Thanks to Kevin's recent comment, I thought I would throw up a quick post to preview the message for this Sunday. I will try to get into this habit, but no promises....
Sunday's message is entitled "Father, Make us Effective" and is the second message in our series of 3 messages! We will take what I hope will be a fresh look at what it means to be effective as a church. Our main example and case study will be Jesus. In my opinion, he was the most successful and effective person to ever walk earth. He accomplished the most urgent and important mission that there ever was and did it in such an exemplary way! If you want to prep for our time, read John 14:11-14.
Jesus himself says that we are supposed to do greater things than HE did. Do you think that YOU are doing even greater things than Jesus? Think about that one!
--Noah
I have been reading Mark Beeson's blog recently. Mark is the Senior Pastor of Granger Community Church. If you like photography and enjoy bringing the Lord your best in whatever you do, you have got to read his post from yesterday......click here!
6 meetings back to back today...some of them long...did not allow me any time to think or to write. I missed it, but the meetings were good.
I realize that I am learning something recently. We often make things bigger deals than they are. I think that (for many of us) it would go a long way to relax, lighten up, chill and assume the best, not the worst! That is my word for today.
--Noah
Some have asked why we are renting our home, so I thought I would address it on my blog. Heard a few concerns that perhaps we were making preparation to move away. We are not moving away! I hope that is good news for at least some of you. Smile. We are simply moving to a different home in Bowie and renting the one we live in now. If you are following the news much at all, you know that this is a big time buyers market. I recently heard that it was (arguably, I am sure) the best time in the history of the nation to buy real estate. We are getting in while the getting is cheap! Part of being a steward is making the wisest investment we can for the greatest return. The Lord has graciously entrusted Tricia and I with the resources to do this through a recent inheritance, and so we press on with gratitude to God in preparation for the future! I encourage you to remain faithful over all things that the Lord entrusts to your care!
--Noah
Here is a blog entry by Buddy Cremeans that I recently read that really got me thinking...thought it would be a good one to share:
Author David McCullough stated that the reason people love to read a good book is because writing requires clear thinking…it’s also the reason people don’t like to write.
Interesting.
McCullough said that Universities should require their students to write to express themselves. He said a person that can express themselves with the pen and on foot will be successful. After years of his notable career, McCullough still keeps a discipline of writing 4 typed pages a day! And I thought writing sermons and blogging was enough!
I’ve been challenged by McCullough’s comments. And maybe similarly that’s one of the reasons God called King David a man after His own heart. Why? Because, King David expressed himself clearly to God. David poured out everything…he didn’t hold anything back. David was refreshingly authentic before it was hip. David knew how to write and consequently he knew how to express himself.
I started journaling to God several years ago and blogging less than a year ago. I’m just curious, do you journal? Do you blog? How has it helped you to express yourself to God in ways beyond words?
During the VBS time slot TONIGHT, I will be leading a Discovery 101 class (6:30pm-8:30pm) in the Upper Room at the church. This class is for all non-members that are interested in knowing more about our history, beliefs, DNA and vision for the future. If you or anyone you know has not been to Discovery 101 yet, please tell them about tonight! Looking forward to being with the 8 who have already signed up and maybe more!!
--Noah
The kids did something tonight at VBS that I thought was very special. I wanted to share the picture. They all wrote their prayer requests to the Lord and then tied them together and made a prayer chain that they draped over the cross and dedicated to the Lord at the end of the night. It was touching and great to see the kids giving their requests to the Lord.
One child's prayer requests was "that the church would be ONE". The same kid hugged me at the end of the night and told me that it was a great message on Sunday. He must have been listening. What a joy!
Jesus said in Luke 18:16, "Let the little children come to me...the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these!"
--Nite!
...that my son is the cutest little guy on the planet....here he is tonight in his Tow Mater chair! This is your reminder....this kid is illegally precious!
I follow many Pastors in their leadership journey's. I like to watch and learn from guys who:
With the assistance of technology, it makes it really simple (like 120 seconds per day per guy) to follow them and see what they are doing and thinking about in ministry. It jazzes me to learn new things and to see people think in different ways.
It may interest you to see some of the guys that I enjoy following online via blogs, twitter, articles, etc.:
Soon, I will feature a few thoughts about some of these guys individually.
--Noah
Tonight is the first night of VBS down at the church. Tricia is providing leadership for it, so it was super important that she was there. Problem is that Davis is not well enough to be around others, so I am home with him all evening so that mommy can be at the church. It feels so weird to be hanging out here while I know that the church is hopping with action and people that I would love to see. We did the right thing, and I have had a great evening with my little buddy, but it still feels weird! Oh, well. Life.
I am looking for a few more people who are willing to:
If you are willing to join in this special ministry opportunity, please email me!
--Noah
I made it through both services by the grace of God. Davis picked up a stomach bug yesterday that provided regular proof in his diaper over 20 times yesterday. Well, he gave it to Daddy. And maybe Mommy (although we are hoping not). I give the Lord the credit for any strength that I had today. Felt weak and felt like I was noticeably not myself.
Message today was "Father, Make us One"....if we had one enemy, one heart and one purpose as a church....we might just be able to become the answer to Jesus's prayer in John 17 to be a unified church!
--Noah
Can you do me a favor? Do you know anyone looking to rent or currently renting looking for something different? If so, please invite them to come to my blog and click here. We have a nice house in Bowie that we are looking to rent beginning September 1st! Maybe you could help us find a good renter! Thanks for your help!
--Noah
The church is all decorated for VBS! It starts Monday, but we needed to get it done over this weekend because we want the atmosphere created to intentionally build buzz this Sunday. It's cool to see a big canopy in the lobby and a tent on the stage. Looking forward to a great week next week at "God's Big Back Yard!" Be sure to get your kids registered and tell others about it too. Thanks to Pastor Mike and the youth, we got almost all the flyers out!
Here are what I thought were great thoughts from Kevin Gerald, Pastor of the Champion Center in Washington State. The overarching premise is this...you can mess up a lot of things in the church, but don't mess up Sunday....it's game day and it is urgent that we win!! Kevin offered 9 points at a recent conference (I did not attend, just was given the CD). Here they are. This will connect especially with the Pastors that are reading my blog (I am aware of a growing number of them).
Certainly some areas that we need to work on at CCF. I love learning what others are doing and thinking. Helps me dream.
--Noah
OK, I am officially INCREDIBLY EXCITED about the "One Heart" series that I will be starting this Sunday. Been working all morning on the this Sunday's message. I feel like God is doing a big personal work in ME as I am preparing it. I have a very strong sense that God is going to do something special with us over the next 3 weeks. This Sunday's message is "Father, Make us One!" Come more prepared by reading John 17:20-24. PLEASE be praying with me about these next few weeks.
--Noah
If the answer to either of the questions in the title of this post is yes....please pass this along and see to it that they come to VBS at CCF next week!!
On International Sunday, one of our 3 speakers was an attendee of CCF (for over a year) by the name of Rabindra Robinson. He was an Indian brother who sensed the Lord's call to return to his home region in India and enter full time ministry. He flew out the morning after International Sunday. Since his departure, he and I have been in correspondence quite often. I have developed a real burden and heart for this guy and the work that he is doing among the Hindu people in India. He considers CCF his home/sending church. The stories that he shares are often amazing. I want to share one with you. He just sent this to me a few days ago. He knows that I am sharing it with you.
Dear Pastor, we are doing the work of the Lord effectively among the Hindus and the church leaders. A couple of weeks ago we had a prayer meeting in one of our believers houses and a Hindu family accepted Jesus as their savior. To their amazement and wonder when they went home all the idols in their house had fallen on their face and they said that they know for sure that their living God is truly Jesus!! Praise the Lord! Lots of people are getting healed just by the laying on of hands. How wonderful our God is. Keep us in your prayers. Satan wants to prevent us from doing the lord's work and we are in constant spiritual warfare. Pray for us and hold us without ceasing in your prayers. We pray for you and the good work that the Lord has started in and through you in Greenbelt.
Pray with me for Rabindra and his wife and kids. I am sensing the Lord's leading to consider how else we can become involved with him and his ministry. He, like Anna Mae are in the field because of a call out of CCF to the world! This is something that we ought to rejoice in!!
--Noah
A few reflections about the weekend:
--Noah
Lover & follower of Jesus, devoted to my wife Tricia & my kids, Davis, Lily & Graceson, serving & living in Africa as a man on mission for the Kingdom of God.
