Sunday Night Reflections

A Few Thoughts From an Amazing Day (Christmas Edition)...

• Our worship was a little different today - all Acapella
• Wrapped up our Christmas series "The Miracle of Christmas" with the message the miracle of the method.
• I am amazed at how we try to figure God out especially in light of Isaiah 55 
• Remember; The cost of obediently following God’s plan is always worth it for the prize of drawing near to God.
• We had our best Christmas Eve service ever; following our worship I had the opportunity to baptize my daughter-in-law's father - Good stuff!
• Thank you worship team for pulling off another great worship event Friday night.
• Well my family blessed me with several good books this Christmas.
• Most interesting title; The devil in pew number seven.
• Book I am looking to reading the most; If God is Good
• As 2010 comes to a close, I am thinking more and more about what makes God smile.
• Our church family was reminded today that even at Christmas, tragedy can be devastating, PBCC family, please keep Becky, Wanda and Clyde in your prayers this week. 

Sunday Night Reflections

A Few Thoughts From an Amazing Day (actually weekend)...

• Attended our Preschool Christmas Pageant Friday Evening - what a great presentation, Tracey and her team did a wonderful job.
• Saturday Night attended a "Medieval Christmas" at Northside Presbyterian Church. The teens did a wonderful job with their presentation as well.
• Today we focused on the Message of Christmas - God communicated and still communicates with us in a language we can understand.
• His message is simply this; Know Me and Draw Near to Me!
• If we would just respond to His message a majority of our whoas would be fixed.
• What is God saying to you today? Are you listening for his voice?
• Linda did a wonderful job with "Mary did you know?" 
• Worship team did a great job today - good mix!
• Just in case you are wondering, Wanda Ross makes wonderful Banana Bread!
• I am humbled by the generosity of some people.
• If you have not seen our food pantry ministry in action you are missing a blessing, they are a great group of people ministering to those in need.
• How can the Dolphins beat the Jets and lose to the Bills?
• By the way there are 5 shopping days left.

Sunday Night Reflections

A Few Thoughts on an Amazing Day...

• Preached on the "Moment of Christmas" today from Galatians 4:4.
• I am comforted by the fact God has perfect timing.
• I am also glad God has given us a time for everything.
• Are you numbering your days?
• Since the past cannot be changed and the future is uncertain, the only alternative is to live in the moment! 
• The fact there are are only 12 days 'til Christmas is frightening.
• Today we learned many people were not ready for the first coming of Jesus, I fear we are living as if people are not ready for his second coming either.
• Thank you Michele for the communion thoughts regarding "Where is the line to see Jesus"
• I was so proud of our preschool's float for the Palm Bay Christmas Parade.
• Staff Christmas Party tomorrow night - should be fun.

Family Christmas Party

Today my family met at the Mandarin Church of Christ in Jacksonville for our annual Christmas party. Of the possible 78 members of my family, 47 of us were able to make it this year. We laughed, shared good food (Note, If you have not had venison sausage you do not know what you are missing) and recalled old stories about our family. Here are just a few highlights of the day...

• A tip of the hat to Troy and Nancy they were such great host and hostess.
• One of my uncles has written a book.
• More of my cousins are on high blood pressure medication (The curse of being a Tison)
• There seemed to be a few more babies than last year.
• Chatted with sister in law, who is sending her only child to Texas for a new job.
• Collected 6 new jokes for sermons down the road.
• One of my aunt's asked me when I was going to retire, not for a while!
• Everyone had a picture taken with my grandfather, BTW he turned 94 in September.
• We teased the nieces who were brave enough to bring their new boy friends to the family gathering. 
• Granddad passed out gift cards to all the grandchildren 12 and under, been a long time since I got one of those gift cards. 
• My grandfather told me how much he appreciated my post a few months back regarding lessons I learned from my grandfather, He told me he did not know how much those things mattered to me - I will cherish that comment the rest of my life!   

Kathy and I traveled 324 miles to attend our Christmas party today, and I am glad I did, there is something about being with family that warms the heart, thrills the soul and reminds us we are not individuals, but a part of something greater. I am so proud of my family and I am looking forward to next year's gathering. Like the years before it will be a great gathering, BTW, Uncle Robert, be sure to bring the venison sausage!  

How can we forget?

Today has come and gone and there has been very little talk about what happened 69 years ago. 69 years ago Japanese airplanes attacked Pearl Harbor. The attack on Pearl Harbor caused more than 2,300 American military deaths, according to the National Park Service. Of those, 1,177 were crew members on the USS Arizona. The attack was the impetus for America entering World War II, for the next 4 years our nation sacrificed, changed habits, sent young people off to war and did what ever it would take to preserve freedom. I understand next year, the 70th anniversary, there will be a big salute to the men who served and died at Pearl Harbor. With the men who served  at Pearl Harbor age 85 or older, just how many men will we salute? 

It seems as time goes by we seem to forget the sacrifices people make for us. It is not just Pearl Harbor, we seem to forget the sacrifices that previous generations have made so we can enjoy the blessing of living in this country. Everyone of us are enjoying the sacrifices of someone else's labors. Everyone of us enjoys the shade of a tree that someone else planted. 

I hope we will always remember we are receiving the benefits of others labors and thus we must do certain things so others will enjoy the fruit of our labor. Question; Who are you living for? What is your legacy? I hope you are living in such a way that someday someone will look back over your accomplishments and deeds and be thankful that you lived in such a way they are reaping what you have sowed. How do we leave such a  legacy? 

1. Focus less on yourself and more on others.
2. Prioritize what is really important, ask yourself will doing a particular activity really make a difference 6 months or 6 years from now?
3. Find someone whom you can pour your life into, we all have something we can teach someone else.
4. Spend more time building relationships than building wealth.
5. Follow the golden rule of Matthew 7:12.

Doing these five things will not guarantee you will leave a legacy, but not doing them will probably guarantee you will be forgotten sooner than later.

Sunday Night Reflections

A Few Thoughts From An Amazing Day...

• Our children's ministry did a great job with their Christmas program today.
• I hope we are overwhelmed by the thought of Christmas.
• Begin a new series next week - the Miracle of Christmas. Sunday's message; the Moment of Christmas.
• Starting to lay out the programs for our Christmas Eve service, I think both services will be meaningful.
• I have to admit "How Many Kings" is quickly becoming one of my favorite new Christmas Songs.
• I have been wondering lately, what makes God smile? Here is my list; Children, Christians worshiping with reckless abandonment, A Grateful Heart, Brokenness, Repentance, A church with a mission, prayers from his children. I will have to think about this idea a little more.
• I am looking forward to Heaven.

Now it is Christmas

Tonight I attended Florida Christian College's "Night of Noel". The program included music, readings and a very talented choir. As I sat there I thought to myself now it is Christmas. You see in Florida it is hard to get in the Christmas spirit with temps in the 80's and palm trees on every corner. Tonight it was different - as the choir  sang a variety of songs regarding advent and the nativity there was a sense that it is now time to think about Christmas. 

I am glad I made the trip to Kissimmee tonight it was a nice change of pace and it was great to see how FCC is truly developing a quality music program.  By the way, I cannot say enough for the closing arrangement of Handle's Messiah, what a great way to close out the evening.  

To all who participated in Night of Noel, THANK YOU, your ministry was truly a blessing for all who attended!

Is it Real to You?

Angels, Shepherds, A Virgin, Wisemen, A Star, Prophecy and a Manger. These are just a few of the items that make up the Christmas account found in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Over the next 3 weeks ministers will preach on the advent and the nativity. For some they will try to put a new slant on the Christmas story, after all they have preached these passages for over 20 years. Others will take a more traditional approach and preach about the Angel's announcement, the shepherd's visit and Mary's obedience. However the real question is not how to present the Christmas story; the real question is how do we make it real? 

I fear we have heard the story so often that it has lost some of its power; after all we have seen the TV shows, sent the Christmas cards and read and reread the gospel accounts to the point we know it forward and backwards, and yet with all that knowledge we still cannot comprehend what God did for us 2,000 years ago. 

 Think about it, God loved us so much...

• He sent His son.
• He predicted His work and his mission. 
• He chose a special girl to carry His son.
• He used angels, shepherds and wisemen in a very significant way.
• He took great care in make sure His son would be the hope of the world.

I hope you take time this Christmas to make Christmas real in your life. I hope you will get beyond the all of the stuff of Christmas (the gift giving, the parties, the rush, etc.) and realize that the Christmas story is more than a story. In fact John 1 reminds us how real Christmas is to each of us.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 

God became flesh; lived among His people and they saw him as one full of grace and truth - when we realize what this verse means - Christmas will become real to each of us.

When will you be ready?

I am currently reading the Bible via the You Version program provided by Life Church, my particular reading is a plan called "Rediscovering the Christmas Season". Todays reading was about Simeon meeting Mary & Joseph at the temple as they come to dedicate Jesus. Note what scripture says about this encounter...

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”  Luke 2:25-32

Simeon says I have seen you (God) fulfill your promise and now I am ready to die. What an amazing testimony, Simeon shows no fear in death because he has absolute trust in God. As I read over those verses this morning, I wondered if I could say the words of Simeon? Are we ever ready to die? I loved what Woody Allen said about death, "I am not afraid to die, I just do not want to be there when death shows up" Simeon lived in such a way as when he saw God fulfill his promise he was ready to go. 

How do we live like Simeon today? These verses give us a few clues...  

• Live a devout or devoted life toward God.
• Practice Righteousness toward others. 
• Patiently wait on God to reveal His will for your life.
• Be Spirit sensitive

Simeon is one of the unsung heroes of the Gospels; he is only mentioned in Luke's gospel, but his one account reminds us every one has the ability to be ready to die, if we will only trust God with our life. May we live like Simeon today, better yet may we be prepared to face death with courage becasue we have trusted God and His promises.    

Sunday Night Reflections

A Few Thoughts From an Amazing Day...

• Finished the vision series today with the sermon titled, "How the Family Functions" 
• Remember the local church functions properly when we as believers function properly.
• Today's video really drove home the point we are making a difference in our community.
• BTW the accompanying song on the video was "My Own Little World" by Matthew West.
• I was reminded today how many hurting people are in our worship every Sunday morning.
• "Who am I" is becoming one of my favorite worship songs. 
• Watching John Craig present the communion meditation today reminded me to be thankful for my home church giving me opportunities to speak in public.  
• I hope we make it a point to function as a family in 2011.
• Our vision are simply words until we decide to act on the vision.
• We passed out 95 bags of blessings Tuesday - great job food pantry ministry - you guys really met many needs on Tuesday. Special thank you to the church family for filling bags last week as well.
• Thursday was a great day in my family we had 22 people at my parent's house for thanksgiving dinner.
• Children's Christmas program is this week at PBCC - I am looking forward to seeing and hearing the results of their hard work (as well as the hard work their leaders have put in for the last 4 months). 

Sunday Night Reflections

A Few Thoughts From an Amazing Day...

• We served over 90 families this week through our food pantry ministry.
• I am thankful for all who participated in the "bags of blessings" ministry. We will be distributing the bags Tuesday, if you want to help show up at PBCC at 10:00 a.m.
• Preached on gratitude this morning - it is good to have a thankful spirit in November, but it is God honoring to always be thankful.
• I cannot get over the fact we have a received an unshakable kingdom.
• This morning as people answered the invitation I could not help but think how God is pleased with brokenness.
• In fact, I am reminded of the statement God can heal broken pieces as long as he has all the pieces - let's not hold back from God.
• If we really focus on what is happening at the Lord's Supper, how can taking it weekly ever become routine?
• Brianne did a WONDERFUL job this morning with her solo!
• I hope we continue to "Take Inventory" everyday - I believe it will call all of us to live a life of gratitude.
• In light of taking inventory remember these facts I share this morning... 
• If you woke up this morning with more health than illness… you are more blessed than the one million people who will not survive this week.
• If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of isolation, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation… you are ahead of 500 million people in this world.
• If you attend a church service without fear of harassment, arrest torture or death… you are more fortunate than 3 million people around the world today.
• If your family owns more than one Bible, you are ahead of 78% of the world.
• If you can read your Bible, you are more blessed than 2 billion in the world who cannot read at all.
• If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head, a place to sleep and lose change in your pocket or home… you are richer than 75% of the world.
• I am really looking forward to Thursday!

Sunday Night Reflections

A Few Thoughts From an Amazing Day...

• Continued thinking about our vision and direction today with a  focus on family. 
• I honestly believe a fractured family can become a faithful family if we take on the family traits of 1 John 3.
• How do you deliver love? With a  bucket or an eyedropper? Clue: How does God deliver love to us?
• Accepting one another's quirks is one of the keys to becoming a forever family.
• There is no truth to the rumor that I am a "squirrel whisper".
• Listening to others is another key to becoming a forever family.   
• I think one of the most difficult things to accomplish regarding vision is to keep it in front of us and not get sidetracked by the "stuff of life".
• We recognized 6 students today, 5 are currently involved in higher Christian Education and one is planning to attend a Christian college in the next two years. I am looking forward to hearing the impact their lives will have in kingdom work.
• I am thankful for the vision of a group of people who planned the Chip 'n' Chew as a way to raise scholarship funds.   

Thank you veterans

Today is Veteran's Day. For some it means a day out of school, the banks are closed and there is no mail delivery. On Veteran's Day our daily routines are interrupted. What we count as routine or what we take for granted is not the norm. Maybe that thought will help us remember how important it is to remember and thank our Veterans today. After all, the truth be told Veteran's Day celebrates the men and women who chose to break up their daily routines and serve our country through military service. Some veterans did more than break up their daily routine, some veterans have had their lives be anything but routine; they wear visible signs of their service; a missing limb, a permanent scar, or a painful memory that haunts them to this day. Others have no visible marks of their service, except the fact that they stand a little taller when they hear the national anthem or they get a little misty eyed when they see the flag flying. 

Today I hope you will take some time to thank the men and women who chose to break up their routine to serve this country. The freedoms we have today are because of the men and women who served yesterday and let us never forget the future veterans, men and women in uniform today serving abroad or here at home. I personally have two men in my family who are veterans; my dad and my brother Robert. I salute these two men for allowing me to enjoy the freedoms I have today. I thank both of them for disrupting their routines and serving our country. 

Now comes the hard part

This past Sunday, the leaders of our church introduced a new vision to our church family. The vision simply states; "[PBCC] Exists to introduce people to God’s grace by growing together as a family and developing our gifts to share the love of Jesus" Our leaders spent a great deal of time crafting and discussing the vision. While we spent time and energy on our vision statement; we all realize now comes the hard part. Fulfilling the vision is where the real work takes place. For it will take work...

• To keep us focused on the vision.
• To keep us from becoming sidetracked.
• To keep us moving forward.
• To keep us pressing on long after the newness wears off.
• To keep us committed to vision when other things call for our attention.
• To keep us from being distracted by the stuff of life.
• To keep us strong when we are weak in the flesh.
• To keep us being the leaders God needs us to be to fulfill the vision.
• To keep us trusting in God when we want to walk by sight rather than walk by faith.

Why are we willing to to go through the hard part of fulfilling the vision - simple; we have a desire to share the love of Jesus with the world. With that goal as our passion, we as leaders know it is worth all the hard work ahead of us. 

Sunday Night Reflections

A few thoughts from an amazing day...

• Presented a new vision this morning for the future of PBCC. Our new vision is "[PBCC] Exists to introduce people to God’s grace by growing together as a family and developing our gifts to share the love of Jesus".
• While we stated a new vision today, I know it will take time for us to fulfill the vision, yet once it is fulfilled I believe we will have a God honoring church.
• What does sharing the love of Jesus mean to you?
• Being a church of grace and family will allow us to share the love of Jesus.
• Relationships are always a priority in God's kingdom.
• Do you ever think of yourself as a bride waiting for the bridegroom - it will really change your perspective on this life
• I am still thinking about Sir Francis Drake's prayer I read this morning - "Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves, When our dreams have come true; because we have dreamed too little, When we arrived safely; because we sailed too close to the shore".
• I was thrilled to hear about one of member's praise report today, God is really doing some good things in her life.
• Heaven gained a saint this week as Palmer Young, former President of Kentucky Christian University passed away. He was truly a gentlemen among preachers.
• Spent some time with some good friends at Florida Christian College Saturday. Some of these friends I have known for over 40 years, they are truly treasures.
• Celebrated my oldest son's 30th birthday today, how can it be that I have a 30 year old son?

Sunday Night Reflections

A Few Thoughts From an Amazing Day...

• Fall Festival went well over 95 families attending our festival a big thank you to our small groups and to Bethany B, you did a wonderful job.
• I hope some of your best friends are lost.
• I hope we are a church known for eating with sinners.
• 2 quotes from today's message that really resonated with me; 1) Being lost is never fun, being lost and realizing no one is looking for you is even worse. 2) The pharisees looked down at sinners, Jesus looked for sinners!
• Our church is blessed with the number of babies in our church family - THANK YOU nursery workers, you are truly unsung heroes.
• Have you thrown a party lately?
• How can October be over?
• We are only 62 days away from January 1, 2011.
• I am looking forward to preaching next Sunday - I think people will be surprised!

Sunday Night Reflections

A Few Thoughts From an Amazing Weekend...


Editor's Note; this week's reflections also includes stuff regarding our SHINE Day (Great Day of Service)

• Our young people led worship today and they did a wonderful job. 
• The mirror project was pretty cool.
• Shaun taught us today, that it is better to give up your dreams for HIS vision - Great point! May we all live this way!
• After worship today, Kathy and I attended a concert with a couple of friends, loved the music and loved the company.
• We are getting back comments today regarding our "Great Day of Service" I believe everyone who participated received more than they gave.
• It is really amazing the impact 60+ people can have when they choose to serve.
• From today's daily Bible reading I found this little nugget of wisdom
• Big weekend ahead; Fall Festival Friday night, parent dedication and baby recognition Sunday during family worship.
• We are showing pics from the Great Day of Service this Sunday as well.

SHINE - Our Great Day of Service

This Saturday, the members of PBCC will participate in our first "Great Day of Service". On Saturday Morning we will leave the building and move through out the city serving others. The service projects include serving the local police and fire departments, working with the Palm Bay Parks and Recreation Department, Assisting Unconditional Love, a ministry to HIV/AIDS patients in Brevard County and serving a local nursing home. 

We have called our great day of service "SHINE", this comes from Matthew 5:14-16, "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.  Our desire is for each of us to SHINE through service and as a result Christ will be lifted up. I am excited by the response from our church, I believe the servant's heart of our church is really coming through in a big way. I am also happy with the demographic of the servants of our church. Many of our teens, children, seniors, young adults and families are involved in SHINE. This type diversity is demonstrating anyone can shine the love of Christ into the lives of others. I am also excited about the reception we have received from the city. They have been very accommodating to help us complete our SHINE projects. Next week I will share some of the stories that happened as a result of SHINE. I cannot wait to tell you about what God will do through his people when they choose to SHINE.

Staffing in the local church

The times they are a  changing and no where is that more clear than when it comes to staffing in the local church. I grew up in the age of the one minister church leader. He was the minister, he oversaw the day to day operations as well as the ministries of the church. Soon the churches began to add a second staff person; normally a youth minister or an associate minister who could take some of the stress off the main leader. Most of my ministry colleagues were youth ministers before they became senior ministers. Occasionally there would be a third position available, a worship leader was added to the mix of a growing church and the three member team was often complete. 

However, as I said the times are changing. As ministry has become more complex we have become very open to new positions which will help us reach the world for Christ in the 21st century. Recently I was on a church website that was posting the following paid ministry positions...

• Content Development Team Leader
• Digerati Support Developer
• Director Of Network Operations

As you can see the more we move into the digital age the more diverse our staffing needs are becoming. The "Big Three" of a generation ago will simply not cut it if we are going to keep up with ever changing technology and methods for reaching the world. While our principles remain the same; reaching people for Christ and bringing them to maturity, it is important to remember the methods are ever changing. When I was working on my master's degree, one of my professors urged us to be life-long learners. With the ever changing environment of today, his words have proven to be wise advice. 

Sunday Night Reflections

A Few Thoughts From an Amazing Day...

• Watched a dad baptize his daughter today - what a great thrill, congratulations to the Chris, Donna & Leah!
• Preached a message on faith today.
• Worship was great; what a great mix, we sang a hymn written around 1225 ad and a praise chorus from this century. Talk about variety! 
• Loved Joni Erikson Tada's definition of faith; Taking God at his word and taking the next step.
• Remember, Unbelief puts our circumstances between God and us, Faith puts God between us and our circumstances. F.B. Meyer
• I hope we will all overcome all obstacles to get our friends to Jesus.
• I also taught the Discover Palm Bay class today, I always like teaching this class.
• Received an invitation to a birthday celebration which also marks the man's 66th year in ministry this week. I count it a privilege to know this man - congratulations Glen.
• Our teens are taking over the worship next week with CIY Sunday, I am really looking forward to hear how the conference impacted lives.
• If you have not seen the movie "Secretariat", you are really missing a great movie, very family freindly as well as inspiring! 
• Speaking of inspiring, the miner rescue in Chile was very moving.
• It does not look like it is going to be our year in Gainesville.  

Roots

What holds you to your values? What keeps you going on when you feel you can no longer go on? I would have to say it is our roots. Each of are grounded to something that keeps up connected as well as helps us to hold on when the storms of life come upon us. Psalm 1 reminds us...

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.

But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

What keeps us grounded? According to the psalmist the word of God. There we find hope, counsel, wisdom and examples on how to live out our faith in a world that is far from grounded. Over the last few days, I have been reading through the book of Jeremiah and have discovered this young prophet was facing some troubling times both for himself and for the nation he was trying to lead. While his ministry and personal life were trying, he found strength in God's promise found in Jeremiah 9:23-24...

This is what the LORD says: 
      "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
       or the strong man boast of his strength
       or the rich man boast of his riches,
         but let him who boasts boast about this:
       that he understands and knows me,
       that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
       justice and righteousness on earth,
       for in these I delight,"        declares the LORD. 


I personally love the first part of verse 24; but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me.


Let me encourage you to make a point of knowing God, this is only possible when we read his word and make it habit to apply it to our lives. If you will do this you will find yourself being grounded and being a well planted tree. 

Perspective

From today's Bible Reading...

A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked. Psalm 84:10

This psalm was written by the descendants of Korah. Korah and his descendants served Israel as the worship leaders in the temple. Their lives were marked by privilege and honor. As a worship leader, they had the best seats in the house. They saw the king and Israel at their best. Celebrations and worship were an essential part of their lives. Yet with all the privileges of being a worship leader, Korah's descendants stated there was something better. To spend one day in the house of the Lord was better than anything this earth has to offer. But they go on... they would choose to be a gatekeeper (aka a butler) than enjoy the carnal pleasures of the world.

How is it possible to choose to be a butler in God's house over everything this world has to offer? How is it possible to choose to spend 1 day with God than a lifetime without him? Simply put perspective. Perspective gives one clarity. Perspective helps us make the right decision and gives us the proper world view. 

Question; how do you see things today? Do you have the right perspective on things? I have to admit there are times we lose our perspective, there are times we spend time, resources and energy on things that really do not matter. Yet if we have the right perspective we will find ourselves more focused and more sensitive to what God desires for us. 

My hope is we all will be descendants of Korah and have the right perspective on this life and the life to come.  

Sunday Night Reflections

A Few Thoughts From an amazing Day...

• Worship and Sound Teams really stretched themselves today! Thanks guys, your servant heart's do not go unnoticed.
• The "unplugged" worship really sounded great even though it was not planned.
• The power outage was a great reminder it is not by our might or our strength, but by the power of God we are able to what we do!
• Remember our calling as followers of Christ is to love God completely, love self correctly and love others compassionately.
• While it is good to see people conquer a physical infirmity, it is better to help people find the cure for their spiritual infirmity - sin. Sin makes us all spiritual sick, yet we have the cure the spiritually sick; a relationship with Christ.
• I hope we will all be willing to touch the untouchable for Christ.
• Yes, I did say "Cooties" in this morning's message.
• If you have not read Max Lucado's "Just Like Jesus" you are really missing a good book that will help you know Jesus a little better. 
• This is a challenging question; Are you living is such a way people are asking if you are Jesus?
• I am really getting excited about SHINE.
• Mark 1 is complete - 6 sermons down, how many more ????,  now we move to Mark 2 next week.

Lifting one another up

Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you. Ephesians 6:21-22

One of the great unsung heroes of the New Testament has to be Tychicus. He is mentioned 5 times in the NT; he is called a beloved brother, a faithful minister and a fellow servant of the Lord. It seems he was a  close companion of Paul as he spread the gospel throughout Europe. What makes Tychicus a hero is not his titles but what he did for the churches in the area. Paul said to the church at Ephesus, I am sending him to you for this very purpose... . that he may encourage you. 

We do not have one word from Tychicus, we do not read one prayer he said or one sermon he preached, but we do know he was an encourager. Paul thought enough of his coworker to send him to the church in Ephesus, so the church could be encouraged. In the first century, church work was hard. Often times people found themselves isolated from other believers or misunderstood by the pagan culture. That is why Paul sent Tychicus to Ephesus, to encourage the believers when times got tough.

Things have not changed much in 2,000 years. We can still find ourselves isolated or misunderstood by others. When this happens the temptation can be to throw up our arms in surrender. However just as Paul sent Tychicus to encourage the church God has a way of sending us a Tychicus type person to encourage us. The challenge for each of us is to listen to the Tychicus in our life. Their words may be just the the thing we need to hear so we can continue the work God has called us to complete. 

If you area Tychicus type person, here are some words to ponder as you think about encouraging someone today...

• “Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you. Love me and I may be forced to love you.”
• “Seeds of faith are always within us; sometimes it takes a crisis to nourish and encourage their growth.”
• “People have a way of becoming what you encourage them to be, not what you nag them to be.”
• “You need to be aware of what others are doing, applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits. When we all help one another, everybody wins.”

Sunday Night Reflections

A few thoughts from an amazing day...

• Another baptism today - it is always exciting to see children claim Jesus as their Lord and Savior!
• Wrapped up our outflow series today, I am really looking forward to our "SHINE" project.
• Yes, OMG  and Gosh diminishes the Holiness of God.
• Moving toward spiritual maturity is never an option for a growing Christian; it is a decision that must be made every day in our Christian walk.
• I hope you are always ready to answer the divine question Who shall I send, who will speak for us?
• When I realize what Isaiah went through to be used by God I am amazed by his faith and boldness. I hope I will have the same type of faith and boldness as well.  
• I hope many of our preteen students will take advantage of "superstart" I believe they will be blessed through the experience.
• Wonderful weekend at Florida Christian College. We celebrated the inauguration of the fifth president. I believe the future is bright at FCC.
• Today I was reminded how fragile life can be as there was a shooting at one of our Christian Colleges today. Please pray for the entire MACU family today as they deal with this horrific situation.  

Sunday Night Reflections

A Few Thoughts From an Amazing Day...

• Two more people joined the PBCC family today; Welcome Tom and Sharon.
• Today's worship was very moving. 
• I continue to be amazed at the number of people praying for their lost family and friends.
• Remember, fishing is the primary function of the church.
• When we consider the fact that Jesus is sending us out like lambs before wolves, we had better be sure we are praying for spiritual protection.
• I wonder what would happen if we really focused on fishing 
• Who are you training right now to insure your ministry continues?
• There should be no doubt that eternal life and death hang in the balance when it comes to Jesus.
• Churches that understand this fact, are alive and vibrant and growing. Churches that do not see the need to extend the invitation are churches that are dead, fussing and faithless.  

Our God

Just finished ready the daily Bible reading when I came across this nugget from Isaiah 40...


      Who else has held the oceans in his hand?
      Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers?
      Who else knows the weight of the earth
      or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale?
      Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord?
      Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him?
      Has the Lord ever needed anyone’s advice?
      Does he need instruction about what is good?
      Did someone teach him what is right
      or show him the path of justice?

Who has held oceans, measured the heavens, weighed the earth? When I consider what God is able to do, and I must confess I cannot comprehend all He is able to do. I am amazed that he desires a relationship with us. In fact, if you continue in the today's reading from the book of Ephesians you discover this truth...

Praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

Paul says, because He loved us He has...

• Blessed us with every spiritual blessing
• Chosen us
• Adopted us

Now catch this; This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

This weekend as you worship, I hope you remember that God takes great pleasure in having a relationship with you. Just thinking about God in this way should truly transform you as you worship Him