A NewSpective from Steven J. Wales

Running In The Dark

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 02:27:00 +0000

OK, so I've started running again. It's been several years since I was running on a consistent basis. I must say that it's taking me some time to get back into the swing of things and not be dieing by the end of the run.

I run the same route every day and the route has two hills. When I first started running I couldn't make it up the hills. So, I would walk up the hills and then continue the run. However, something interesting happened the other night.

It was about 9:00pm when I went out to run. It was dark and I discovered that I couldn't see the entire route. During the day, I see the hill coming, I focus on how long until I get to the top of the hill and then end up stopping to walk it. However, in the dark I couldn't see the top, I could only see a few feet in front of me and guess what . . . I ran the entire route.

Today, I went out and could not make it up the final hill. It was the same route, same person but I couldn't make it. I could see the length of the hill, I could see the top and my brain said, "you can't make it", "It's too hard", "You'll have to walk it."

This got me thinking about our lives. I know it's important to set goals. I know it's important to know where you're going. However sometimes it's also good just to take one step at a time.
It's healthy to simply trust that each step you take is taking you in the right direction. It's OK to not know what the end game is, what the outcome will be and what will happen tomorrow.

It's called faith.

G3,

Weekend Reflections

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 02:09:00 +0000

Every once in a while, I take a moment to post some random thoughts from the past few days. Today is one of those times. These thoughts are in no particular order and on no specific topic.

Saturday morning was my Head Coaching debut for my youngest daughters softball team. The head coach could not be there and I was called on to lead. I'm happy to say that my head coaching record is 1-0. I'm undefeated.
It's really hot in PA this weekend.
Had a good lunch with Adam on Friday. He and Laurie are coming back to NewSpective for a while and we're happy to have them.
I'm so proud of our team at NewSpective Church. They commit their time, set up equipment, get sweaty and dirty, take down equipment, rush around trying to fix A/C adapters and set up more & more "stuff" every weekend. However, they all know what's at steak . . . the 213,000 people in Northampton County who don't know Christ.
We're getting really close to our first 300,000 piece email blast. It's going to be crazy and I can't wait to see what God does.
It's really hot in PA this weekend.
I installed the air conditioners in our house on Friday. By the time I was done, I was soaked but I'm glad I did it.
Did I mention, its really hot in PA this weekend.
One Prayer kicked off this morning and it was awesome. Steven Furtick form Elevation brought the message and it was amazing.
I'm off to Vegas this week for work. I've never been to Vegas so this should be an exciting trip.
It's really hot in PA this weekend.
My youngest daughter will turn 10 this coming weekend. Yes, both of my daughters are in double digits. . . . I'm getting old.

There you have it. Just Some Thoughts.

G3,

NewSpective Church - New Service Time

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Wed, 28 May 2008 03:03:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Thu, 22 May 2008 15:55:00 +0000

Big Idea: We don't fall into sin. We actually exchange God's Glory for
sin. We worship creation rather than the Creator.

Sent from my iPhone

WiBo: Tim Stevens

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Thu, 22 May 2008 15:22:00 +0000

Big Idea: Spiritual interest is growing in our culture while churches
are declining. Leverage the culture or risk looking your impact.

G3,

Sent from my iPhone

WiBo: Vince Antonucci

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Thu, 22 May 2008 15:19:00 +0000

Big Idea: Do whatever it takes to seek and save the lost. The most
messed up people wanted to hang out with Jesus. Can the same be said
of us?

G3,

Sent from my iPhone

WiBo: Mark Batterson

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Thu, 22 May 2008 15:16:00 +0000

Big Idea: We all need dreams that are way beyond our human ability to
accomplish. 1 Cor. 8:2-3.

G3,

Sent from my iPhone

WiBo is underway

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Thu, 22 May 2008 13:22:00 +0000

Arrived at WiBo and getting ready for a great day. More later.

G3,

WiBo is only a few days away

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Tue, 20 May 2008 02:45:00 +0000

This Wednesday and Thursday we're taking 5 of our leaders to Reston Virginia to experience the first ever WiBo conference. The White Board Sessions is a unique conference bringing together 8 world class communicators who each get 30 minutes to talk on 1 topic.

Tim, Perry and Mark are just 3 of the 8. These three alone are more than worth the price of the conference.

I understand there will be live web feeds and blogs from the conference. If you have a chance, tune it. It's going to be awesome.

G3,

Rock Flashback

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Thu, 15 May 2008 12:47:00 +0000

I saw the Granger Community Church did this song in their service this past weekend. It made me flash back to this band and remember how great they are. In fact their front man, recently won the Dove Award for Artist of the Year.

I went and downloaded this CD from iTunes and have been listening to it the past few days. It Rocks!

Great songs, great lyrics, great message . . . great band.

Check it out and be inspired.

G3,

The little Things

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Thu, 15 May 2008 03:06:00 +0000

As many of you know, I am an assistant coach on my daughter's softball teams. Both of my girls play for the Upper Nazareth Clippers and I help out on both teams. My younger daughter's team lost their first game and then won their next 4 in a row. They've played really well, they've come together as a team and they have dominated pretty much every game they've played. That is until last night.

Last night they had the opportunity to see what it feels like to get totally spanked!! I'm not talking about loosing a game. I'm talking about an all out butt kickin'. At the end of the first inning, we were loosing 6-0 and only had 3 girls at bat . . . And then it went down hill after that. :-(

The biggest issue with the loss was the fact that our team didn't do the little things right. They didn't use two hands when catching a fly ball. They didn't keep their gloves in the dirt when trying to get a grounder. They stood and watched strike after strike sail past them without raising the bat from their shoulders. They threw the ball too much, they held onto the ball too long and ended the game with a score of 15-1.

The little things can cause big changes, failures and successes. Little things like talking with God on a moment by moment basis. Little things like celebrating who God is and who you are as a result of the blood of Christ. Little things like worshiping together with other believers. Little things like giving a hand to someone in need. Little things like inviting someone to church. Little things like telling a friend about the Hope that you have in Christ.

Like my daughter's softball game, when the little things are done well, they win. When the little things aren't done well, the score is 15-1. The same thing is true in your walk with God. When the little things are missed, people face a Christ-less Eternity and Satan has an opportunity to gain a foothold in your life. However, when the little things are done well, your relationship with God grows, lives are changed and you'll hear God say, "Well done!"

Focus in on the little things!

G3,

Emily Update

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Sun, 11 May 2008 01:48:00 +0000

I want to thank all of you for your prayers.

Emily seems to be feeling much better. The best we can tell is that she had some kind of nasty virus that just wouldn't go away. Today was the first day she ate real food and was a bit more like normal. (Although I did kick her tail in Mario Kart).

G3,

Please Pray for Emily

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Fri, 09 May 2008 01:45:00 +0000

I want to give a quick shout out and ask for your prayers for our
oldest daughter Emily. She's been sick since Sunday. After a local
doctor visit, a call to her specialist in Hershey and some blood work,
we're not sure if it's just a virus or something more serious. She's
in a lot of pain and doesn't seem to be getting any better.

Please pray for Emily and our family.

Thank you and I'll keep you posted.

G3,

Joy in the Journey

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Tue, 06 May 2008 12:10:00 +0000

As a new church start, it's frustrating sometimes when things aren't moving forward at the speed that I think they should. God is continually reminding me that His timing is perfect and mine . . . not so much.

I received a very encouraging email yesterday from one of the people at NewSpective. In this message the writer says this:

I think God is allowing me a glimpse of where we are going as a church. I am reading(madly) several books on just what we as a church can offer this new generation that is coming into the Lehigh Valley. I do believe that God is showing me that I GET IT...I SEE WHERE WE WANT TO GO....so praise God.

What an encouragement. God is moving in the lives of leaders and positioning NewSpective to have an impact on the Lehigh Valley. The team is coming together and beginning to understand just what it takes to reach a lost generation. I'm excited for the growth, excited for the challenge, excited to see lives changed. God's doing some cool things and I can't wait to see what's around the next corner.

G3,

Next Steps

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Thu, 01 May 2008 03:08:00 +0000

On my way to Mars today I listened to a message by this guy. While the message wasn't really about "Next Steps", God used this message to stir in me some thoughts about my Next Steps, NewSpective's Next Steps and maybe even your Next Steps.

As many of you know, some of our NewSpective team spent some time at Liquid on Sunday. We had the chance to experience, first hand, what a move of God in a community could look like. Since our conversation with Tim and Mike and some email communication with them over the past day or so, God's been stirring up a fire inside me. He's been stoking the fire for reaching the Lehigh Valley like never before. However, this fire brings with it a fear. To move from where NewSpective Church currently is to where I believe God wants us to be, is a daunting task. Do we have the budget, do we have the volunteers, do we have the children's ministry workers, do we have the commitment, do we have the band, the greeters, . . . It's like trying to eat an elephant.

Today, God reminded me that eating an elephant is easy. It's just one bite at a time.

He reminded me of the story of Moses as he led the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses told the people, in his humanness, to stand still, sit back, relax, take a photo and watch what God does. And yet, God doesn't work that way. God responds to Moses by telling him to stop crying, stop standing around and take a Next Step. Raise your staff, enter the water, take your Next Step and then I'll show you my glory. You step and then I'll move.

I don't know that I've been sitting around waiting for God to move but there certainly are some Next Steps that I need to take. There are some Next Steps in my personal walk with God. There are some Next Steps to take with NewSpective Church.

Church, we need to take our Next Steps. Whatever that is for you and keep moving forward. God's going to do some crazy things in the Lehigh Valley through NewSpective Church. Let's take some steps and see what God's up to.

G3,

Weekend Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 01:44:00 +0000

As many of you know, Jennifer and I got away for a long weekend. We went to Cape May, NJ and spent 4 days and 3 nights in stress less bliss. Here's some random thoughts from the weekend.

I love my wife!!!
It's important to get away and recharge: Recharge your personal life, your walk with God, your relationship with your spouse and recharge your own purpose.
Yes, I actually went on the beach. Sand stuck to me like glue. However, please refer to thought number one above. :-)
The little shops in Cape May were fun. All of them weren't open but we did make a purchase at "Whales Tales." (How cool is that!)
When you view a beautiful sunset live, it really makes you appreciate the amazing creation that God put all around us.
The view from the hotel was simply awesome. Clear shot to the ocean.
I've never done a wine tasting before. I guess I never realized how many different subtleties there are in wine flavors and aromas.
Sitting on the beach, listening to music, reading "Pop Goes The Church" and hanging out with my wife . . . Priceless!
I am no competition for Jennifer when it comes to 500 rummy. She kicked my butt . . . TWICE!!!
When are they going to get one of these restaurants in the Lehigh Valley?
Why is it so hard to follow directions backward? Left is right and right is left, North is South and South is North.
The iPhone is amazing. The only technology I brought on the trip and the only technology I needed. Full web, maps, email; what more could a man need?
Returned home last night and capped the weekend off by taking about 17 people from NewSpective to experience a worship service at Liquid. Wow, Tim and his team do an amazing job. Set up starts at 4:45am and take down ends at 9:00pm. They are reaching their community and extending around the world. We spent a little more than an hour with Tim and Mike after the service. They were so encouraging and gracious. (More about Liquid in a future post)

All in all this was a great weekend from start to finish. God is Good. He's truly blessed me and my family and I'm grateful that He allows me to be a part of His plan.

G3,

Caption Please

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 03:14:00 +0000

So Jennifer and I saw this live tonight. Simply Amazing!!!

Wild At Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:45:00 +0000

Ok, so I must admit, I had fun cutting a tree down this weekend. Yes, I went to Lowes, purchased a chain saw and took out this 30 foot tall crab apple tree in my yard. Wood chips were flying everywhere, I was hot, sweaty, tired, dirty, and totally worn out by the end of the day. However, there was something about working outside, using power tools, hearing that tree snap and crack as it fell to the ground and then cutting it up into little pieces that made me feel . . . Wild, Adventurous, Tough and totally like a man.

It reminded me of the book Wild At Heart by John Eldridge. About 5 years ago, God used This book and some of Eldridge's other books, The Sacred Romance, The Journey of Desire, Epic and Waking the Dead, in conjunction with personal study of God's Word to totally rock my world. Having grown up in a Christian Home and in Christian Churches, I had created a Caricature of God and my relationship with Him, that just wasn't real. God used the writings of Eldredge to expose His truth to me about why I was created, what kind of relationship God desires from us, how much Love God has for us and what God expects from His people. It has truly been an amazing journey and God has been leading the entire way.

If you've never read any of John's books, I highly recommend clicking on one or all of the links above and ordering them . . . now!

They just might change your life.

G3,

God's Church

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 03:08:00 +0000

It never ceases to amaze me when God steps in and changes things at the last minute.

I'm a firm believer that it's God's responsibility to build His church. Don't get me wrong, we (Christ Followers) have the responsibility to engage in conversations and lean in to the people around us. As the Spirit moves in those conversations, we need to be listening and invite these new friends into Christ's presence by sharing Christ with them. However, no matter what we do, it's still God's deal and He's going to do His thing in spite of us.

Yesterday was no exception. By 10:00am Sunday morning, the entire band at NewSpective was either working or sick in bed. Needless to say, I had to make some quick changes to our service. With God's prompting we used a couple of Passion videos and had Charlie Hall and Chris Tomlin lead us in worship via video. When the music portion of our service was over, it was evident that the Holy Spirit was in the room and moving. In fact, I received the following note, this morning, from one of our Partners:

God really used the music selection yesterday to reach my heart…I haven’t felt impacted in worship like that in a while. He just seemed to reach down and hold my heart. So, thanks for being used by God and doing your part in that.

God reached down, stirred things up, changed our direction and impacted lives. It's so awesome when He does that and I'm so privileged to be a part of what He's doing in the Lehigh Valley.

Pop Goes The Mailbox

noreply@blogger.com (Steven) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 03:14:00 +0000

I received my copies of "Pop Goes The Church" yesterday and I'm so excited about how this book is going to impact NewSpective Church. As you may recall, this is the book that I had the opportunity to preview before it went to print. I can't wait to read through the finished book. I purchased copies for some of our leaders and I'm looking forward to going through it together.

If you are a pastor or church leader or church attender I highly recommend this book. It is a must read if you have any desire to reach your community for Christ. Tim has great insight and speaks on a topic that is one of his passions.

You can purchase a copy for yourself here.