Sunday, September 23, 2007

Defining Moments


In light of this week's awesome message from Pastor Jeff and Melodie on Marriage, I found this list of pick-up lines NOT to use. Check it out here. And for all you APCers don't forget to send an e-vite for the next few weeks of this series.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

What Makes You Angry?

Tonight I attended our Young Adult Group Nite at APC and we talked about anger. What a great topic!! Yeah, I know it doesn't bring up warm, happy memories, but it is something that we should talk about. So many Christians get frustrated and angry about the most irrelevant things. They exert so much energy over what color the carpet in their church is or what ministries their church does or doesn't offer and the whole time they don't even realize that they've completely missed the point. Is anger wrong or ungodly? By no means!! God has created us a beings of emotion. We possess every emotion for a reason. Anger isn't wrong. What's wrong is the battles we fight with our anger.

How often have we blown up on someone that, in retrospect, was really pointless? We do it all the time. We fight irrelevant battles. God didn't give us the emotion of anger to throw it at little pet peeves. He have gave us anger to well up passion and fury to advance the kingdom of God. A soldier on the front lines isn't concerned with the petty aspects of life. They don't care if they're having a 'bad hair day' or that someone's talking about them behind their back. They're in battle - their goal is to advance and stay alive! When we engage our energies and anger towards something that really matters, towards a cause that will truly impact others, it's amazing how quickly things fall into perspective. The question I have for you then is "What Makes You Angry?" Or more specifically, "What Cause stirs passion deep within your spirit?" When you discover what that is - PLAY OFFENSE. Put your energy and attention into it. Quit being a person so concerned with the petty things of this world that you've lost your perspective on the truly eternal causes we have been called to fight for.

New Blog


Two good friends of mine have entered the blogosphere - Greg and Francie Krowitz. They are pastors for our next church plant - BridgePoint Church in Tarentum, PA. You may have read about them here before, but they will be meeting in a boxing gym! God is already doing some amazing things, and I know there are great things in store for the Greg and Francie! You can check out their blog here.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

9/11 Remembered

As many of you know, six years ago this morning our country was forever changed with the events that took place in New York City, Washington D.C. and here in Somerset, PA. I still remember like it was yesterday what took place in my own life. I was a sophomore at Central Bible College and had a 9:25 class with Dr. Wootton. I walked into the class to find out it was surprisingly canceled. Little did I know the reason was far worse than I could have imagined. I walked across campus to the student union to check my mail. As I came down the stairs I saw close to 200 students standing around the television watching everything unfold. This was the first I had heard of what was happening. I was in shock. I had never seen our great nation attacked like this. We spent our chapel service that day and the next praying for those involved. It was a fearful time. An uncertain time.

Going to school in Missouri, we never really had any kind of terror threats or even a fear of such a thing. But I was amazed at how much something 20 hours away could still have a major effect on Springfield, MO. The phone lines were overloaded, there was a line of cars at least half a mile in length at the gas station down the street. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. We all knew that everything had changed at that moment. I can still remember the flood of emotion and uncertainty as to what was happening.

Well, today - September 11, 2007 we ARE in a new world. No longer can you meet your loved ones at the gate in an airport, no longer can you bring liquids onto a plane, no longer can you walk through an airport without seeing security, military and police personell everywhere. We live in a post-9/11 world. But in some ways everything's still the same. We still live in a fallen world that needs Jesus. It's just that in today's world the evidence of that is much clearer. Today, allow the memories of 9/11 and the images of the Twin Towers collapsing to burn within you such a passion, not to destroy those that follow some false religion, but to reach this fallen world with a compassion that can only come from the Almighty God.

Thursday, September 6, 2007

God is Our Navigator

In Matthew 6 we read that there is no need to worry because God will always provide when we are in need. I know I've heard this many times growing up in church, but it is always so refreshing to hear testimonies where God has not only met a need but exceeded it. That's exactly what happened today for a friend of mine.

Mike works at a church plant just outside Phoenix, AZ. Recently he has been having some car troubles and couldn't quite afford the repairs that were needed, let alone purchasing a new car. Well, today a couple in his church gave him a car. And not just any car, a 2001 Lincoln Navigator! Praise God!!

So today whatever you are in need of, just know God hasn't forgotten you. He is working behind the scenes to make sure your needs are met.

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matt. 6:33)

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

The Good News in the News

As Mark Batterson says, "The Good News should be in the news." Yesterday that's what happened. New Life Center in Ford City was featured in the Valley News Dispatch for their recent trip to Kenya. You can read about it here. We should all be challenged to live lives as Christians where we are more known for what we're for than what we're against. (Yes, another Batterson quote!)

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Taking Off Those Shades

Last Thursday I posted this about cynicism and wanted to not just present a problem, but bring a solution. So here's some steps to overcoming cynicism and taking off the shades!

1. First Step: Look in the mirror. The first mistake so many cynical people make is that they think their opinion matters.The truth is it doesn't. Now for those that just flipped out and are throwing things at the screen right now - calm down, let me explain. In matters of how to do ministry and what church should look like, scripture is farely vague. Scripture does not give practical insight (how to's), but rather it gives principles (why to's). So with scripture giving principles and not specifics on how we do church, who decides that? That's where we flash back to the Old Testament. As God leads the people of Israel through the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land, God ordained an individual to lead them - Moses. Moses was the Lord's anointed - he was the individual God gave direction to (the how to's) for the nation of Israel. So back to your opinion not mattering. Maybe a better way to say that would be your opinion does matter, but ultimately it's what God shares with the Lord's Anointed (Your Pastor) that matters. Now that you've looked in the mirror, we'll move onto the next step...soon. :)

Sunday, September 2, 2007

No Man is an Island

Today I attended the Sunday Service at South Butler Assembly of God. This is one of the 12 churches I work with in our network. It is a church in a rural community that is beginning to see some momentum move them forward. It was so exciting to hear their reports of a youth outreach they had this past Friday night where they had close to 60 people come out!
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This morning's message was equally exciting. Pastor Don Larva delivered a message entitled, "No Man is An Island." It was a challenging and well communicated message from Judges 18. His closing three points were:

A: Acknowledge your position
B: Believe and Trust in God
C: Cast Vision for the Next Generation


Every time I have the chance to visit one of these churches it is always refreshing to see 'church' done in so many different ways. Whether I'm at PCO, Ambridge, or South Butler, God is still moving. It really reminds me that the Church truly is the body of Christ. And although the hand and foot have different purposes they are equally valuable!