Tony Rivers

A Teabag Experience in a Hot Water World.

2017-05-20T21:42:00.000-04:00

A Tea Bag Experience in a Hot Water World.

Perhaps you have found yourself discontent with your life.

- Maybe you have had feelings of doubt or feelings of inadequacy.

- Do you ever ask yourself if maybe you are missing God’s best for your life?

- Do you wish that you were a better person and a better Christian?

Perhaps you have found yourself asking questions like,

- “Why am I going through so many trials and temptations?”

- Maybe you are feeling defeated in your Spiritual walk.

- Has God given you a command that you absolutely could not obey?

- Are you experiencing trials that just don’t make sense?

To answer these questions Biblically, we need to first understand the Biblical Concept and Necessity of Transformation.

- What does God mean by transformation?

- Why do we need transformation?

- What does God expect of us?

- And what can we expect of God?

If you Diagram Romans 12:1-2, you might come up with something like this:

I beseech you therefore,

brethren,

by the mercies of God,

(that) you

1) present your bodies

a living sacrifice,

holy,

acceptable to God,

which is your reasonable service.

(And)

2) do not be conformed to this world,

(but)

3) be transformed by the renewing of your mind,

(that) you may prove what is

that good and

acceptable and

perfect will of God. Romans 12:1-2 NKJV

From this text, we discover that the process is progressive and on-going. It also tells us why we need transformation and what our responsibility is in the process.

From here, we discover 3 statements about being transformed.

1. The ____PROCESS_________ of Biblical Transformation is a _____PROGRESSIVE______ process.

Hopefully you are a born again Christ follower. That is the beginning of a lifetime of becoming increasingly more like Christ. It's much like a teabag experience. If you take a teabag and put it in hot water, over a very short period of time, the flavor of the tea will seep out into the water. The end product is a wonderful cup of tea.

Similarly, God allows us to have hot water experiences in our lives to pull out the flavor of our hearts. Sometimes He shows us problems that we need to address, sometimes he shows us beautiful things that we could only know about ourselves from the hot water experience in our life.

Imagine with me that you take an old car and drive it down the road. The engine starts knocking and blue smoke emerges from the tail pipe. Some things wrong with your car, so you take it to the best automotive shop in town. They repaint the car with 12 coats of BASF Butterscotch Pearl paint. They replace the rims and tires with Nitro rims and brand new Pirelli tires. They upholster the interior with imported, hand stitched Moroccan leather.
When you arrive to pick up your car from the shop, you are amazed at the transformation. You peer into the paint. Its almost as if you can stick your finger through it. You gaze at the tires and rims. They look slicker than algae slime on a waterfall rock. As you sit in the seats, you sink into comfort, the fresh smell of new leather is overwhelming. Its a wonderful experience! Then you turn the key and hear this awful, incredible knocking noise. The air fills with a choking, deep blue-gray smoke.
You changed the car, but you didn't address the problem with the car.

Don’t you see the parallels? We need to know what the problem is and we need to address that problem.

That’s why God puts us in hot water sometimes.

Romans 12:2 says “Do not be conformed by this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Our Transformation process requires dedication to that process.

Dedication - In Romans 12:1, we have the “therefore” of dedication, and it is this dedication that is the basis for the other relationships that Paul discussed in this section^{^[3]}

Application:
Progression starts with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It continues by being a part of a local family of Christ “Joining a church.” It deepens when we participate in a smaller discipleship group.

Be purposeful and DEDICATED to following Christ.

The process is progressive and…

2. The ___PURPOSE__of Biblical Transformation is to make us __SUITABLE__ for God’s use in His work.

Roms 12:1a “urges” us to do so.

“I beseech (urge) you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present yourself a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your Reasonable service.” Rom 12:1

Romans 12:1b tells us that it is our “reasonable (or rational) service.

Romans 12:2a issues a command that we be not conformed, but be transformed.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Romans 12:2b tells us that God wants transformation so that we “may prove what is

that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

The Biblical goal of transformation is Christ-like humility

Jim Berg, author of Transformationd into His Image, rightly notes that, “While living on this earth, Jesus Christ exemplified the characteristics of a man controlled by the Holy Spirit and in perfect fellowship with God.”[4]

Reverend Charlie Orr uses the analogy of an onion. Sometimes there are many layers that have to peeled away before we get the tender heart.

Application:
Be real honest with God about how you feel about the process.

The process is Progressive, the purpose is to be Suitable for God’s use and….

3. The _____PEOPLE____________ involved in Biblical Transformation include, Christ and you.

ME: My responsibility is ____Continual SURRENDER______

Romans 12:1 tells us to present our bodies a living sacrifice, and 12:2 tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. 12:2 also tells us that we are to prove what the will of God is.

These verses show us three facets of our life that we are to surrender to God.

1- surrender our bodies to him.

2- surrender our minds to Him and

3- surrender our will to Him.

OUR BODIES - I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice to God, which is your reasonable service. Rom 12:1

What is a living Sacrifice?

God doesn’t expect us to allow ourselves to be run over by everyone. But we must be willing to lie down and die should God require that of us.

Livingstone understood this:

“People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa. Can that be called a sacrifice which is simply paid back as a small part of the great debt owing to our God, which we can never repay? Is that a sacrifice which brings its own reward of healthful activity, the consciousness of doing good, peace of mind, and a bright hope of a glorious destiny hereafter?

“Away with such a word, such a view, and such a thought! It is emphatically no sacrifice. Say rather it is a privilege. Anxiety, sickness, suffering or danger now and then, with a foregoing of the common conveniences and charities of this life, may make us pause and cause the spirit to waver and sink; but let this only be for a moment. All these are nothing when compared with the glory which shall hereafter be revealed in and for us. I never made a sacrifice. Of this we ought not to talk when we remember the great sacrifice which He made who left His Father’s throne on high to give Himself for us.”

—David Livingstone^{^[5]}

1 Corinthians 6:20 (NKJV) says, “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

This is our worship experience. We worship our God every day by offering our bodies to Him as a living sacrifice to be used by Him, however and whenever He desires. He is the rightful owner!

OUR MINDS - Rom 12:2 tells us that we are to be transformed not conformed.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Rom 12:2

Don’t be transformed by the world, be transformed by God.

We are in the world, but we are to be insulated…

Renew your mind – through Scripture reading, Scripture memory, and through applying God's truths to life

OUR WILL - Jesus told us that when we pray, we are to pray ‘not my will, but thine.’

God wants us to surrender our will and instead adopt His will. Seeking to join Him in His agenda.

Romans 12:2b tells us that we offer our bodies, minds and will, “that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

GOD: God’s part is final ____Complete SALVATION_____

God’s part in the process is to save us. When we come to the realization that Jesus Christ died for our sins, we choose to believe on him and we confess him as Lord, then the Holy Spirit transformations us into a new creature. As we surrender our bodies as a living sacrifice, he shows us where he is at work and He invites us to join Him. The Holy Spirit enables us to accomplish those things. He renews our minds as we seek him through the Scriptures, through prayer and through service to Him.

God has called us to God-sized tasks. If we join Him in those tasks, then He will enable us to accomplish them. We will know going in that only God can accomplish this. We will know while in the middle of that task, that only God can accomplish this. And we will know when the task is completed that only God could have accomplished such a thing.

If only we as individuals and we as a church would sell out totally to God, surrender everything to God and allow Him to use us. I am telling you that God could touch the world even through me and you.

Q: What flavor is God drawing from my heart today?

Conclusion:

The Biblical concept of transformation takes into account that transformation is ongoing, the goal of transformation is to become a Christ-like humble servant to be used by God to accomplish His will, and our part is surrender of our body, mind and will while God’s part is justification and sanctification.

We are placed in hot water situations to draw out the undesirable flavors in our lives. This is not the action of a cruel God, rather this is the action of a just God who loves us and wants to give us a more abundant life. We choose how to react to those situations.

Have you ever thought of it, that only the smaller birds sing? You never heard a note from the eagle in all your life, nor from the turkey, nor from the ostrich. But you have heard from the canary, the wren, and the lark. The sweetest music comes from those Christians who are small in their own estimation and before the Lord. ^{^[6]}

When God puts you in hot water situations, what do you choose?

Your hot water may be the loss of a loved one, the loss of some of your faculties. Maybe you are started to come to grips with the aging process. Perhaps you have recently experienced trauma in your life. Maybe God has allowed you to enter a dry spiritual spell. Do you choose to acknowledge that God is trying to draw out the flavor of your heart or have you chosen to become resentful? Are you throwing up your fists to God in anger? Have you decided to take action on your own not seeking the will of God?

Friend, God loves you so much that He sent His Son to die for you in order that you may live, but now he wants you to become the living sacrifice. He wants you to allow him to transform your mind. He wants you to adopt His will and seek His kingdom. Are you up for the task? Will you surrender your all to Him? Will you allow God to use this congregation to touch our world? I pray that you do.

• Christ is not valued at all unless he is valued above all. —St. Augustine

^{^[1]}The New King James Version. 1996, c1982 . Thomas Nelson: Nashville

[2] Wiersbe, W. W. 1996, c1989. The Bible exposition commentary. "An exposition of the New Testament comprising the entire 'BE' series"--Jkt. Victor Books: Wheaton, Ill.

^{^[3]}Wiersbe, W. W. 1996, c1989. The Bible exposition commentary. "An exposition of the New Testament comprising the entire 'BE' series"--Jkt. Victor Books: Wheaton, Ill.

[4] Jim Berg, “Transformationd into His Image: God’s plan for transforming your life,” (Greenville, SC: Bob Jones University Press, 1999,2000) p. 5.

^{^[5]}Tan, Paul Lee. Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations : [A Treasury of Illustrations, Anecdotes, Facts and Quotations for Pastors, Teachers and Christian Workers]. Garland TX: Bible Communications, 1996, c1979.

^{^[6]}Tan, Paul Lee. Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations : [A Treasury of Illustrations, Anecdotes, Facts and Quotations for Pastors, Teachers and Christian Workers]. Garland TX: Bible Communications, 1996, c1979.

Do You Get It?

2014-01-06T17:42:00.001-05:00

Jesus - All Consuming Fire

2013-08-26T00:21:00.000-04:00

My Best Technology Tool for Ministry

2012-06-05T23:23:00.002-04:00

I hate junk mail!

I hate it so much, that I have spent the last 5 years of my life trying to get off of everybodies mailing list. And, I have been pretty successful. The few pieces of mail that make it through now, are usually discarded in the trash before I can even determine who they are from. On the other hand, I recieve daily email, twitter and text message alerts from my bank, my wife, my kids, people and organizations that I follow on Facebook and Twitter, etc. etc. etc.

The way we communicate is changing.

That's why I have invested in tools to help me communicate with those in my ministry. With a shoestring budget, it just doesn't make sense to spend hundreds of dollars on postage, printing and paper. Instead, I have invested a few dollars per month in an email solution that allows me to send high quality, professional communications to those I minister with and too. And it works GREAT!

The email tool is Constant Contact.

I have been using Constant Contact for about two years now and I absolutely love it! No more hours of trying to figure out Microsoft Publisher, guessing which copier button makes the front print on the back, no more runs to Staples for more copier paper, no trips to the post office. It's just amazing! I have much more productive time to spend thinking about what I am going to communicate to my audience and I have freed up a lot of valuable resources in the process.

The neatest benefit? If my audience doesn't want to receive my email, then they simply click on one link and they are automatically unsubscribed. Likewise, if they do like my content, then with one click they can share my newsletter with anyone in their social sphere. My contact list has grown from less than 100 to well over 1000 because of this tool.

And what about timing? I can send a Constant Contact message in less than 3 minutes if I need too. The receiver can then choose when and where to open and read my correspondence. In a matter of minutes, I can share a message with over 1000 people. That's pretty effective!

By the way, you can try Constant Contact for Free to see if you like it. If you choose to sign up, use this link and we both get a $30.00 credit.

If you don't have the few dollars for Constant Contact, then there is another tool, SurfMonkey, available that is totally free. I used it for a few months, but found Constant Contact to be so much richer and easier to use. I will spend the money for a tool of this quality.

So how do you communicate with those that you minister too?

2012-05-09T22:44:00.001-04:00

RELEVANT

2012-01-31T22:04:00.003-05:00

One of the most recent buzzwords around the coffee tables of preachers has been the word 'relevant.'

It seems that to be successful, even the oldest established churches need to discover this new concept of being relevant to the community. So how do you do that? Hire the best musicians in town? Play the latest craze in music? Hip-hop, rock, contemporary Christian? Get a band? Serve coffee? These things aren't what make us relevant. Rather, these are things that we consider "IF" we are relevant.

Relevant is not what we do! Relevant is what we are!

Relevant doesn't mean the music is cool. Relevant means that the heart is warm. If you want to be relevant to your community - Love them! Start building a bridge today. Maybe your bridge is a comfortable contemporary environment where new visitors can feel welcome. Or maybe your bridge is a ministry where you serve your community with no expectations in return? So they can know you love them.

I am a Ministry Coordinator for a food ministry that exists almost solely for this purpose. We give churches a tool to reach their community for Christ. How? By offering a reasonable alternative to the escalating costs of food. Our cooperating churches setup a food cooperative. People come and purchase a box of groceries for about half its normal price. They are met by friendly people that shake their hand, smile at them and most churches even have volunteers that will take the groceries to the car.

We ask, "How have you been this month? Can I pray for you?" Then we pray for them if they will let us, (almost all do!) and tell them we will see them next month. Why? Because we are relevant. We love people and if the only way we can build relationships (bridges) into their world is through food - then we will feed them.

There are literally millions of ways that a church can reach out to the community. The secret isn't whether or not you choose the right ways. The secret is whether or not you really care enough to be worried about whether you have chosen the right ways.

Relevant - it's what we are!

Finding Your Way - You Have a Future!

2012-01-21T04:23:00.000-05:00

Realize that you have a future!

Craig Groeschel says, "Every Saint has a past, Every Sinner has a future."

Some of you would say, "But Tony, I messed up! You don't understand, I _____ (fill in the blank)." And I would say, "So What!" You would argue that all those other Christians are so great.

Listen to me - Every Saint has a past that they wish they could hide or do over. Life is messy and you just get some of it on you no matter how hard you try.

BUT Every Sinner also has a future! God has a bright future planned for you!

The great theologian; Nicholas Sparks, says in his work The Notebook - “Just when you think it can't get any worse, it can. And just when you think it can't get any better, it can.”

When Adam and Eve messed up, God didn't forsake them. They changed the nature of the relationship, but God didn't forsake them. As a matter of fact, in the judgement God pronounced that he would defeat satan once and for all through Eve's decendents!

In Jeremiah 29:11 we here, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

In Psalm 118:1 we here, "Give Thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love endures forever."

Expecting that God has used us up is completely contrary to Scripture.

The Bible tells us in Hebrews 13:5-6 "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”[a] 6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”[b]

Realize that you have a Future with God!

Finding Your Way -

2012-01-20T06:30:00.000-05:00

Finding Your Way starts with:

Discovering where you are!

In Gen 3:9; God calls out to the man: "Where Are You?" and Adam says: "I heard you in the garden..." While the translation that says, "I heard your voice" isn't necesarily a bad one, it's probably not the best one either. In this passage is best translated literally as, "I heard the sound of you."

Adam heard the familiar sound of God. It might have been God speaking and calling out his name that Adam recognized, or it might have been the footsteps of God coming for the usual afternoon stroll through the garden. Either way, Adam knew that sound. It was the sound of God! Normally, he would have ran to the sound. But Adam was changed and now he was hiding. Adam isnt' really embracing what has happened.

If you are worried that you have outlived your usefulness. If you are concerned that you have missed your opportunity. If you are distraught that you have failed God, those things are actually clues that the Holy Spirit is moving you. You may have failed? But that doesn't mean that God is through with you. He wants you to find your way again. He wants you to rejoin him for daily fellowship.

This may be a little bit of a rehash from a previous post, but let me suggest three steps for Discovering Where You Are:

1) Address the issue! This starts with listening to the Holy Spirit speaking to you. Do a self inventory. Right now, pray, "Father, where am I?" Is there anything that is holding me back?

In Genesis 3:13 God addresses the issue. He says, "Adam and Eve, What have you done!?" Instead of backing away, God hits the problem head on. He is setting the example for us. If you have messed up, admit it. If you have faulty thinking, ask God for forgiveness. Don't hide, face up to it.
2) Deal with the temptation. Adam and Eve were removed from the garden immediately and a gatekeeper was setup to keep them from entering the garden and making things worse. Gen. 3:22-24
Setup Gatekeepers in your life. Nothing compares to having a small group of friends to walk your journey with you; to hold you accountable and to hold you up!

“But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT)

Ask God for help:

Dear Lord,

You know the temptations that I am facing today. But your Word promises that I will not be tempted beyond what I can bear. I ask for your strength to stand up under the temptation whenever I encounter it. Your Word also tells me you will provide a way out of the temptation. Please, Lord, give me the wisdom to walk away when I am tempted, and the clarity to see the way out that you will provide. Thank you, God, that you are a faithful deliverer and that I can count on your help in my time of need. Amen

3) Learn from the experience. The most important result and the most exciting part of the story is that God immediately set out to bring restoration. He set in motion a plan to bring about a savior. Genesis 3:15, God tells the serpent that He will use the woman's offspring to "crush your head". In verse 21, God made garments of skin to cloth Adam and Eve. We find Him meeting our needs, covering our shortcomings and pointing us in the right direction. God is more concerned about the situation than you are. So learn from the experience and move forward.

Don't be like Jim! Friday at quitting time, Jim said, ‘Boss, have you got any extra work I can do tonight?’ Sure do but I can’t pay you overtime. That’s okay, I just don’t want to go home. Why not? Well, I’ve been in the doghouse since last night. I see...Why? What did you do to deserve that? I still don’t know, it must be one of those woman things. I was minding my own business relaxing in front of the TV.

My wife enters the room & asks, "What’s on the TV?"

And honestly, I swear all I said was, "Dust!"

She’s been mad ever since!

Join the conversation!

Do you have failures in your life that have become great learning tools?

Free Books!!!!

2012-01-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

I am sure that you know by now that Kindle and Nook both have applications that run on PC, mac, iPad and iPhone, etc. Start building your electronic library today!

Check out these sites for free ebooks. (PS I am not reimbursed in anyway for these references. Likewise, I do not particulary endorse any of these links either. I am simply sharing a resource for free books that you might be able to use)

http://www.ereaderiq.com/free

http://www.freeebooksdaily.com/ (list changes daily/periodically)

http://www.gutenberg.org/ (Classics)

Join the conversation!

What resources have you found that offer quality books for free?

Comment below

Finding Your Way Again

2012-01-18T07:10:00.000-05:00

Where are you?

January is historically a time for fresh starts, New Year resolutions and personal inventory.

I find myself taking a personal inventory every year at this time. Typical questions are along the lines of "What did I do last year?", "What do I want to accomplish this year?" and "What is holding me back?"

I have noticed that most (but not all) New Year resolutions are a response to something we don't like about ourselves or our environments.

It is only natural to address shortcomings, failures and setbacks. This is the case in one of the most famous Christian stories of Scripture, the account of Adam and Eve.

In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve make the worse decision of their lives. There's only 2 trees that God told them to stay away from and in direct disobedience to God, they eat fruit from the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil. The story begins with Eve standing in the garden, stroking the mane of one of her pet lions, gazing at one of the trees which Adam told her was off limits because God told him not to eat from it, and not to even touch the fruit from this tree.

She is surely wondering why? Why this tree? Why this fruit? What is so special about the fruit from this tree that we can’t even touch it? As she contemplates this question along with “Wonder what Adam wants for supper?”, in walks the serpent. The short story is that Eve messes up by eating the fruit and Adam, who is apparently along for the shopping trip at the farmer's market, also messes up when Eve passes him the fruit.

What happens next - They cover up, they try to fix it themselves, they deny the seriousness of it.

Their is this period when they are in denial. "Maybe it's not so bad." "Maybe I can just run away from God and hide." "Maybe I can explain it."

But then Adam hears the sound of God. Soon after, in a hair-raising moment, God says, "Adam, Where are you?" (Gen 3:9)

I often wonder how God felt when He called out to them? What did His cry sound like? Was it the "ADAM!" with an inflection like that of a mother that sees her child hiding after he wrote on the wall with his new crayola crayon? Or was it more of a call of desperation like that of a parent that just discovered their child missing?

I can only conclude that God is surely a just God.

So, here in the beginning of time, we see Him setting up a recovery program.

The first intervention of sorts!

And at extreme personal cost to Himself.

Maybe you are worried that you have messed up so bad that God won't use you anymore? Are you riddled with some type of guilt? The psalmist new this feeling when he said, "My Guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear." Psalm 38:4 (King David)

Wherever you are today, I have some really good news for you...God isn't through with you yet. If you are still here, then you are still useful! If God was finished with you, He would put you out of your misery. But you are still breathing so you are by default still useful to God.

You just need to Find Your Way Again!

So how do we find our way? The next few posts will deal with how we can get back on the right path.

"What New Year Resolutions are you trying to tackle this year?" Comment now.

You were made to matter, so "Embrace the Change!"

2012-01-16T09:07:00.000-05:00

You were made to matter!

Have you ever stopped and wondered, “Does my life really matter?” Have I really influenced the world around me? Did I really make a difference?

God wants us to make a difference. I believe that he has actually created you and wired into your DNA a desire to make a difference in your world.

Jesus was the original “difference maker!” Why did he come 2000 years ago, live on earth, subject himself to humiliation and death? Because God knew the world was broke and it need to be fixed. That’s why Jesus established the church.

In Titus 3, the Bible addresses a church that needs to shake things up a little in order to be an influencer in its community. It's a timeless message that affects you and me, and therefore, here’s what I want you to do. I want you to commit to be an influencer in your community! I want you to decide that the life you live will be so radically different from the cultural norm, that it will shake people up. Your workplace will be better because of your faith, your family will be better because of your faith, your school will be better because of your faith.

Titus 3:8 (NKJV) says, "These things are good and profitable to men." I want to show you that this text demonstrates that you and I need a paradigm shift in our thinking.

A paradigm is a model consisting of shared assumptions regarding what works or what is true.

A paradigm shift is that “aha!” moment when one sees things in such a new light that one can never go back to the old ways again.

Each paradigm shift takes us from an old model of thinking that we must discard to a new model that we must embrace.

We have seen a lot of paradigm shifts. In commerce, medicine, even in our social life. Anyone ever hear of Facebook? How about twitter?

In 1994, My TV sat on a huge oak stand that weighed in at a hefty 100 plus pounds. It was a 32 inch JVC that my wife and I had purchased at a national retailer called Brendle`s, and by most accounts it was considered a huge television set! I didn’t even have internet access at my home. That was the year I bought my first mobile phone. A 9 pound set that plugged into my cigarette lighter of my truck. The culture has changed a lot since then!

That same year, Jeff Bezos started a little company that promised to be an avenue for buying goods and services from an online community. It was a paradigm shift in commerce. His little company is the one we now know as Amazon.com and it was started out of his own garage.

If a paradigm shift is needed for us to reach the next generation for Christ, then What does that paradigm shift look like?

The book of Titus spells out for us what a church should look like in order to make a difference in its community. Paul wrote this book, it was actually a letter to Titus, to remind us of what we were created to look like. His Whole theme was fruitfulness.

You will be a world changer when you commit to this paradigm shift in your thinking.

A World Changer:

(1) A world changer Works hard to live a moral life.

Titus 3:1-2 The way you live your life is more important than the things you accomplish.

Proverbs 4:23 (NLT) Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do.

Proverbs 16:23 (GW) A wise person's heart controls his speech…

This doesn't mean you are perfect, it just means that you are working hard at being the kind of person God has called you to be. Likewise, it means that you are honest. Honest about your weaknesses as well as your strengths.

(2) A world changer Knows that the Gospel still changes lives.

Titus 3:3-6 God’s grace is what fuels us in our life. IT’s what changed us in the first place.

Luke 6:45 (NIV) The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

Proverbs 4:23 (KJV) Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

(3) A world changer Is the child of a King and acts like one.

Titus 3:7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

Mark 7:21-23 (NLT) For from within, out of a person's heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, eagerness for lustful pleasure, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you and make you unacceptable to God."

(4) A world changer Meets needs in her community.

Titus 3:8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

(5) A world changer Knows the gospel doesn't change, but the way we communicate the gospel changes constantly!

We must embrace the change in our culture and learn to speak the truth of Jesus Christ in culturally relevant ways without compromising the gospel.

As a church, we face a paradigm shift today. The church that I knew and grew up in was culturally relevant for its time, but some things have changed. This past week, I bought an electric razor. I didn’t drive to the store and choose between 3 models that the retailer had decided that they could make the most money on. Instead, I turned on my IPad and researched models that 1) were made in America, 2) that were recommended by people who already owned them and then 3) that were offered at the cheapest price. I purchased my razor from Amazon.com and it arrived the next day via UPS at the UPS store where I receive my mail.

There is nothing wrong with shopping at the mall, but that is not the most culturally relevant way for me to receive products.

In the same way, the church faces a paradigm shift. Gone are the days when you can build a building and expect people to come. We have got to live out the gospel in our lives. We must be honest about who we are and we must be know for caring. This means that we are vicious about meeting needs in our community.

We were made to matter and we must matter.

Perry Noble is Coming to Town!

2012-01-11T14:44:00.000-05:00

This Easter, folks in Spartanburg and Boiling Springs, SC will be able to go to church with Perry Noble via 3D imagery at a local campus. Now, nobody in their right mind would deny the popularity of New Spring Church and the Charisma of Pastor Perry Noble.

The incredibly fast growing New Spring Church makes a move into a community and within 12 months, they have booked out the largest convention center and droves of twenty-somethings are rocking out to the beat of songs that get your blood pumping, your heart soft and your brain thinking.

Having visited the Greenville campus, I know first hand it is an exciting experience.

This isn't really a problem for the already existing church - right? I mean, all those twenty-somethings are unchurched kids that don't go to more traditional churches anyway - right?
Seems like a church campus with a video pastor would be very welcome. But that doesn't seem to be the case. At least not here in Spartanburg, SC.

There seems to be a slight anxiety in our minister circles when the subject comes up. Instead of singing "Perry is coming to town" to the tune of "Santa Clause is coming to town." I hear more folks running around like Chicken Little, shouting to the tune of "the sky is falling!"

Alas, there is some good news. Apparently, the trend with Millenials is away from the video-venue, multi-site church. But that doesn't mean they are moving away from multi-site churches. Actually it would appear that tomorrow's church attendee will be extremely open to the multi-site concept, with one caveat; they will look for multi-site churches with local teaching pastors.

Don't believe me? Then check out Highrock Community Church in Salisbury, Lexington, Denton, Kannapolis, and Albemarle, NC. Yes, each campus of this multi-site church has a campus pastor that actually preaches live. No video's, no 3D Andy Stanley, rather a flesh and blood person with a wireless microphone dangling loosely from his head.

Why? Well it turns out that the folks stumbled onto something. Apparently, people prefer the intimacy of a real live person. The best of the best of teachers are available at anytime on the internet, but you just can't beat going to a real building with real people and listening to a real live person. There is something incredible about the availability of staff.

So how do they do it? Highrock has developed a preaching team. They study collectively and individually. Every week, they meet for an entire day to prepare the message for that Sunday. Then they take turns preaching it to each other. On Sunday, they have a very common message filtered through the personalities of each teaching pastor at their respective church sites. Amazingly, people show up and lives are changed. The administrative costs, programming, etc. are fixed, so the cost of opening an additional facility is reduced drastically!

Well, the sky is not falling. But for the Lone Ranger church/pastor, the sky is growing dark. I'm glad that Perry is coming to town. It will force us to consider how we do ministry and specifically how we do outreach. I expect that we will see more churches pulling together to reach our world for Christ.

Principles for Addressing Failure

2012-01-10T14:52:00.000-05:00

Where are you?

January is historically a time for fresh starts, New Year resolutions and personal inventory.
I find myself taking a personal inventory every year at this time. Typical questions are along the lines of "What did I do last year?" "What do I want to accomplish this year?" and "What is holding me back?"

Most New Year resolutions are a response to something we don't like about ourselves or our environments.

It is only natural to address shortcomings, failures and setbacks. This is the case in one of the most famous Christian stories of Scripture, the account of Adam and Eve.

In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve make the worse decision of their lives. In direct disobedience to God, they eat fruit from the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil.

In a hair-raising moment, God says, "Adam, Where are you?" (Gen 3:9)
Adam and Eve sinned against God. Their response to the big mistake was first to try to cover it up, then to hide from it. I often wonder how God felt when He called out to them? What did His cry sound like? Was it the "ADAM!" with an inflection like that of a mother that sees her child hiding after he wrote on the wall with his new crayola crayon? Or was it more of a call of desperation like that of a parent that just discovered their child missing?

Can you imagine the desperation of a parent who has raised a child, showered them with love, given them everything they needed and most everything that they wanted only to discover that their precious offspring has run away in search of a "Better Life?"

What goes through the mind of a father who drops everything to hunt for his little girl who has run off to Hollywood in hopes of becoming the next famous actress? How does he feel when he finds her, broken and abused, on the streets, living in prostitution? Laden with addictions that she will fight for the rest of her life?

Their must be a struggle in the parents heart. A line between tough love and compassionate discipline versus blind grace. I don't know how I could balance my outrage in such a situation. How would I balance my love and desire to extend Grace and yet bring restitution?

I can only conclude that God is surely a just God.
In the beginning we see Him setting up a recovery program. The first intervention of sorts! And at extreme personal cost to Himself.

From Genesis 3, we discover some Principles for Addressing Failure. The steps are simple, but incredibly hard to execute.

1) Address the issue! In Genesis 3:13 God addresses the issue. He says, "Adam and Eve, What have you done!?" Instead of backing away, God hits the problem head on.

2) Decide the consequences. In Gen 3:14-19 God lays out the consequences for the wrong and the parties involved accept those consequences. Perhaps they didn't have a choice, and obviously they are disturbed by them, but nonetheless, they accept them.

3) Pass out the judgement. God executes the judgement on the spot. The serpent is cursed, the woman is changed, the man loses his privileges.

4) Deal with the temptation. Adam and Eve were removed from the garden immediately and a gatekeeper was setup to keep them from entering the garden and making things worse. Gen. 3:22-24 God establishes roles for the man and for the woman. In vs. 16 he says to the woman, your desire will be for your husband and he will rule over you. In vs. 19 he says to the man, you will work for your food.

5) Extend restoration! The most important result and the most exciting part of the story is that God immediately set out to bring restoration. He set in motion a plan to bring about a savior. Genesis 3:15, God tells the serpent that He will use the woman's offspring to "crush your head". In verse 21, God made garments of skin to cloth Adam and Eve. We find Him meeting our needs, covering our shortcomings and pointing us in the right direction.

As men and women affected by "The Fall", we naturally question God in this passage, but I have come to the conclusion that everything in this passage was for the good of the ones that God loves. For Adam, Eve and yes for you and me.

May your New Year be filled with accomplishment and gain as you attempt to address your goals and priorities in the days to come. Take a moment to legitimately inventory and address the issues and situations that hinder you. Put into practice the simple steps from this passage that lead us out of failure and into success by addressing our problems head-on.

Christmas History

2011-12-15T18:27:00.000-05:00

Christmas History Buffer

Christmas Day has historically been known as a day of peace. But, did you know that the first time Christmas was celebrated as a holiday was in the year 98. It would be another 40 years before it was officially adopted by the church as a Christian festival.

It wasn't until the fifth century that the day of its celebration became permanently fixed on the 25th of December. Prior to then, it was celebrated in April, May and sometimes December, but most frequently in January.

The story is told that the iconic music evangelist, Ira Sankey was asked to sing one Christmas eve while traveling by steamboat up the Deleware River. He sang the "Shepherd Song" to the delite of the crowd. When he had ended his song, a rugged man with sun-aged skin approached him and asked if Mr. Sankey had served in the Union Army? "Yes, in the spring of 1860!" Mr. Sankey answered. The man then asked, "Can you remember if you were doing picket duty on a certain bright, moonlit night in 1862?" Sankey, obviously surprised, said he had indeed.

The stranger replied "Me too, but I was a Confederate soldier. I was hidden in the shadows, but I could see you clearly. I determined to end your life. As I raised my musket and drew aim, you suddenly raised your eyes to heaven and began to sing. I was moved, so I took my finger off the trigger and thought to myself, 'I will let him finish his song. I can shoot him afterwards.'

But the song you sang then was the song you sang just now. I heard the words perfectly:

'We are Thine, do Thou befriend us,

Be the guardian of our way.'

Those words stirred up many memories in my heart. As a child, I had heard my mother sing that song many times. When you had finished your song it was impossible for me to take aim at you again. I thought, 'The Lord who is able to save that man from certain death must surely be great and mighty."

God moved in to spare Ira Sankey and Ira went on to become one of the most notable revivalist singers of American history. Thousands can trace their conversion experience to one of the many revivals he led with Evangelist Dwight L. Moody.

What a great and might God we serve. I hope that as you celebrate Christ this Christmas, your prayer will be, "let their be peace on earth and goodwill to all men." Take time with your family to celebrate Christ. He is great and mighty to save!

Merry Christmas!

Jesus - The All Consuming Fire!

2011-07-11T18:04:00.000-04:00

Fearless

2011-06-14T10:15:00.000-04:00

Have you ever been crippled by fear or worry?

1 Samuel 10:22 They asked the LORD again, "Has he arrived here yet?" The LORD answered, "He's hiding among the baggage."

In the Old Testament, a young man was selected by God to be the first ever King of a nation. This man's name was Saul. When it came time to announce the king, Saul couldn't be found. Why? Because he was hiding in the baggage!

Fear can easily grip our lives and bring us to a stand still. But it needn't be so. From this Bible Story, we can discover that fear is overcome when we:

Give God Control of Our Lives! God has created us to love Him, trust Him and choose Him. He wants you to choose him and give him control of your life today. It is imperative to remember that this is a daily submission of your will to His will. It is also important to remember that God still wants you to use your skills, experience, etc. However, it is in our weaknesses that He is most glorified.
Saul struggled his entire life with fully trusting God. Whenever he did trust God fully and give Him control, Saul was able to defeat mighty armies. Whenever he slipped back into self-control, he was humiliated and defeated.

Worship instead of Worrying! Worry and worship are two opposite concepts. Worry is an expression of a lack of trust. Worship is an expression of total trust. When we Worship God it is impossible to worry.
Hiding in the baggage is not an expression of trust in an almighty God. Saul was worried sick, so he embarrassed himself by hiding. However, when God's spirit overcame him, he enlisted an army of 330,000 soldiers overnight and defeated the strongest know army of the day.

Let God change who you are! This starts with accepting the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. It continues as we yield to the work of the Holy Spirit of God dwelling in us. When Saul allowed God to change his heart, God made Sauls name great. Unfortunately, later in Saul's life he turned away from God and even sought out a fortune teller. That utlimately cost him his life.

Don't let fear cripple you. Fear is the opposite of faith. Trust God! Believe what He has told you and do great things.

How Great is our God?

2011-05-09T13:33:00.000-04:00

"Daddy, How big is God?"

It seems like an innocent enough question, but for a seminary "Preacher Boy" just learning theology, it was a bucket of cold water on a sweltering summer day, immediately snapping me into the reality of the moment. The theologian asking the question? My four year old son.

Have you ever noticed the relativity of size?

The captain of a cruise ship loves to tease his passengers as they pass beside one of the largest structures in the world, a huge vertical wall of ice protrudes hundreds of feet into the air. As the ship appears to pull dangerously close to this horrendous structure, the captain asks, "Who can hit that wall of ice with a baseball?" One man stands up and hurls the ball as hard as he can. The ball travels 20 or 30 feet, but then it seems to hang in the air without ever coming closer to the ice structure. When it finally loses momentum and drops into the ocean, it is obvious that the iceberg is so large, that while it feels like it is feet away, in all actuality it is miles away! There is absolutely no way to gain a perspective on its massiveness ~ you are just too small and the iceberg is just too large. Even if your mind could grasp the sheer magnitude, that is only about 1/9th of the total mass. 8/9ths still lie below the water line.

How Great is Our God?

This was my realization last night as I watched Louie Giglio describe the vastness of the universe. Our LifeGroup sat transfixed, hanging on the words, the graphic footage from the hubble telescope, every description stretching our minds like a rubber band, dangerously close to the point of breaking.

God opened his mouth and said, "Light!" and out of his mouth comes the sun ~ 27 million degrees Fahrenheit! A burning mass of energy 109 times larger than the earth.

What kind of God is this?

God measured the entire universe with merely the span of His hand. Imagine, God holds up his index finger and thumb, each on polar opposite ends of the universe. And the universe fits between his fingers.

How Big is this God?

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The God celebrated by 3 billion Christians worldwide today. The God who humbled himself into the form of a man, setting aside His divinity to be brutalized for our transgressions. Beaten for my wrongs. Allowing himself to be killed in my place for my wickedness. Giving me life, hope, a future! What is man that this God is mindful of him?

Just a few weeks ago, my family drove to Washington, D.C. Driving into the city, we begin to catch a glimpse of the Washington Monument. It is huge! And as you get closer to it, it becomes even taller. When I finally stood at the base of the mammoth stone structure, I gazed upward. I felt like maybe if I stretched a little, I could reach up and touch the the tip of it with my finger. So I tried. I didn't come close. Standing at the base of that giant, I felt really small.

I can tell you how big the iceberg is, someone smarter than I came up with elaborate ways to measure it. They can send out a satelite and then look back to earth and figure out its size using complex calculations on complex machinery. There is actually a blueprint for the Washington Monument, so I can find that information for you as well.

But when it comes to God, our calculations aren't complex enough, there are no blueprints, he is the architect of the universe. All I can do is come closer to His feet, gaze up in amazement and stretch. And while I will never be tall enough to reach up to Him, he is willing to reach down and come closer to me.

Discover Jesus Christ!

How big is God? You will have to discover that for yourself.

I can only tell you that today, after 14 years as a pastor, I discovered that He is bigger than I had ever imagined before.

Take the Stand!

Pondering Leadership

2011-02-16T15:33:00.000-05:00

My coach, Pastor Gary Combs, handed me a book yesterday that has captivated my attention. It is a must read for every senior pastor in my opinion.
The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive by Patrick Lencioni is an enjoyable and enlightening read. I sat down and read nearly the entire book last night.

Lencioni takes the reader down an imaginative journey paralleling two companies, one with an obsession for maintaining a healthy culture and the other with an equal obsession of maintaining a healthy bottom line.

While it is expected that a leader will grow the organization, it is equally right to expect that a leader will guard the culture as well. If you practice what Lencioni preaches, you will discover that not every qualified leader is a good fit.

The four disciplines that the book identifies are 1) Build and Maintain a Cohesive Leadership Team, 2) Create Organizational Clarity, 3) Overcommunicate Organizational Clarity, 4) Reinforce Organizational Clarity Through Human Systems.

This book will shape your leadership style if you will let it. I believe it is on par with Collins business classic, Good to Great. I would encourage you to pick up your copy today, read it through once and then come back and read it again with a highlighter, pencil and paper. You are sure to glean a wealth of knowledge that will help you become an extraordinary leader!

"How He Loves" | Jared Anderson

2011-01-17T10:45:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-22T13:06:00.000-05:00

Is It God's Garden?

Bill Gothard tells a story about a missionary in New Guinea who had a unique experience at Harvest Time:

Otto Koning worked among a native tribe whose accepted village practices included stealing from others. When Otto and his wife arrived and moved into a hut, the natives often came by to visit.
{Get a copy of The Pineapple Story Here}

The Konings would notice that after the natives left the missionaries' home, various household items had disappeared. They saw these items again when they went to preach in the natives village. The only fruit Otto could grow in the island was pineapples and he was very proud of his crop.

However, whenever the pineapples began to ripen, the natives stole them. Otto could never keep a ripe pineapple for himself. This was a frustration, and he became angry with the natives. All during the seven-year period in which this took place, Otto preached the gospel to these natives, but never had a conversion. The more the natives stole, the angrier Otto became. Finally, one day Otto had a German Shepherd dog flown in from another missionary to protect his pineapple garden after other frustrated efforts failed. This only further alienated the natives from him.

Otto took a furlough to the United States and attended a conference on personal rights. At this conference, he discovered that he was frustrated over this situation because he had taken personal ownership of his pineapple garden. After much soul searching, he gave his garden to God. Soon the natives started having problems among their tribe. They discovered that Otto was the reason for their problems because he gave his garden to his God. The natives saw a correlation between what Otto had done and their own lives being affected by calamities in their village. When Otto gave his garden to God, he no longer got angry and was free from worry. The natives started bringing him fruit from the garden because they didn't want any more calamities to come into their village.

The light came on one day when a native said to Otto, "You must have become a Christian, Otto. You don't get angry anymore. We always wondered if we would ever meet a Christian." They had never associated Otto with the kind of person he was preaching about because his message did not line up with his life. Otto was broken in spirit when he realized he had been such a failure.

At the end of seven years, he witnessed his first conversion, and many began coming to Christ once he fully gave his garden to God. The fruit grew so abundant that Otto began exporting it and growing other types of fruit, such as bananas. His village became the most evangelized in the whole region, yet for seven years he had not one convert.

Otto realized something each of us must realize: To gain your life you must lose it, along with your possessions. It was only when he gave all his possessions to God that he became free from them. God measured back to him manifold once He had complete ownership.

Do you have a Garden that you need to give to God? Tell me about it.

"Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am." Matthew 16:24 the Msg

A Tribute To All The Dads Out There!

2010-09-23T22:33:00.000-04:00

Second Time Guests

2010-06-10T02:24:00.000-04:00

How Many of Your Participants Come Back?

Whether we run a business, a church or a OneHarvest partner site, we all have one goal in common. Getting first time participants to come back. Have you ever considered what is the greatest motivation for return customers. Most businesses know. The biggest motivator for a return visit is not price and it's not quality of the product although those things are important. Rather, its the level of comfort of the participant.

Why would someone drive by 12 churches to go to your church? Because the first experience was comfortable for them. Why does someone shop at a particular retail outlet over and over? Comfort. Why will your One Harvest friends keep coming back to your site? You guessed it! Comfort.

Let me challenge you to take a hard look at your ordering process, your menu communication process and your distribution process.

Are you doing everything to demonstrate to your participants that you value them highly?

What about your volunteers? Is the process easy and fun for them?

Ask yourself these questions as well ~ How many people ordered from our site last month AND this month? How many volunteers are returning to help out? If you are struggling to get dedicated volunteers, then most likely there is something about your system that is uncomfortable for them. Maybe they don't feel highly valued or maybe they don't know what to do. If you have a lot of first time participants, but few return participants then maybe something about the menu distribution, the ordering process or the distribution is uncomfortable to them.

Let me offer some points for consideration:

1) Evaluate the ordering experience. Ask your customers if the experience is comfortable or awkward and adjust as needed.

2) Poll your volunteers - especially those that came once and didn't come back.

3) Call any participants that haven't ordered this month. Look for hints and suggestions that they may give you that would make the experience better. This is also a great way to increase outreach. Everyone likes a personal touch.

4) Ask yourself, "Do I really love and care for these people." If so, then what do I need to do to communicate this message to them.

5) Do everything to the best of your ability. Strive for excellence.

6) Stress the convenience of ordering online and pickup. Communicate to your audience the time saving element as well as the money saving element of your food ministry.

7) Make an email distribution list and remind your customers to order again each month.

8) Love The People.

How about you? What's working for your site?

Are we ready to sacrifice for the Gospel?

2010-03-13T08:30:00.000-05:00

"The freedom of this city is not negotiable.." ~ John F. Kennedy, Berlin, 1961

"We shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty..."
~ John F. Kennedy, Inaugural address, January 20, 1961

"Greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this city! There is no one like our God!" ~ Chris Tomlin, God of This City, 2008.

One of the greatest sacrifices the church seems to be making is the sacrifice of forgoing the Gospel. There seems to be a rush of pastors leaving the pulpit of the traditional church at an alarming rate in the western hemisphere. Thankfully, the majority of those who are leaving are doing so with honorable intentions, having become fed up with a congregation of unsalty Christians who seem to have forgotten that men and women are enslaved to sin. What our world needs is not more organs, pews and summer youth vacations. What our world needs is freedom; freedom that only Christ can bring. Freedom from the bondage of slavery to evil. Freedom from being destined to eternity away from God, suffering His wrath.

We need brave men and women, young men and girls who are willing to pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship in order to take the message of Jesus Christ into our schools, our workplace, our community clubs and into the world. We can rest assured that we will be successful, because God is the God of the city!

I am saddened at the rate of decline in our mainline denominations and churches; I am saddened by the shrinking pool of pastors in established, evangelical churches. But I am thrilled at the number of men and women who have faced the ridicule of others, who have bet against the odds, who have stepped out in faith to start a new movement that I believe might very well be greater than The Great Reformation in scope. All this in an effort to take Christ to the masses. I pray that our generation will be the start of Revolution. So let it be Lord, so let it be!

Great Book!

2010-03-13T00:36:00.000-05:00

My mentor has given me an unusual assignment. I am reading Nelson Searcy's book Fusion. My task? To figure it out. It is a must read for church planters/pastors. Fusion is a very strategized method of helping first time guests become active, fully engaged members of your church. For the strategist, it may also hold the key to outreach for ministries such as http://www.angelfoodministries.com/. The guidance can be adapted to facilitate a positive experience for the community that you serve through these ministries. Outreach has occured until you have touched the stranger and made him or her your friend, demonstrated the message of Christ and offered them a place to belong.

Another set of great complimentary reads are The Purpose Driven Church by Rick Warren and Good to Great by Jim Collins. Both shed light on multiple problems that keep churches "and organizations" from being effective and excelling. Rick Warren has incredible insight into a deadly flaw that creeps into every church - loss of purpose.
Jim Collins book is a secular book that brings clarity to the leader of good organizations that just can't seem to make a leap to greatness. Though secular by definition, the principles you will discover herein are both modern and ancient. Just read the gospels and see how Jesus led a group of religious leftovers to transform the world through Christianity.

While you are trying to keep those you reach, read Why Small Groups by Mahaney.

Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Missional Living in a Pluralistic Society

2010-02-18T15:25:00.000-05:00

Last night, I sat in our churches Ash Wednesday service and pondered the cross that our God placed Himself on to ransom me. It was a wonderful service led by my pastor, Gary Combs.
I was most thrilled by his challenge as he took us to Luke 5 and shared with us what the Holy Spirit has been speaking to his heart through the Holy Scriptures. Jesus told Peter to go back out into the deep water and let down his net. When Peter obeyed, he caught so many fish that he had to call for partners from the shore to come help him.
I see clearly a spiritual typology here. I have been mending the nets after a season of fishing. Now its time to set out into the deep for a great catch. We must enlist partners into this great endeavor.
Join me as we pray for a great harvest. At Wilson Community Church, that prayer is for 50 new members through salvation and baptism, 300 present for Easter Service, excellence in worship and 1 new work in Wilson. Also, join me as we set out to share our story of spiritual rescue through our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Give your neighbors, associates, relatives and friends a chance to respond to the transformational work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Tell them about Jesus!
In Christ,
Tony