After yesterday's blog, I got to reflecting about U.S. cities I've never been to that I'd like to visit someday. I've managed to make it to all the lower 48 states, but Alaska and Hawaii still evade me. Still, there are several U.S. cities that I've missed along the way. Here's the top ten I'd like to get to one of these days.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
U.S. CITIES
After yesterday's blog, I got to reflecting about U.S. cities I've never been to that I'd like to visit someday. I've managed to make it to all the lower 48 states, but Alaska and Hawaii still evade me. Still, there are several U.S. cities that I've missed along the way. Here's the top ten I'd like to get to one of these days.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
WORLD CITIES
It's been a privilege of mine to be able to do some traveling, particularly over the past several years. I have six clocks on the wall behind my office desk that post what the time of day is in those cities -- all places I've had the pleasure of visiting -- Mexico City -- Hong Kong -- Tokyo -- Calcutta -- Jerusalem -- Capetown. Add to those cities fascinating places such as Paris, Rome, London, Bangkok, Manila and Shenzhen, China and I feel blessed to have been able to see so many magnificent and interesting sights over the years. I am grateful.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
PROCLAIM
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
CONFUSE
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
POWERFUL
Monday, May 23, 2011
HOLINESS
Sunday, May 22, 2011
HOPE
One of the single most important things I need to do as a pastor is to stay encouraged - to keep my hope level high - and some of the ways I do that are to keep my prayer life up to date and my Word life up to date and my marriage up to date and the relationships that bless me up to date and my personal time up to date.
If I don’t stay encouraged, I’m not going to be the husband God has called me to be ...
If I don’t stay encouraged, I’m not going to be the dad and grandfather God has called me to be ...
I’m not going to be the friend God has called me to be ...
I’m not going to be the pastor God has called me to be ...
But sometimes we get to the end of the year and what we’ve had, rather than hope, is the opposite of hope - and that is discouragement.
We’re in very good company with the opposite of hope because the simple truth is almost every single person in the BIble had to bounce back from some kind of discouragement. Moses had to ... John Mark had to ... Peter had to ... Joseph had to ... Elijah had to ... Mary and Martha had to ... Abraham had to ... Paul had to ... we all have to. It’s universal.
And the million dollar question is this: ‘Is there a way - no matter how discouraged I may be - to replace that discouragement with hope?’
It would seem the starting points in moving away from discouragement and fear and depression and moving into hope is all about re-charging your spirit - relying on God - re-focusing on serving - refusing to give up - and those are impossible to do without God. We have to fight for hope.
So 2010 wasn’t your favorite year -- mine either. And maybe so far, 2011 hasn’t been that hot for you either -- but is there hope?
Can your marriage bounce back? Can it?
Can your kids bounce back? Can they?
Can your ministry bounce back?
Can your small group bounce back?
Can your business bounce back?
Can your job bounce back?
Can YOU bounce back? Is there any real reason for encouragement? Is there any real reason to hope? Or is it over?
It isn't over. Get back up. There is unstoppable hope with Jesus that can be yours today.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
MOROCCO - II
I had the privilege of being in Morocco this past week (see yesterday's blog). We spent a lot of time praying for Muslims and for the people of Morocco to find faith in God.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
MOROCCO - I
The last two days have been amazing in the country of Morocco.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
KINGDOM
Monday, May 9, 2011
RADICAL TOGETHER
In this sequel to his book, "RADICAL," David Platt writes a fitting Part Two. You don't have to read "RADICAL" to get this one, but it helps in order to get Platt's full passion for people and for the lost and for not doing things 'status quo.'
"RADICAL TOGETHER" is a call to help the hurting and live a life that is outward-focused. It is a call to get up off your couch and do something. It is a call to have a grace-filled heart to those who are improbable in the ministry of the Kingdom. It is a call to recognize we're not living or working for the present world. It is a call to remember it's never about us.
All one needs to do to be prompted to rush right out and get the book is to simply review the big idea in each of the packed six chapters:
- One of the worst enemies of Christians can be good things in the church.
- The Gospel that saves us from work saves us to work.
- The Word does the work.
- Building the right church depends on using all the wrong people.
- We are living - and longing - for the end of the world.
- We are selfless followers of a self-centered God.
The icing on the cake is that Platt gives us six small group studies based on each chapter at the back of the book.
Hats off to another awesome offering by David Platt. In his own words: "So let's live radical together in eager anticipation of the day when we will see his face and, as a community encompassing every nation, tribe, tongue, and people, enjoy his beauty for all of eternity."
** This book was given free of charge for the purposes of book review. Rate my review by going to the link below.
And be blessed.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
DEDICATION
Saturday, May 7, 2011
WELCOME
Thursday, May 5, 2011
PRIORITY
Monday, May 2, 2011
K F A
I love our church (www.kenoshafirst.com). We are big believers at KFA in being grace-filled people - accepting others in all their messiness as they come to discover more of Christ step-by-step.
We are all about relevance, believing the Gospel must be contextualized in our present culture, placing it into vessels and containers people are drinking from today. We believe communicating in irrelevant ways is a sin.
At the same time, we believe in being outward-focused in our approach with the Gospel and with church. In that vein, I found some comments I'll share with you that apply to our heart and motivation as KFA-ers ...
1. If you’re just looking for the next cool thing in town, that isn't KFA. We are all about creativity, but we're not about 'cool.' We want to grow by conversion growth, not church-goer transfer growth.
2. If you’re a Christ-follower and you don’t like your current church, you will very quickly probably find a reason not to like KFA.
3. If your mindset is that of a consumer wanting to “go to church” once a week for a nice show, you'll be unhappy at KFA. We are not a Sunday show, we are a community of disciples on a unified mission.
4. If you want religion, we will disappoint you. KFA is a church built on the radical gospel of grace.
5. If you have a personal agenda, you should know God has already given us our vision, our mission, our purposes, our values and our model for doing ministry.
6. If you think KFA will be a nice church that doesn't grow and where everybody knows your name and where you can put my cell number on your speed dial ...
7. We have a strong conviction that the church is not the building; the church is the people --- people on mission --- people constantly looking beyond themselves unselfishly. One of our favorite phrases is: 'The Church is now leaving the building.'
7. If you want to join us and still hold onto your comfortable life - know right now that you must lose your life.
If all of that is A-OK, we welcome you.
And be blessed.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
MOMENTS
One of the tragedies of so many Christ-followers (and churches) is that they want to eliminate risk. But there is no such thing as risk-free faith. Faith is synonymous with risk. ‘Believe it even though you can’t see it.’ Risky.
If I were to ASK you: ‘What are your goals five years from now,’ many would say their plan would be to lower the risk and raise the security level. But the truth is, when you’re living by faith, the risk goes up and the man-made security decreases - and many are pursuing the exact opposite of what God is calling them to - and that is safer lives.
In fact, if you would have asked Moses to tell you about the greatest moment of his life, I’m convinced he would have told you about the day he stood there in front of a very deep Red Sea while the chariots of the Pharaoh came pounding down the desert after him. Then if you would have asked him about the scariest moment of his life, I’m convinced he would have given you this puzzled look and said: ‘I just told you.’
The greatest moments often double as the scariest moments. I don’t care how awesome you are - you don’t come face-to-face with a wall of water on one side of you and a thousand soldiers with spears on horses on the other side and not experience sheer terror. That’s how life works.
So go ahead and feel the fear --- then look at your God who says, ‘The fear doesn’t have to rule you or stop you because I am with you’ --- and then take the next step.
Step out of doubt - step into security.
Step out of all the reasons why not and step into all the reasons why God says you can.
Don’t step out by sight -- step out by faith.
You do the believable - let God do the un-believable.
You do the ordinary - let God do the extra-ordinary.
You do the natural - let God do the super-natural.
You have the same spirit inside you that raised Christ from the dead.
You are blessed coming in and you are blessed going out.
There is no weapon formed against you that can prosper.
Step out of your fears - because the path to your greatest potential is often straight through your greatest fear - not around it - not under it - but straight through it.
And be blessed.