Reflecting on 5 years

Sunday I celebrated 5 years of ministry at PBCC. While the church celebrated by giving me a "Card Shower", I began reflecting on the past 5 years.

There have been some great victories; in our first year we raised $52,000 above our regular giving for some much needed projects - If you are a member of PBCC; what did we do before added the foyer? A new stage was added and we remodeled the chapel. While it was painful to see the pews go, we now have a great multi- purpose room to accommodate small groups of 80 are less. While the physical plant was improved, that paled in comparison to what happened early in our ministry as Knofel Staton spent a weekend teaching us the value and power of prayer in the local congregation. Little did I realize at the time how valuable this workshop would be to me personally in 2006!

There have been some losses as well; while we have seen many people join our church over the last 5 years (240 to date), we have also seen people leave our fellowship as well. Some left to go back home (Because, if you live in Florida, you are probably from someplace else!), or because of a job opportunity. Some went to their eternal home and we long for a reunion with these dear saints. Still others left because of personal preferences of worship or philosophy of ministry. Each departure breaks my heart and I agonize deeply when anyone leaves.

Yet I can honestly say there have been more wins than losses and over the next few days I will share a few more of our victories.

Sunday Night Reflections

A few thoughts from an amazing day...

• Another baptism today - we rejoiced as did the angels in heaven!
• We celebrated 5 years of ministry at PBCC today we (Kathy & I) received many cards and gifts from our congregation we are so blessed to lead this congregation.
• I officiated at the funeral of WWII vet this week; we owe these men and women a great deal.
• I loved the "unplugged" worship this morning.
• I hope PBCC is known as a the church of the second chance.
• Remember the parable of the prodigal son reminds all of us, Christ is the faithful seeker of all who are lost.
• Like the prodigal son, the typical sinner wants to devise a plan to take care of his sin problem. However God will not hear of it, he provides EVERYTHING we need for sin removal.
• Next time you are uncertain about God forgiving you, consider Micah 7:18-19, “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.”
• I am praying for our teens while they are at CIY
• Remember everyone plays a part in reaching the lost - Have you considered what part you are willing to play?
• Timothy Keller's book "Counterfeit Gods" really speaks to what ails our culture.

Connecting via Facebook

This past week a surpassed a milestone on FACEBOOK, I now have 400 friends. Now in all honesty this is not much of a milestone, since all you have to do is click a mouse to add someone to your friend list. However what is amazing about FACEBOOK is the ability to connect with people. I have connected with members of former youth groups high school friends and college alumni. Connecting through FACEBOOK has enabled me to keep track of people that a few years ago would have simply faded away, not because I do not care for these former friends, but because life happens and connections simply disappear.

I have found FACEBOOK to be very beneficial - but before you jump in to this social please read my friend Arron's post regarding the safeguards one needs to put in place before joining the FB community.

After you have read Arron's post and you decide to join the FB community look me up!

More from the Overflow of Study

This month I am preaching a series of messages from the parable of the prodigal son found in Luke 15. As always I find more information from my study than I am able to put into the message, so here are a few thoughts from this parable that I will not be sharing Sunday, but are still meaningful...

As the son returns to the father we learn There's a throne of grace where we can go and obtain mercy. God gives forgiving grace that is lavish. God replaces the filthy stinking rags of the sinner with His own robe of righteousness. As the prophet Isaiah said, "He covers us with a robe of righteousness."

One of the outlines for Luke 15:18-24 is simply, A shameless request, shameless rebellion, a shameful repentance, and a shameful reception by that father in their minds, led to a shameless reconciliation. BTW that is not the outline I am using Sunday.

Every sinner who comes back takes full responsibility for that sin and sees it as an offense that rises as high as heaven. Every sinner who comes back sets his course or her course toward God to come back

You want to know how eager God is to receive a sinner? He will run through the dirt and bear the shame, He will embrace the sinner with all His strength and plant kisses all over the sinner's head. Some people think that God is a reluctant Savior. No, He's not.

Grace, triumphs over sin at its worse. The story isn't saying that every sinner reaches the level he did, but when sinners do, grace still triumphs. This is a completely new idea, you have to understand, right? Completely new idea...undeserved forgiveness, undeserved sonship, undeserved salvation, undeserved honor, respect, responsibility, fully vested son without any restitution, without any works. This kind of lavish love, this kind of grace bestowed upon a penitent trusting sinner is a bizarre idea in a legalistic mind.

See you Sunday.

Marriage Busters

Over the last few months I have shocked by the number of marriages that have ended in divorce. There seems to be an all out assault on marriage these days. This is extremely troublesome for I believe the family is the glue that holds our society together. The foundation for the glue is the husband/wife relationship. If that relationship falls apart, families are ill equipped to handle the pressures of this life.

Three years ago I preached a series of messages on the family, in that series there was a pastor's prayer to God that I believe is an appropriate illustration in light of the assault on marriage...

Dear Lord, another marriage is shattered and the divorce will be final next week.

He said it was the breakdown in communication and the subtle complacency that led to boredom.

She said, He stifled her dreams and ignored her achievements

He said, she was preoccupied with the children and the keeping of the house

She said, He never spent time with the family, and never helped around the house

He said she was cold, and always pushed her away when he desired her

She said, he was harsh and uncaring and seldom romantic

He said her critical spirit made him feel inadequate

She said his demands made her feel unappreciated and used.

He said she used pity to get her way

She said, he was petty and insecure always wanting his way.

Lord, It is sad that through all of the years of accusations and petty squabbles, they never asked

“What you said?”

Kind of makes you think does it not?

Sunday Night Reflections

A few thoughts from an amazing day...

• Second sermon in lost and found series reminded all of us we are all prodigals from time to time.
• I wonder what choices you will make this week.
• Whatever choices you make; Remember they are YOUR choices!
• Sometimes an old hymn like "Softly and Tenderly" can stir our emotions.
• I loved Charles Spurgeon's quote regarding God and the prodigal...The compassion of God is followed by swift movements. He is slow to anger, but He is quick to bless. God comes flying in the greatness of His compassion to help every poor soul that returns to Him.”
• I wonder what makes Sunday special for people?
• Our worship team was shorthanded today and they still did a great job!
• Congratulations to our student ministry; they completed their fundraising goal - I am thrilled with their hard work, now I am looking forward to hearing about the life change at CIY.
• I want to encourage the PBCC family to be a part of the prayer service Friday Night for our teens.
• VBS is over - I heard a lot of good things about the week.
• I am really excited out our new parenting series that begins next week at 9:00 in the chapel. I know the assault on the family is relentless today - this will be a great opportunity to get some good information and practical application to build a strong family.
• Grace is a wonderful thing.
• Men, if you have not read John Ortberg's "When the Game is over it all goes back in the box" be careful - it is challenging to say the least.
• I watched the Miami/FSU repeat of their 2009 game on Sun Sports Saturday afternoon; I really miss college football!

Lucky Man

Today my bride celebrates another birthday - I am not going to tell you the number of years she is celebrating; all I will say is that I am blessed to have such a lovely woman for my wife, and judging by the picture to the left you can see that I am a lucky man. I believe Kathy is the perfect minister's wife. She has been my chief supporter, sounding board and partner for almost 31 years.

She has and continues to be a great ambassador for the churches we have served. In fact I would say there have been times churches would not mind me leaving if Kathy would stay. Kathy's influence has been felt in a number of areas in the churches we have served. She has served as a teacher, a member of the praise team, soloist, artist, cook, hostess, greeter, mentor, sermon evaluator (both the good ones and the not so good ones) and friend. These are just to name a few of the roles she has fulfilled. However her greatest accomplishment has been to be a wonderful mother to our three kids. I have to admit ministry is tough and there have been times when I have been away for an extended time or I have been preoccupied with issues at the church and Kathy has been the rock for our family. I am extremely proud of my 3 children. Each of them have a servant's heart and a desire to be Christ like, this is the direct influence of Kathy.

3 years ago I almost lost Kathy to a massive stroke. To this day that night still haunts me. However it also reminds me how blessed I am to have Kathy by my side. So tonight we celebrated with dinner and movie; and yes because of some pressing ministry needs we were a little late to dinner and rushed to make it to the movie, but Kathy did not complain she simply took it in stride, which reminds me even more why I love her - Happy Birthday Babe! Retirement is just 17 years away and then we will celebrate EVERYDAY!