Holes
I have always believed that we are born into this world with Holes. It’s something we all have in common. To go old school, have you ever heard the song by the Eagles (no Buddy and John, not that team in philly), “There’s A Hole In The World Tonight”? Bill Hybels always says, “The Church is the hope of the world”. Did he hit the nail on the head or what? Jesus died for one thing, THE CHURCH!!!! That huge gapping hole in my heart caused by sin needed some surgery that only God could perform. I am so glad that I stopped by His ER and allowed the GREAT PHYSICIAN, Jesus Christ,to operate on me and close up the hole. He took care of my sin. And He can do the same for you. Just ask Him into your heart and let Him close up the hole. Just a side note, once He operates your good for eternity.
Part Time Faith
There is a word for those who do things half way. But i’ll leave that to your imagination. How many of us start something only to lay it aside halfway through? The Apostle Paul was able to say at the end of his life that he went all the way. I don’t know about you but I want to finish what I start.
You Need To Fix It
One of the things you encounter as a leader is everyone looks to you to fix their problem. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but a lot of people have problems and apparently those who don’t get jealous and create their own. The problem is not the problem, it’s the fact that so many people rely on someone else to straighten out their deal. What the heck is up with that?
Can I just clear the air? Thanks. If you are one of those people who like to always bring the problems to the table and then whine that nobody ever listens to you, maybe they are just tired of hearing your problems that always come without solutions. I know I am!!
I know I will always be more receptive when you approach the table with some solutions and not just your problems. When you come with some solutions, it shows me that you have put some positive energy into the situation. When you just come with problems it reeks of laziness and lack of effort to be creative.
So, if you are in a position that requires solutions, learn to be positive instead of negative and you will find that your voice becomes easier to listen to. Solutions show that you are trying to be creative and God loves creativity.
Sunday Night SmackDown
This is a new feature on my blog starting this week. This is where I give it to you straight. The real deal. Right from the hip. In Sunday Night SmackDown I’ll let you in on may week and and what’s to come. So here we go.
Opportunity Knocks ( Job Opening)
If you are out there and looking for an opportunity to lead worship, check out our web site and look under Job Opportunities. We have an exciting ministry where environments are created in order to connect our culture and community to Christ. We are currently highlighted on pg. 192 of Tim Stevens book, Pop Goes The Church. Shore Fellowship is a dream Job for the right person. If that is you let us know.
Hand Me Downs
This past Sunday we talked about forgiveness. I know sometimes as Pastors we underestimate the impact of one service But the results of this last weekend keep rolling in. So much in our life is hindered when we are unwilling to forgive. The word forgive means to remove from ones account.
As I said this past Sunday the moment I was conceived I had an account opened on my behalf. That account started with the original sin that was passed down from Adam. Thanks dude for the hand me downs. If you are like me, and I’m pretty sure you are. You have been depositing into that account for a lifetime. And Jesus wants to wipe the account clean.
I am so glad that Jesus became sin for us and took our load of sin upon Himself on the cross. And that’s where forgiveness comes in, and when you experience forgiveness it becomes natural to extend forgiveness. I would love to hear your stories about forgiveness and how God is working in your life. So take a moment and leave your story about forgiveness.
I Can’t Sleep
That seems to be the story of my Saturday night. Tonight there are two things that are keeping me awake..
Is It Too Late?
Maybe you have been hurt by someone, or you are the one who screwed somebody over. Have you ever felt like it’s gone too far and there is no way to repair what’s been ripped apart. One Republic does a song called, ” Apologize”. In it they share true hardcore feelings that reflect how we sometimes feel.
This Sunday we are going to deal with this topic of Forgiveness. I know we not only have a need to be forgiven by Christ, but we need to reflect th love of Christ and let it spill out on those around us in the form of forgiveness.
We have some real cool stuff planned that will bring you face to face with how a lack of forgiveness will jack you up. We will also offer hope even if you are at 2 strikes and waiting to swing at the 3rd. So come on out to Shore Fellowship this weekend and invite someone to come with you. You will not leave the same.
Pop Goes The Church
The book finally hit the shelves. Tim Stevens does an amazing job of sharing from a biblical perspective why we need to use pop culture in the church.
If you turn to page 192 of POP GOES THE CHURCH you will read the story of our church, (Shore Fellowship). We are so honored to be a part of this important book for the church.
Make sure you put it at the top of your list of books to read. You can order at amazon.com.
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
When you look into the mirror it is always for the purpose of, checking yourself out. You gotta make sure you look fly. If your like me you always notice something and probably make an adjustment. A mirror doesn’t LIE! James 1:22 tells us that the Bible is like a mirror – it simply reflects the truth of what it sees.
I love in Psalm 129 when David ask God to search his heart and then reveal what’s in it so he could change it. Someone should have told him to be careful what he asks for. If you ask God to hold the mirror up he will and you better be ready for what you see. You may not alway like what is revealed, but the reflection is always accurate. And the call is always to make the proper adjustments.
Just last Saturday as I was doing some last minute tweaking to my Sunday talk about trusting God and I was a little distracted by an issue in my own life. As I was wrestling with God about it and telling Him how much I didn’t get it and how much it didn’t make sense to me, He lifted up the mirror. I remember saying to God, I have a problem with this, and it was if He said I have a problem with you, (not trusting me). Wow, that will set you back. I had a choice to make; do I make the adjustments needed or do I act like I didn’t see what God just showed me in His mirror? Needless to say, I am in the process of making the changes that are needed. How about you, what is God showing you that isn’t always easy to look at but needs to be dealt with? I hope you have the courage to fix it in private before you go out in public.
