so good, that I wanted to re-post it here. 

About a week ago I had lunch with a friend in Norway who has a priest education and also has a great insight in the Greek language... He reads old New Testament Greek like I read English, sort of... Our talk drifted to praise and worship... Geir, that is his name, then tells me that the Greek word in the origin text used for "worship" in the New Testament actually means "to lean in and kiss"... This tidbit of information exploded within me and the curiosity in me asked on... Yes Geir continues to say that the word for worship could just as well be translated "to kiss intimately and deeply..." Imagine that I have finally received a good explanation of what worship not only is but means and is all about. From now on it will be easy to explain to new believers and fresh disciples why worship has such depth and always is so refreshing!

When two people who are in love kiss, then intimacy and closeness between the two is created, but at the same time it also refreshes... To worship and honor God is with other words to kiss God initimately, deeply, and with passion! Worship will created closeness, joy as well as ignite and kindle the fire! I love worship!

We have to worship in the right place! Worshipping God early in the morning in the kitchen or in a house church among disciples in wonderful as well as refershing but maybe not so on the city square or in front of unbelievers... I have been thinking... I have always felt kinda embarrased when I have seen a couple making out in the open, on the commuter train or on a buss... On the verge of offensive and unpleasant... When it comes to kiss one does not want to be an observer. Worship should not be observed. Worship should not be performed or showed in concert form. This is why we in Mission SOS have drawn a clear line between festival music / Christian performance and praise and worship. When seekers are present a message is to be proclaimed or lovesickly smeared in . Worship is for Jesus loving disciples but probably belongs more in the prayer closet and in the church service with and among believers rather than in public, in society. Worship may never be exploted. Praise and worship is to kiss God in Spirit and in Truth, just as Jesus said! (John 4:23-24)

Kiss God a lot this summer - It will make you crazy for him!!

How Life Is Best Lived

I woke up this morning feeling so alive.  I could not wait to start the day.  This morning I will teach the Saturday sessions of the Breakthrough Weekend.  My expectations are that people today will experience healing from past hurts, freedom from old habits, and a little more understanding of God's choice to love them.

Inside, I can feel the Holy Spirit's joy.  He is so ready to confirm His Word and reveal the beauty of Jesus to people.  It is my great honor to be His mouthpiece in communicating these truths.

This thought occurred to me as I was driving to the church.  Life is best lived on offense, not on defense.  We all wake up and find ourselves in one of three postures this morning:

• Advancing - we have our sights set on new territory to take, new goals to reach, new people to serve.
• Retreating - we have lost our way, are backsliding, or are running away from something we don't want to face.
• Stalling - we are not moving forward or moving back. We are simply unoccupied and distracted, maybe we are even bored with life.

I should say that there is a time in our mentality of advancement that we need to have moments of 'resting' or 'replenishing' so that we can be strong for the next push ahead.  But 'resting' is different from 'stalling'.  Resting has a purpose and is actually a part of healthy momentum.

Life is best lived when we have a mentality that is focused on advancing.  In fact, many problems and challenges sort themselves out easier as we advance.  Sometimes the best thing you can do is get moving forward again.

Are you advancing?  retreating?  or stalling?

Maybe today is a day to shift your mindset about life.  Change your direction.  Lift your eyes toward a new goal, a person to reach, an adventure to begin.  Let God forgive your past.  Be released.  Move on.  It's time to rise up for God has a great plan for you today.

Am I Breaking Through?

This past week, I had a conversation several of my pastors about helping people at Allison Park Church identify steps necessary to BREAKTHROUGH to the next level as a follower of Jesus.  We do a pretty good job of helping those who are new to APC or new to Christ to take some first steps.

In fact, this weekend we are hosting another SPIRITUAL BREAKTHROUGH WEEKEND.  This process is designed to equip people to take huge strides with God. We talk about breaking with past guilt, overcoming habits, releasing bitterness, and experiencing the Holy Spirit.  There is also the opportunity to take the step of WATER BAPTISM after these sessions.

It is truly a powerful process!

But the question has to be asked, 'what about those who have already been through the Breakthrough and been Baptized?  What about the seasoned believer?  What about the growing Christian?  Each one of us needs to be challenged to go further and to breakthrough into new dimensions of life with Christ.

I have come up with three potential questions to consider if you want to challenge yourself to go to a new level spiritually:

1.  Is there a SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE that I need to renew or launch?  Maybe a fast?  Tackle a memorization challenge?  Commit to a Bible reading plan?  Sign-up for an hour every week in the 24/7 Prayer Chapel?  Establish a more consistent devotional time and place?

2.  Is there an EXPERIENCE I could pursue?  Have you been baptized in the Holy Spirit?  Have you participated in a Missions Trip?  Have you been prayed over lately?  Have you prayed for someone else?  Maybe you need to have an extended time of solitude?  A day to seek God? 

3.  Is there a RISK - a STEP OF FAITH that I need to take?  What has God asked you to do and you have not yet obeyed?  What promise do you need to declare in spite of what you see?  Where is Jesus calling you to follow?  A new adventure?  Sharing your faith?  Praying for the sick?  Stepping out as a Small Group Leader or a Volunteer?

These kinds of next steps are hard to program for a large group, because every individual is in a unique place personally.  This is where it takes initiative.  We each have to own the commitment and strategy necessary to breakthrough into what God has for us next.

So what is it for you?

It Depends On Who You Sing To

This congregation is having a blast with their pastor just before he gets ready to speak.  This pastor can bring it.  What a voice!  Makes me wish I was there on this particular morning.

The Struggle

It's been a few weeks since I posted a 'journal' thought.  Here's what I am meditating on today.  (using Wayne Cordeiro's S-O-A-P format).

Scripture: 
For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.  Colossians 1:29

Observation:
Paul's aim was to proclaim the riches of the mystery of Christ to Gentiles who had never heard of Jesus before, and to present his disciples as fully mature followers of Jesus.  He describes this task as intensive labor and struggle.  Disciple-making is not easy.  It is painful.  It requires sweat and tears.  It is toil...W-O-R-K!  Perhaps that's why so many Christians settle for being church-attenders and never truly become disciple-makers. 

In this work, Paul says that he is not alone.  God's energy is working within him, equipping, empowering, instructing, and sustaining him to accomplish this work.

Application:
Disciple-making is extremely rewarding and totally exhausting.  In that way, it is a lot like parenting.  Parents could relate to this verse if they read it in the context of kid-raising.  For this I toil (to raise great kids), struggling with all His energy that powerfully works within me.

I was thinking a lot about the preposition in the sentence 'with'.  Struggling 'with' all his energy...

What a difference 'with' makes.  God is struggling with me.  I am struggling with God on my side and working through me.  That is so much different that the words 'without' or 'against'.

But the word 'with' is a choice.  We can struggle without God's energy powerfully working in us.  We can choose to rely on our own energy, wisdom, or strength.  We can fail to invest in the kind of intimate walk with God that provides his energy working in us.

We also can struggle against God's energy powerfully working in us.  When we rebel against God, or go our own way, or pursue goals that are temporal or selfish, we end up working against God's powerful agenda and work in our lives.

When we struggle WITH God's energy working in us, we still struggle.  God's power at work in our lives does not remove the need for toil, sweat, tears, labor, or investment.  It simply means that we are working WITH God on an agenda He cares enough about to release His power to aid us in our effort.  It also means that WITH His power working in us, we know we will succeed.

Prayer: 
God, help me to realize that you are working WITH me.  Help me not to work WITHOUT you or AGAINST you.  Teach me to tap into your energy which is more than enough to accomplish the goal.

Top 100

A friend of mine recommended this Bible Reading Plan.  It is called E100 (the essential 100 stories of the Bible).  The goal of the plan is to help people get a full overview of the scriptures by specifically reading the most important stories.

My thought is to encourage the entire church to use this as a devotional plan as we launch into a new year (2010).   Has anyone used this?  Did you enjoy it?  Any thoughts or recommendations?

Maybe You Need To Laugh?

Proverbs 17:22 says, 'A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.'  If that's true, this little boy should be very healthy.  Enjoy a good laugh with him.

Winning Methods (p2)

By ALL MEANS possible...this is the phrase that the apostle Paul uses to describe his approach to ministry.  Basically, he was saying, "I do whatever it takes, whatever works best, and whatever will bring about the maximum result." 

I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 1 Corinthians 9:22

Now obviously, there are some limits on ALL MEANS.  Paul was not saying that he would be willing to be unethical, or immoral, dishonest, or destructive in order to reach people for Jesus.  What he was saying is that, while maintaining the attitudes and standards of a Jesus-way-of-life, we use every possible method, technology, or strategy to win some.

A few weeks ago, I was in an historic church here in the Pittsburgh area.  This church had been in existence for over a hundred years.  It's membership has now become small and its impact on the community reduced over time.

On the back wall there was a banner hanging (pictured here) that spoke volumes.  The banner reads, '2000-Moving forward into a new century of service under God.' 

The banner was made of 'felt' material with cut out letters that were glued onto the fabric.  While the sentiment on in the banner was one of vision, the style of the banner was NOT.  There was nothing wrong with the MESSAGE on the banner.  It was the right thought for the moment.  It was the METHOD of the banner that wasn't working.

This is the reason why we try to use every available technology in ministry.  We use websites, blogs, twitter, facebook, text messaging, and you tube.  During our services we use video screens.  We use video-editing programs to make our own unique stuff.  We pod-cast our messages.  Soon we will be video-cast the messages as well.

Over the past few years there has been a literal explosion of easy to use, available communications technology.  When I was growing up the church had just begun to step into the use of TV and Radio.  Messages were available on tapes, and the bulletins were created on an electric typewriter.  By the 80's were we beginning to project the words to songs on a wall through an overhead projector and transparencies.

Now it is possible to produce full color, graphically designed bulletins, banners, and posters.  Songs can be projected on screens with amazing moving backgrounds.  Video clips are available for use on sites like Bluefishtv.com for $1.99 a piece.

It would simply be wrong to NOT use every available means to communicate the greatest message the world has ever heard.  I have to believe that if the apostle Paul was living in 2009, that he would be using every TECHNOLOGICAL MEANS available to share the gospel and to win people to Jesus.

Some people might say, "Well, I don't need any of those things to worship God.  I would be content with some good, old fashion ministry methodology.  In fact, all of these new-fangled techniques just don't feel as spiritual to me.'  Several in fact have expressed to me these feelings.  Often church doesn't feel the same because of all of these stylistic changes.

But remember Paul doesn't say, "I use EVERY MEANS possible to feel most comfortable in worshiping God.'  Paul did say, "I adjust my preferences to WIN SOME...to the Jews, I become like a Jew and honor Jewish customs, to the non-Jews, I become like a non-Jew and set aside Jewish customs.'

In fact, we really don't know what Paul's preferences really were?  Did he personally long for a nice Jewish service with all of the Jewish dress, an old fashion synagogue service format, and the Hebrew worship style of his childhood?  Well, if he did, he was willing to set all of that aside in order to use whatever means he could to connect with and reach people who needed Jesus.

We use ALL MEANS POSSIBLE because it helps us reach people who need Jesus in the year 2009.  And communication technology enables us to reach the next generation with the power of the gospel.  It makes the message of Jesus easier to understand because it comes dressed in the cultural language of the day. God help us to win as many as we can for Jesus.

Huge Weekend Coming

So much is happening this weekend.  First of all, ELEMENT CHURCH is hosting is second Monthly Preview Service at Mr. Smalls Theater in Millvale.  Last month, they held their first Preview and it was amazing.  I am so excited to see the momentum build.

Starting our Friday night, the Spiritual Breakthrough Weekend will be held at APC.  As of now, we have just over 90 people signed up for the Weekend.  This is truly one of my favorite things to do, teach the Breakthrough.  Every time there are so many stories of God at work.

After all the services at APC, we will have Water Baptism.  Currently we have almost 20 people signed up in advance.  But this will be a spontaneous decision opportunity.  We will have the clothes, the towels, and all the accessories necessary for you to make a decision on the spot to get baptized.

We also will be continuing our study in the 'covenant' through our UNBREAKABLE series.  If you think of it, please pray for all those who are taking steps with God during this upcoming weekend.

Winning Methods (p1)

Every pastor, every church, and every believer has to make choices regarding some very specific approaches to life and ministry.  Ever since the days of the early church (as recorded for us in the New Testament) there have been struggles about what methods are best.

In the New Testament the big debate was about how Jewish the church should remain in its culture expression.  What feasts should be celebrated?  What style of clothing was appropriate?  What Jewish traditions should be adhered to?  How much should Gentile believers be required to conform to the dominate culture of the very Jewish Jerusalem church?

Paul reveals his attitude about this issue in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23:

Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.  To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

Some principles that we can pick out of this passage:

1.  The MESSAGE is sacred...but the METHODS are not.  We would never want to change the gospel.  it is the power of God for those who are saved.  But the methods of communication, discipleship. fellowship, and ministry remain flexible so that maximum impact can be reached.

2.  Everything we do has to be measured by the ULTIMATE GOAL which is to win people to Christ.

3.  The MESSENGERS should be willing to set aside personal style, preferences, traditions, and comfort zones in order join Jesus in his mission of saving as many people as possible.

This post begins a series where I will attempt to explain the WHY behind some of the METHODS of ministry that we have chosen at Allison Park Church (music, dress, media, language, programming, etc).  My hope is to reveal some of purpose behind some of these very strategic choices and expressions.

Should be an interesting journey...

Message In Review

Some messages hit my own spirit more directly than others.  This past weekend was one of those.  I don't ever remember digging into this particular passage before.

But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me." "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!  See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me."  Isaiah 49:14-16

God responds through the prophet Isaiah to the feelings of the people in Jerusalem.  They were asking, 'where is God?  has He forgotten us?  where is the restoration that He promised?'  He responds...

1. Imagine Love At Its Deepest - like a Mom with her newborn.  I love you more than deeply and more unconditionally than that.
2. Remember My Covenant Promise - the mark of my covenant is engraved on my hands.  Like the wounds of Jesus remind of us of just how far He was willing to go in His commitment to us. (Romans 8:32)
3. Know That Your Problems Are On My Mind - the walls of Jerusalem represented the source of their concern and disgrace.  The walls had been destroyed.  Their rubble was a reminder of vulnerability, captivity, and the need of restoration.

God told them that their walls (in the state of total ruin) were ever before God's eyes. He had not forgotten them.  He was concentrated on their biggest concern.  Their walls were always on God's mind.

A covenant-partner says, 'your enemies are my enemies; your problems are my problems; and all my resources are at your disposal.'  What an amazing reality this is.  When we commit our lives to Christ, we enter covenant relationship with the Almighty.

So remember this fact today:  YOUR WALLS ARE EVER BEFORE HIM.  Your problems have been adopted by God and He is working on a solution with you.  Since He is your covenant partner, you can call upon Him and ask for Him to release the resources of heaven on your behalf.  Wow, Wow, Wow.

The Mom Song

I am pretty sure I have posted this before, but since we showed this clip in our Mother's Day Weekend services, I thought I would post it again just in case you enjoyed it and wanted to pass it along.

Best Mom's Day Present

My wife posted a Mom's Day memory on her blog.  I wanted to pass the link along.

17 years ago, on Mother's Day, 1992, God brought Alissa Marie Leake into our lives.  I tell her all the time that she was the best Mother's Day present I ever got!


It is hard to believe that Alissa will be 17!!!

READ THE REST OF MELODIE'S POST HERE.  IT'S PRETTY FUNNY and a great memory.

Links Of The Week

Passing along some insightful posts from blogs that I read.  Have a fantastic Friday!

1.  Dealing With Jerks In The Church - Bob Roberts Jr. provides six wise steps for dealing with jerks wherever they are found.

2.  Six Pages Of Healing - Chris Griffin provides a link to verses to confess regarding healing.

3.  What We Can Learn From Spaghetti Sauce - Pat Norberg provides links to some insights from Malcolm Gladwell.

4.  How To Give Away 100 Million - Mark Batterson shares about an incredible man and his giving history.

5.  Who Is Coming To America - which nations are immigrating at the highest rates.

6.  Solutions Not Additions - Nick Poole on why we plant.

7.  Private Pain Before Public Gain - Craig Groeschel discusses how God uses pain in our lives.

Never Forget

I wanted to pass this prayer along.  Cindy Kurnek, who is currently the IT person at APC, has her own blog.  She gave her life to Christ several years ago now.  She posted this prayer reflecting on how much God has changed her life.  To this I say AMEN.

Heavenly Father I ask that you never let me forget my life before I was saved.

I never want to forget the utter emptiness in my soul that I tried to fill in all the wrong ways.

I never want to forget the self loathing I felt for the way I was living my life.

I never want to forget the loneliness of my self imposed isolation.

I never want to forget the disappointment of opening my eyes to a new morning when what I longed for was death.

I do not want to forget the overwhelming fear that kept me from leaving my home.

I never want to forget the guilt, and the anxiety and the pain that filled my every waking moment because of how I had failed my children that I could not raise.

I never want to forget the lies, deception and the self denial of my decaying mind.

I am so grateful for your redemption, for now there is no condemnation, and I am free.

I will treasure these dark memories because only through them can I measure how far you've brought me. Through them I can know just how far I've come by your grace alone. And with these memories I can begin to fully understand how great your love is. You never let go of me Lord, no matter how deep I sank. And I never want to forget that.

Thank you Lord for these dark memories. They keep me praising you.

Muslim Growth In The West

This is very interesting and somewhat startling. I cannot verify all of the stats in here, but I can agree that the trends are correct.  When I see a video like this, I don't feel hopeless.  I feel challenged to present Jesus to people who have never heard about Him or understood Him before.

Tomorrow's Classes Are Open

Church Family Values

This afternoon I spoke at a breakout session at the Penn-Del District Ministry Summit.  My topic was 'Building A Culture For Spiritual Growth'.  During the I talk I was asked about our recent adoption of a new Church Constitution and Bylaws.

I have posted these documents before, but I will provide them here again for anyone who would like to download them.  The first document is the values upon which or form of governance is based.  The second document is our actual Constitution and Bylaws.

1. Download Seven Values Of Church Family Governance.Jan08
2. Download APC Constitution + Bylaws 20009

New Missions Trip Product

First, I have to tell you up front...THIS IS A SERIOUS PRODUCT.  It is not a joke.  And it might actually be useful for some of the ladies that travel on a Missions Team to a remote area.  I found this on Anne Jackson's blog as she was commenting on her recent trip to Africa.

It is a product called 'Go Girl' and...well...I will let you visit the website to get the full description.  You can visit the Go Girl website here.  I debated as to whether this was something I should post, due to the delicate subject matter.

But it was just too funny to ignore.

The Collison-Zone

In the final verse of John 16, Jesus makes two seemingly opposite ideas.  This statement could be considered part of his 'last words' to his disciples while on earth, and before his crucifixion.  They are words of preparation for life.

I have told you these things that you might have peace.  In this world you will have trouble, but take heart for I have overcome the world.  John 16:33

Two promises collide here.

Promise # 1:  In this world...you will have trouble.  (I appreciate his honesty and forthrightness, for I have found this to be true.)

Promise #2:  Take heart (have courage) for I have overcome the world.

We live in the collision of these two realities.  While we are in this world, we have a load of trouble.  The days are evil.  Trials happen.  People act foolishly.  We make mistakes.  Tragedy occurs.

But we don't have to be overcome by this reality because there is another truth, a greater fact, that we can depend upon.  JESUS IS ALIVE.  He has overcome the world.  He has defeated everything that stands against us.  He paid for our sin.  He bore our sicknesses and released healing power through the cross.  He demolished the powers of evil.  He defeated death.

We live in this 'collision-zone' we call earth.  And what is our responsibility in all of this?  Take heart (have courage).  Face the trouble head on with faith.  Remember that Jesus lives.  Release the hurt from the past.  Forgive yourself for your failures.  And receive his overcoming power into your world today.

Covenant Exchange

This past weekend, we kicked off our UNBREAKABLE series.  Daniel Elvelyk taught us about the way that a COVENANT was made between two people in the Old Testament.  This practice has been somewhat lost in our western culture.  The only covenant relationship we understand is that of marriage, in our culture today.

But if we do not understand the concept of covenant it is difficult to pick up the full context of the Bible. So much of what we read in the scripture refers to this idea of 'covenant'.   In fact, the first and second half of our Bible carries this title:  the Old Testament (which means covenant) and the New Testament.  Jesus introduces this idea of 'new' covenant when he celebrated the Last Supper...'this cup is the NEW COVENANT in my blood.'

During the month of May, we are going to study the meaning and implications of God's choice to enter into COVENANT relationship with us. 

Daniel explained several symbolic exchanges that happened in the making of covenant in eastern culture.

1.  Clothes Exchanged - I give you my identity, my gifts, my person.

2.  Belt Exchanged - the belt was where the weapons were.  It said, "I give you my strength.  Your enemies will be my enemies.  If you are ever attacked, I will come to your defense.'

3.  Animals Cut In Half - the word 'covenant' means to 'cut until bleeding begins'.  The animal pieces were arranged in halves as a visible example of the seriousness of this commitment.  They pointed to the dead animals and declared, 'May God make me like this dead animal if I break my promise to you.  I would rather die than break this promise'.

4.  Covenant Walk - the two parties started back to back in the middle of the animal pieces.  they walked in the form of an 8 (which symbolizes eternity...the 8 never ends).    They started back to back but as they walked they ended up face to face (no matter how far I go away from you, I will always come back to you face-to-face).

5.  The Hand Shake - both palms were sliced.  Then they would shake hands and their blood would mix.  It declared, 'now my blood runs through your veins and yours runs through mine...we are ONE.'

6.  The Meal - they then shared bread and cup as a sign of their new fellowship.

7.  Name Change - they did several things to alter their identity.  The mark on their palm, where they were cut, remained as a sign of this covenant relationship.  It became a sign they could show to their enemies as a way of declaring who their covenant partner was.  They would also alter their name slightly so as to include a part of their covenant partner's name in their own.

In Genesis 15, God made this kind of covenant with Abram.  You can see the identity change in Abram's life because he changes his name later to Abr-ah-am  The two letters in the middle of his new name were two of the primary letters in the Hebrew name for God YAHWEH.

This is a radical truth if we can just get a hold of it.  We often see God's relationship with us as distant, or general.  We may feel like one person among the millions on earth that God has to deal with.  We wonder if we can get God's attention, let alone have Him respond to our personal prayers or pleas.

But God is longing to have a 'covenant' with you personally, just like He did with Abraham.  Imagine God giving you his clothes, his belt, his name, and declaring to you that He would rather die than break His promise to you.  How about you?  Have you entered covenant with God?

Have you given Him your clothes (your gifts, identity, person), your belt (your strength), your time and fellowship for eternity.   Do you realize what it means that God is your COVENANT PARTNER in life?  Wow, Wow, Wow.  Let me encourage you to meditate on these things and study the 'covenant' passages in the Bible throughout this month.'

If you want to study this some more, there is a tremendous book I can recommend by James Garlow.  Or you can listen to the podcast from this weekend's message.

Open Classes On Friday

If  you are interested in the MCM Ministry School, next year or any time in the future, you may want to check out the school this Friday.   From 9am until 12:10pm, there will be four session that anyone can attend.  Daniel Elvelyk, the Director of Mission SOS Bible College in Sweden, will be our visiting teacher for the week.

For more information on the Ministry School, click here.

Sharpen The Saw

I have just finished reading through the book of Ecclesiastes in my devotional time.  There is a lot of wisdom, especially in the final few chapters.  Here's a thought:

If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success.   Ecclesiastes 10:9

What a tremendous reminder.  If you find yourself flailing away without a lot of result and yet with a enormous expense of energy?   Maybe its time to stop, and sharpen the ax.  What does that mean?

• Get some coaching from someone who can give you fresh insight on the situation.
• Get some time away from the problem and alone with God so that you can strengthen your soul.
• Study up on the skills needed to gain greater success.  There are skills involved in everything - marriage; parenting; financial management; job search; spiritual development; etc.

In what area of your life do you need to 'sharpen the saw?'

My Domestic Thanksgiving List

The last two weeks has been so good for me.  My wife and daughter were both gone to Thailand on the Missions Team, which required me to take care of the household issues and my four boys during this time.  Normally, Alissa would be here to help me.  Instead, it was just us guys.

Ok.  I admit it.  I tend to be a little less engaged in helping out around the house as I should be.  That's why weeks like this are great for me because they birth in me a genuine appreciation for the amount of work that goes into cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc - for a household of seven people and a cat!

My wife is an amazing lady!!!!  She works so hard for us all the time.  I appreciate her efforts now more than ever and I am ready to pitch in even more than before to make the house function. 

I don't normally think about these kinds of things, but on this my final day as Mr. Mom, I thought I would list my TOP TEN LIST for domestic technological advancements of which I am thankful.

1.  The Dishwasher
2.  The Scented Candle (we needed this to keep the house from smelling like a locker room)
3.  The Microwave (what did we ever do before the instant defrost)
4.  Wrinkle-Free Spray (not sure if that's what it is called)
5.  Microwavable Food (even I can cook that)
6.  The Non-Stick Frying Pan
7.  The Swiffer (makes cleaning the kitchen floor much easier)
8.  The Laundry Shute (glad our house has one of these)
9.  Pre-packaged lunch box items
10. WalMart (you can get just about anything there...one stop shopping)

Anything you would add to the list?

Finally, Thanks for all the encouragement over these weeks, and for those who made us meals.  My boys devoured what we were given.