Keep sending them, Lord

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Had the chance to spend some time with a man today who has not yet made the leap into faith in Jesus. As I left him at the end of our Starbucks chat, I asked him again if he was ready. He said not yet. I give it a month at the most. He is so close!! He is so growing! This got me thinking today...

At CCF, we have recently seen an increase in lost/broken people coming. I love what I am seeing. It reminds me of this guy named Jesus. He seemed to attract similar folks. He is sending to us:

  • People in Brokenness.
  • Marriages in need of miracles.
  • People with addictions. Still trying to beat them.
  • Unsaved. Far from God.
  • The "never churched"
  • People in legal disasters
  • People in financial fiascoes
  • People who think that sexual promiscuity is a hobby
  • And alcohol is like a soft drink
  • And marijuana is no different than tobacco
  • People ready to give up...

Words do not express how humbled I feel that God is sending them to us, allowing us to help Him reach them and love them! This is a serious sign of the trust that the Lord has for CCF and it's leaders. It is a sign of the work of the spirit, of signs and wonders to come!

And from these people, we are seeing the Lord begin the work of his spirit and we are seeing...

  • People being put back together
  • Marriages on the verge of healing and love being reignited
  • Salvation
  • Rededications
  • People going from getting high daily and not caring, to people getting high weekly and feeling heavy conviction and calling to confess
  • People putting God first with their money that never have before
  • People holding on and pressing on and growing...

Friends, if I believe one thing about the transformation and growth of a follower of the Lord Jesus, it is this...

Discipleship and Spiritual renewal/growth is a PROCESS that takes TIME and ENERGY and EFFORT and the gradual renewing of the heart and mind that only the Spirit of the Lord can do! Rare are the miraculous and immediate turnarounds. Most take time and good old fashioned patience. That is discipleship!!

We are keeping at it. The Lord is so faithful and I am so glad to work with him...and that he is working in us.

Keep sending them, Lord!

Pastor Noah

Happy Birthday, Tricia!!!

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Today is St. Patrick's Day. But, it also my sweetheart's birthday! Happy Birthday, Tricia! I hear it is rude to tell a Woman's age, so I will refrain from doing that. Instead, I will share 29 things that I love and appreciate about Tricia as my blog post this morning. This is her day and I want to honor her for the lady that she is! I appreciate and love Tricia because of/she...

  1. Her love for Jesus
  2. Her compassionate heart
  3. Her honesty
  4. Her integrity
  5. Hard worker
  6. Gifted teacher
  7. Her choice in men!!!
  8. Nurtures Davis....leads the kids department
  9. The way she makes simple things special
  10. Her dedicated ministry at Capi's Kids and her passion for her role at CCF
  11. The way that she loves her family
  12. The way that she loves my family
  13. How she adores every kid in her life
  14. She takes wonderful care of her husband!
  15. Which reminds me....her choice in men!
  16. Gifted Blogger (recently discovered this)
  17. Cares for the home
  18. Cleans more than me
  19. Does laundry more than me (Which is not hard since I have not done a load since I met her in 1998...thanks, babe!)
  20. Great at watching me cook ;-)
  21. Pays the bills and implements our agreed upon financial plans and vision
  22. Love her heritage in the faith
  23. Love how she loves me (I know that may sound selfish, but men love to be loved by their wife)
  24. Crazy reader!
  25. Maintains friend of high caliber character
  26. Super supportive of my ministry as a Pastor
  27. Hospitable with the home
  28. Her gentleness
  29. Her choice in men!

Honestly, I am starting to think that Tricia is as called to be a Pastor's Wife as I am called to be a Pastor (At the very least we know that she is called to be my wife....which is NOT an easy calling!!) She is a gem! Happy Birthday, Babe!

Can you do me a favor? Can you either leave a comment here for her or go to her blog and leave her a comment wishing her a happy birthday! Let's bless her today (and tomorrow too if you don't read this till then).

A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. --Proverbs 31: 10, 30-31

My First Video Blog-- The Balding Pastor

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Some of you incorrectly think that I am more technologically gifted than I actually am. I fake the funk pretty well. For example...I have not know how to film and post a video onto youtube until today when my Brother stumbled around and figured it out for me. Well, now that I know how, I will be breaking into the video blog world. So, sometimes I will post a video blog. Gonna be fun!

Here is a sample of our work. This was hilarious!!

Yesterday, International Sunday, Beautiful!

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Yesterday was so special!! Here are a few reasons why, followed by some pictures. The pictures will say more than I will.

  • Over 425 people gathered from 31 countries (that we know of..I will post that list later).
  • There were 150 kids, youth and (kids/youth) volunteers throughout the building. CCF is doing the darn thing with the next generation!!
  • We had to shuttle many people from the Giant next door to the church. (Thanks, guys!)
  • We worshiped! In English. In Russian. In Spanish. Quietly. Jubilantly. Authentically. In spirit and in truth.
  • We went to a new Connection Card system. That was a win.
  • Bishop Glenn brought a powerfully anointed and wonderfully applicable word to us. (I will post some of those notes later.)
  • People ate. And ate. There was so much food! And we are learning as a church that meals are about a lot more than food! They are sacred and they are about community and the presence of God.
  • The volunteers that organized and led this (Staff barely touched it!) did an amazing job and need a blog-applause. They were unreal. The kitchen team, the line team, the set up team, the tear down team, the whatever team that I don't know about that made this day what it was. When I left here yesterday, I looked around and thought, "how will this get cleaned up?" When I walked in here early this morning I looked around and thought "how dd this get cleaned up?" Amazing people. Servants. That's how.










E-I-E-I-O's

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Davis calls farms "e-i-e-i-o's". Well, our friends live in the cut. There are farms all around them. Early this morning Davis and I were the only two awake and we snuck out for a father/son excursion. After getting Daddy some coffee, we drove around finding e-i-e-i-o's and looked for horses and moo-moos. Mission accomplished.

Here is a video at the horses and a video at the moo-moo's. I love making memories with my son. Just he and I. We talk about a lot of things when we are together...girls and stuff. ;-)

This Video Is Powerful! (worth re-posting)

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I used this 6 minute video in a message back in August. A few minutes ago, one of our teens texted me because they wanted to show their teacher at school. Amazing what sticks with kids.

Seriously, this video is powerful. I never get tired of watching it. I cried again this morning in praise for the amazing God that loves us and holds us together!

For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Col. 1:16-17

2 More Preaching Thoughts

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To build off of my post from Tuesday...

These 2 ideas are rather disconnected, but they are 2 things that the Lord has been showing me about preaching.

  1. I recently heard a story of a young Pastor who asked a much older Pastor..."How do you decide what to preach on?" To which the old preacher replied "Oh, I preach on whatever I find laying along the road." It took that young man a few years to realize what he meant. The best sermons flow out of your own life and things that God is putting you through, teaching you, and doing in you. Just think of the story of the Good Samaritan...it will help you to see what it means to preach about whatever you find laying along the road.
  2. God has been showing recently that if I fail to preach on the topics or passages that make me uncomfortable OR that I do not have ironed out in my own personal life, that I will be responsible for creating bottle sucking Christians. If my church is going to learn to eat meat, I am going to have to start feeding it to them. Lord, I do not want to pick and choose. I want to teach the whole counsel of God. Help me to discern and speak your truth in your time.

I have so much to learn still about so much. God, help.

-Noah

Leadership Lessons...Get er' done!

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Here are a few leadership principles that I have been thinking about recently, likely as a result of having a larger staff. Not fully developed these yet, but here goes.

  • I will lead many people in my life toward spiritual growth. I need to learn that I am not necessarily responsible for their growth, but that they grow. There's a difference.
  • Similarly, I am certainly not always going to be the one doing the discipling, but I will have to be sure that people are being discipled. There's a difference.
  • I have caught myself telling Staff members recently..."You don't have to do it, but have to get it done." There's a difference.

You can be responsible and held accountable that something happens and yet never touch it with your hands. This thinking basically pushes this "delegation" thing out more.

I just think that if leaders stretched their trust and became more willing to let other people touch things, they would see more growth, measure deeper discipleship and get more done!

Here's to "Gettin' er done!"

--Noah

(Yes, I wrote this. And, yes, I am preaching to myself.)

Down to NCC

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Pastor Nelson and I are headed out in a few minutes to take the Metro down to National Community Church in DC (Pastor Mark Batterson's Church). We will be meeting with their Discipleship Pastor, Heather Zempel (who we heard speak at the Willow Creek Small Groups Conference we attended). We will be hanging out at Ebenezer's Coffeehouse. Heather is a gifted teacher and thinker and the way that NCC does groups is pretty fascinating.

Pastor Nelson has scheduled Heather to come lead a Small Group training for our Small Group Leaders here at CCF on March 21. This morning, we are going down to hang out with Heather and plan that training. Looking forward to this morning. Glad Nelson got this all set up.

Hope you have a great day today!

--Noah

Increasing Love for Preaching

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Something has been happening in my life over the last few months. My love for preaching is increasing. Exponentially. Not sure why, how, or what to attribute it to other than the Lord doing a work in me. 2 or 3 years ago I would have defined my feelings toward preaching as average. It came with the territory. God has called me to be a messenger, so I had to prepare and deliver a message.

Now...Today...I love to preach. I'm either growing into it or it is growing on me. Now, don't hear what I am not saying...I am not saying I am better....I am saying I like it better.

So, I have been giving this some thought, because I want to channel this passion for Kingdom growth and not ego growth! I don't need that. I need to reach and impact people for God.

Some possible random reasons for this increasing passion to preach that God has been showing me:

  1. I am planned out further than I used to be! Many, many times, I have chosen my sermon on Tuesday and preached it Sunday. Not anymore. That has changed in the last 3-4 months. I now know where we are headed for the next 13 Sundays. I know what messages I will be preaching. As a result, the Holy Spirit is massaging truth into those messages that are under development in my heart weeks before I preach them.
  2. Blogging has exponentially increased my love for writing and my passion to communicate truth. My passion to communicate in writing has impacted my desire to communicate verbally. Lots of connection here for me.
  3. Increased anointing and increased character. That has been the name of this season!! Bishop Glenn spoke it to me prophetically, I see it and I receive it. God is doing new things in my heart these days. (Read: I am trying to grow up and surrender more of my mess to him.)
  4. One thing is for sure and two's for certain....I will never be good at all of what it means to be a Pastor. In some areas, I just stink. But, I believe that where God guides, he provides! And where God calls, he equips. I know he has called me and I see him giving me what I need with each passing month....by HIS grace and for HIS glory!

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

On my mind today

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Not really in the mood to write or do anything too inspiring today. Needed some mush time, if you know what I mean. Here are a few things on my heart and mind though, for those that care:

  • I am really excited about International Sunday this weekend!! Please come!
  • We are going to a new connection card system/way of welcoming folks this Sunday. I will share more about it soon. Going to be a great move for us!
  • Tricia kept it very real in her blog post today. Click here to read it. I love her increasing authenticity about he life as a woman and wife. Proud of my bride.
  • I am one lost puppy without my calendar in my phone. Reached for it 50 times today and said..."awe man!"
  • I am torn between two message choices for Easter. Asking the Lord to solidify his choice.
  • Not thrilled to be leaving again in a week. I will be heading back down to South America next Wednesday to see meet with our Guyanese Leaders. Gotta get through this International Sunday, wrap up and I am gone in a flash.
  • Even though I am not in a writing mood, I DO have some cool things on the runway that I look forward to sharing with you soon.

Great grace to you today!!

Brother Lew Palmer-Woods (Good), The Golfer

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Brother Lew Good (our Pastor Emeritus at CCF) has been in Florida for the cold months. This week, he and his sons are doing their 20th annual family guys golf trip. Helen emailed me this morning to tell me that they started a blog for the golf trip so that we could follow along. This is too cool! I want to be 80 and golfing with my sons one day (insert conviction here and read: Noah, keep exercising, eating right and take care of yourself)! I love the camaraderie you can feel on this blog.

Check out the blog at http://goodguysgolfclassic.blogspot.com/ or by clicking HERE!

Wanna Make My Day?

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Post something like this on YOUR blog, if you have one? I love when people love their church! I believe that it makes Jesus proud when we are proud to be his body! Click here to read this blog post by Cydne Nash, a CCF partner for the last several years. Cydne is an EnrtyPoint Coach and she and her husband Bernie co-lead our Thursday Small Group with us (they are also our friends!). She was "representin'" on her blog yesterday! Click Here to check it out! Made my day!

Credit Cards

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Last year I spoke to High Schools Grads and told them that "it pays to discover that you cannot afford a relationship with visa." I shared that in my message yesterday as well. After the service, Valeta Moore came up to me and handed me a folded piece of paper and told me to read it later. When I opened it, it said this...I thought it was too clever:

"It pays to discover that you cannot afford a relationship with visa, and to master spending wisely, without the card, and not with the typical American Express approach."

Bottom line. Credit cards are dangerous. Few can use them wisely. Many end up wishing they didn't exist and that we could just buy what we can afford.

Be careful!

Noah