Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to one and all!  Remember, we have changed the times for our Christmas Eve services to 5 and 6:30 p.m.  I hope to see you at one of those services.

I'd like to share a few holiday videos with you for your viewing and listening pleasure.  These first two are from Northpoint Community Church and feature their band playing these songs entirely on iPhones and iPads.  Pretty cool what you can do with them!





This one is from Selah, and is one of my favorite versions of Silent Night.  We might be doing this on Christmas Eve.



Again, Merry Christmas to all, and thanks for a great 2010.  I'm excited to see what God has in store for us in 2011.

Like a Good Neighbor

I love this time of year, with Thanksgiving next week and Christmas close behind.  It does, however, still feel odd to see Christmas decorations and gifts in the stores at the end of September and in October when it can still be 100 degrees outside!

Each year, usually right before Thanksgiving, we get together with our neighbors for a light breakfast (okay, so neighbor Chuck's queso dip isn't light), and then the men go house to house to help put up Christmas decorations.  Then, later that afternoon, we all gather in the cul-de-sac for a pitch-in and cookout.  After eating we usually sit around the fire pit and catch up on each others' lives.  We see and talk to each other all through the year, but I always especially enjoy this event.  We try to be intentional about building community in our little neighborhood.

Do you have any neighborhood traditions?  Maybe a 4th of July cookout?  An Easter egg hunt?  A Labor Day pool party?  Do you take time to get to know your neighbors, and do you know if they have any needs?  Is there any way you can serve your neighbors?  Any single moms or widows in your neighborhood you could help or check in on regularly?  Comment below to share any neighborhood traditions or how you serve your neighbors.

Jesus said we are to love our neighbors, and that means knowing them, spending time with them, and even serving them.  Read Luke 10:25-37 and consider how you can be a good neighbor.

God's Presence

Part of my daily reading is from the Old Testament, and I'm reading in Exodus right now.  I'm struck by a verse I read this morning from chapter 3.  In verse 10, God told Moses to go to Egypt to bring the Israelites out of there.  Here's Moses' response in verse 11: "But Moses said to God, 'Who am I, that I should go to Pharoah and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?' 12 And God said, 'I will be with you.'"


This is a good reminder for me whenever I begin to question God with "But what about...?"  Or, "But, I don't know what to do!"  God is with me.  Jesus said that when He was going up to heaven in Matthew 28:20: "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."  He has given me His Holy Spirit to live in me (John 14 and 15).  His presence is always with me.  If God has called me to do something, it doesn't matter what my excuse is; He's with me and I'd better get to it!


Notice, too, that Moses had asked "Who am I?"  God doesn't respond to that, because it doesn't matter if God is with me.  I should let Him work and speak through me and not worry about who I am, or what I have or don't have.  As I heard Louie Giglio say once, "I know I am not, but I know I AM!"


Live every day with His presence in you.

Election Season

Our local and state elections are next week, so I thought I'd do an election season post today.  First of all, make sure you are an informed voter.  If you haven't already done so, do to the Center for Arizona Policy website to download their non-partisan voter guide.  It's very helpful.  Also, if you need help with information on judges, click here for judicial review information.


Also, I'm re-posting a blog from our friends at Disciple Nations Alliance that you should read.

Your Great Commission Assignment Coming Soon

Posted on October 25, 2010 by disciplenations

What do the Philippines, Sudan and the U.S. have in common? Each has an important national election scheduled in the next few weeks.

Elections represent an important opportunity for Christians. Followers of Christ should be exemplary in our engagement in the political process. Jesus Christ calls us to forge godly culture and promote biblical values, and responsible voting comprises one dimension of living Christianly, one aspect of obedience to the authority of Christ.

As he closed the Great Commission, Jesus said, “Behold, I am with you always.” The English “behold” translates the Greek word idou. Some versions strip the original of its force by translating idou as “surely.” But the word is in the imperative mood. Asimperative, it has the same force as “Go make disciples,” thus “Behold” is a better translation. Christ is saying “Hey, pay attention!”

Why might Christ command us to “Look!”?  Maybe because we get so preoccupied with our own lives and circumstances that we fail to focus on his priorities? Do we fail to recognize Christ’s presence and purpose in our lives because our thoughts are elsewhere?

Look! Jesus is “with us always . . . to the very end of the age”! His power, authority, love, and grace abound! Behold! He is king of heaven and earth, and of time.

And of elections.

- Darrow Miller and Gary Brumbelow

Make sure you vote by early ballot, or at a polling place next Tuesday, November 2.  This is one of our greatest freedoms and opportunities to express a biblical worldview.

Warning - Do Not Love the World

I'm preaching on a great passage of Scripture this weekend - 1 John 2:15-17.  "Do not love the world or anything in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world.  The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."  (NIV) 


I've read this passage dozens of times, I'm sure, but not really ever taken the time to stop and think - "What do I crave - the things of the world or God?  What catches my eye - things I want or the needs of other people?  What do I boast about - what I've done or what God is doing in me?"


How would you answer those questions?  I hope I'll see you this Saturday, October 23, at our next Serve Sunnyslope.  If you're not already signed up to serve, call Cindy in the church office - (602)246-9206.

Fear

I've struggled my whole life with fear issues - mainly fear of people.  I've had many occassions, beginning when I was very young, where I was humiliated or embarrassed, so I decided to protect myself and not be put in those situations again.  To do so, I began to fear people that I thought were a threat to my safe, protected world.  Over the course of the last year or so, I've been discovering that this is not a healthy way to live!

I've spent some time during a week off to look at Scriptures that address this issue of fear and of trusting God.  I found many good verses on this topic, and one of my favorites is Proverbs 29:25 which says, "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe."  Other good ones are Psalm 118:6,8: "The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?  It is better to  take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man."

What about you?  What are some key verses or passages that take away the fear factor in your life?  Let me know by commenting below.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Free Bibles

Need a Bible on your smartphone?  Click here to get yours free from YouVersion.  Now you can have the Bible in the palm of your hand, featuring 41 translations and 22 languages. Choose from dozens of unique reading plans to help you read the Bible consistently. Bookmark your favorite verses. Read contributions from other users from YouVersion.com.  I've been using mine for several months now and I love it.

Read, Memorize, Meditate, Do

A great verse:  "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.  Then you will be prosperous and successful."  Joshua 1:8 (NIV)

The way I read this verse, if we want to be prosperous and successful in God's eyes, we need to read His Word, memorize it, meditate on it, and do it.  1 John 2:3 says "we know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands."  I think that the simplicity of knowing and doing God's Word sometimes escapes us - escapes me.  I have a tendency to over-think and over-analyze situations and want extra clarity and wisdom before I act.  But that's usually not needed.  Typically all I need to do is to what I know He wants me to do.

Think about the clarity of that verse this week, and read, memorize, meditate, and do.  Show God how much you love Him by obeying His commands.  See what He does as a result.

Nothing is Impossible With God

My Scripture reading plan for today put together 2 interesting passages.  First, the creation story from Genesis 1, and second, the angel Gabriel visiting Mary to tell her she would be giving birth to the Savior of the world, even though she was a virgin (Luke 1).  Both of these stories are pretty unbelievable when you think about it.  I mean, come on, God spoke and the universe came into being?  The Holy Spirit will come upon you and you will give birth to the Savior?

But in both stories, the words of Gabriel are true.  In Verse 37 of Luke 1, the angel says to Mary "For nothing is impossible with God."  Where in your life do you need God to do the impossible?  The improbable?  Nothing is impossible with Him!  Let that verse sink into your head and into your heart.  Trust God.  Believe Him.  Praise Him.  Nothing is impossible with Him.

Thanks for all of your words, prayers, and encouragement as we've been dealing with the death of our friend and part-time son, Matt West.  The last week was very rough, but our family felt the presence of God bringing comfort and peace through His word and through our brothers and sisters in Christ.  Thank you.  We love our church family!

Monday Reflections

Wow - 14 baptisms yesterday!  It was so great to watch person after person being baptized at the end of both services, and even after the services!  That was our first attempt at a big baptism day and God moved in a great way.  We're going to try to do these maybe twice a year from here on out.  Stay tuned.

I went up to Munds Park with Chuck and Kenyon for a couple of days last week so we could do some planning work, and it was so refreshing to get out of town for a couple of days and to some cooler weather.  I could have stayed up there a little longer, and maybe I will next time.

Small group sign-ups are happening right now at www.fccphx.com.  Click on the Grow button, then the open the Small Group Catalog to find a group, then click on the sign-up button to get in a group.  Groups start the week of September 12, so now's the time to find your small group home.

Financial Peace University will begin on September 8, and my wife, June, and I will be leading the course.  We'll meet from 6:30 to about 8:30 each Wednesday night for 13 weeks to help you move towards financial peace.  We have been doing this plan for about 9 1/2 years, and we've had a great deal of financial peace.  We strongly recommend this course for anyone - it can truly be life-changing.  We're looking into providing childcare if that's a concern for you, so call Sandra in the church office to sign-up or to get more information.

Summer Reading

I'm in a couple of really good books right now.  (Yes, I usually have 2 or 3 going at once)  One is Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson.  He is also the author of In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day and Primal.  Wild Goose Chase is about reclaiming the adventure of pursuing God by listening, and responding, to the Holy Spirit as He is works, moves, and leads in our lives.  I like anything from Batterson, and I recommend any of his books.

Another book I'm currently reading is Truth and Transformation by Vishal Mangalwadi.  This was recommended to me by our friends at Disciple Nations Alliance.  This is a great book on biblical worldview, but from the perspective of someone who is a native of India.  He gives great insight on the gospel's power to heal Western society. Here's a portion from my recent reading:
     "Jesus and his new community were naturally and intentionally a threat to the kingdom of darkness.  Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem and precipitate a confrontation.  He forced Israel to choose between status quo and transformation.
     Generally speaking, the 'Sunday school Jesus' [of the Western church] confines himself only to the changing of people's hearts, but the Jesus of the Gospels aimed to change both human hearts and human society."

I'm intrigued by this thought because we haven't seen the church at large affecting much change in our society in the last 50 years or so.  I'm going to keep reading to find out what Mr. Mangalwadi says we can do about that, but I think we're moving that direction here at FCC.  As we seek to serve our community and bring real life change, we'll begin to see some of that change in our society.  Let's keep working to that end.

Summer - Hot Topics

It was so good to have Wallace and Fred of Missions of Hope in Nairobi with us last week.  They are such amazing men who are part of an incredible work in the slums of Nairobi.  They shared some great stories with FCC in the services on 8/1.

I love hearing what God is doing and how He is working through the great people serving with Missions of Hope.

We're about half way through our Hot Topics series for the summer, and we appreciate all of feedback we've been getting.  We still have 4 more weeks in this series and I hope you can attend when you're in town.

Leadership Summit simulcast is 8/5 and 8/6.  This is one of my favorite events of the year with so many great and inspiring speakers.  I'm really excited for this year because I couldn't attend last year.

Hang in there.  Summer will be over in another 2 or 2 1/2 months!

America the Great

Here's a recent entry from Darrow Miller of Disciple Nations Alliance that is great reading for this July 4th celebration.  Click here to read it on his blog.

Jesus, Beijing and Freedom

Posted on June 28, 2010 by disciplenations

What answer might you expect if you asked scientists in a Communist setting to account for America’s success?

That was the assignment given the Chinese Academy of Social Science in 2002. What they found surprised them, and stunned Western intellectuals, too.

Here’s their unforgettable statement, as David Aikman reports it in Jesus in Beijing:

One of the things we [Chinese scholars] were asked to look into was what accounted for the success, in fact the pre-eminence of the West [America] over the world. We studied everything we could from the historical, political, economic, and cultural perspective. At first, we thought it was because you [America] had more powerful guns than we had. Then we thought it was because you had the best political system. Next we focused on the economic system. But in the past twenty years, we have realized that the heart of your culture is your religion: Christianity. That is why the West is so powerful. The Christian moral foundation of social and cultural life was what made possible the emergence of capitalism and then the successful transition to democratic politics. We don’t have any doubt about this.

Thomas Jefferson, drafter of the Declaration of Independence, agreed.

“God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure if we have removed their only firm basis; a conviction in the minds of men that these liberties are the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever.”

Jefferson believed that freedom is a God-given right. He trembled for his country before the face of a just God. What would he say today in view of our moral and spiritual bankruptcy? Wouldn’t he tremble even more? Ought we not to as well?

Western scholars are rewriting the narratives of the U.S. and Europe, but history affirms that freedom is rooted in biblical theism. Only in the same context will it be sustained.

- Darrow Miller

Good stuff to ponder.  Have a good time as you celebrate the 4th, and make sure you thank God for this country.

Back Home

We arrived back home in Phoenix late on 23 June after a rain delay in Chicago and some flap problems while landing in Phoenix.  It was a great trip, though.

I'm so proud of our team.  The students and adults all did a great job serving and ministering in the slums.  Attitudes were good, minor illnesses were dealt with, and God was glorified in our work.

Our time in Nairobi began with a trip to Joska, the boarding school for middle school students from the slum schools of Missions of Hope.  We had an amazing welcome from the students and staff with song and dance, great worship, lunch, and our initial orientation session.

The sports team stayed in Joska for Monday and Tuesday while the VBS, medical, and Bring the Light teams began working in the Kosovo slum.

Emotions were high as team members experienced the slums for the first time.  The Bring the Light teams were in homes in the slums from Monday on, but the others didn't have that experience until Wednesday morning.  You can think you are prepared for the slums, but until you go in a home yourself you just can't imagine what it's like.

Team members got to meet their sponsored children on Friday morning, and the joy on the faces of team members and kids was very evident.  This was so fun to watch.

We received a huge send-off party on Friday afternoon, courtesy of the children and staff of Missions of Hope.  Yes, this is a picture of Chuck dancing.

Our partnership with CCV was a huge blessing as we had 88 people on the trip between our 2 churches!  I appreciate their leadership and willingness to serve alongside us.  They have some amazing pictures at their trip blog at http://ccvnairobi.wordpress.com/. 

We'll have many more pictures and a complete recap of our trip in services on Sunday, 27 June.  Make sure you're here.  Some important numbers from our trip:

- 215 skylights installed.  This, by far, shatters the record for Missions of Hope – the most they’ve ever installed in 1 week’s time was 60.  AMAZING!!

- 107 people accepted Christ for the first time through the work of the Bring The Light team.

- 500+ patients seen by our team of Doctors and Nurses.

- 100+ patients seen by our team of Dentists

- 88 lives changed forever by attending a trip to Nairobi, Kenya.

See you Sunday.

Kenya - 16 June

We've had a good couple of days.  The sports team that was out at Joska returned to Nairobi Tuesday night.  They all had stories of making new friends, having fun, and amazement at what God is doing in the lives of the students.  It was a stretching but great experience for them.

After the initial day of confusion on Monday for the medical and VBS teams, the going has been much better on Tuesday and Wednesday.  They got their processes figured out and things went much smoother as a result.

The Bring the Light team has had wonderful experiences of sharing God's love and also have been sharing some amazing stories of what God is doing in the slums.  We have some tired people, but we have a lot of fulfilled people.

We are eating at an Ethiopian restaurant tonight as a thank you from the Missions of Hope staff, so that will be a unique experience for many of the FCC team.

Please know that God is blessing our work and us as we work.  Thanks again for your prayers of support and encouragement.

Nairobi - 14 June

I'm finally getting to post!  It's been a crazy couple of days so far, but we are here!  The plane ride was pretty uneventful - just 1 not feeling well enroute, but we arrived safely (and very tired) in Nairobi late Saturday night (local time).  We were missing 3 pieces of luggage, but only 1 was personal items with the other 2 being ministry supplies.

We had a wonderful time of worship on Sunday out at the Missions of Hope boarding school at Joska.  This where the midde school aged children from the slum schools attend school.  The welcomed us with song and dance, and even got all of us into the dancing act!  We worshipped, enjoyed lunch, and toured the facilities.  The picture above is from our day at Joska.  The sports team stayed at Joska to do soccer clinics for 2 days, then they will rejoin the rest of the team back in Nairobi on Tuesday evening.

Some of you have heard that there was a bombing in Nairobi yesterday.  Rest assured that we are all doing well and are not affected by that at all.  In fact, as I write this, the VBS and medical teams are getting set up and preparing to serve, literally, thousands of children and adults this week.  Wow!

Hopefully the internect connection will be functioning again at our hotel so I can continue to post.  Thanks again for your prayers.

Getting Closer!

Our team heads to Nairobi is just a few days, and we're really getting excited.  We have 28 traveling with our group from FCC to work in the slums in Nairobi.  We have some travel veterans, some mission trip veterans, and many rookies on the team.  For a couple of team members, this will be their first flight!  A trip to Africa is quite a way to get initiated to air travel.

I'll be posting to this blog during our trip with whatever frequency our connectivity allows, so check back for updates over the next couple of weeks.  In the meantime, please pray for the following:

• Safe travel
• Team spirit
• Good health
• Fellowship with nationals
• Flexibility and patience
• Physical & emotional strength
• Opportunities to share Christ
• Spiritual maturity & depth
• Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit

Thanks to all who have supported us financially to make it possible for us to take this trip.  Please be in prayer for us before our June 11 departure and during our trip.

International Justice Mission

Larry Martin from IJM will be at FCC-Phoenix this Sunday to speak in both services.  If you've never heard Larry speak or aren't familiar with IJM, then be here for either service on 5/16.  Service times are 9 a.m. and 10;30 a.m.  Larry will also be speaking at lunch right after the 2nd service.  See you Sunday!

Making Things New

We had a great morning last Friday morning with Disciple Nations Alliance.  Great to see so many in attendance from different valley churches.  Then, Saturday morning was the first training for FCC with Stan Rowland of Neighborhood Transformation.  This will be a long process for us to adopt a neighborhood in Sunnyslope and begin to see transformation, but we're on the way!


Here's some more notes from a Catalyst West session a few weeks ago.
Erwin McManus

   We’ve convinced ourselves that what is missing is knowing - more knowledge.

   Even wisdom and knowledge is not enough to live the life God has created us to live.

   The only way we can help others find meaning in life is to have lives that mean something.

   Be great at who you are – your life has meaning as you live the life you were made to live.

   God is always making all things new.

You don't need more knowledge - what you need is to live the life God has created you to live.  Live a life that means something!  What is God making new in you?

DNA Event and More Catalyst

This Friday morning, 5/7, Disciple Nations Alliance is hosting a great event on the FCC-Phoenix campus.  It's titled "Recovering the Central Mission of the Church - Discipling Nations."  Click here to view more information on this event.

Here are some more notes from the Catalyst West conference that got me thinking.
Donald Miller

People become a character they play in a story they believe.

Story is a character that wants something and overcomes conflict to get it.

If we’re bored or we think life is meaningless, maybe we are a character that doesn’t know what it wants

God puts a big piece of butcher paper and a box of crayons in front of us and says ‘go for it – have a great time. 

If you choose not to live a beautiful story, it’s the same as choosing to die.

I really liked Donald Miller's session because it got me thinking about my part in God's big story - the story He's 

been telling since the beginning of time.  Do I take my part in His story seriously?  Am I living my part in His 

story or just in my own story that I want to write?

He's got a great entry on his blog called the "What-If Challenge."  Check it out and let me know what you think.

Catalyst West

I really enjoyed getting to go to the Catalyst West conference last week at Mariner's Church in So Cal.  There were many good speakers and some amazing times of worship.  Some of my favorite thoughts I've been mulling over:


Andy Stanley -
My vision will never be any larger than what I think is possible.
Don't allow the realities of today to overshadow the dreams of tomorrow.

To the extent that we stake our claim around the resurrection and to the extent we love one another we will impact our communities and change our cities.

Eugene Cho -

Generosity isn’t merely for the purpose of other people, it’s to rescue us from our greed.

Do you really believe that your life is valuable?  That God can use you?  If not, then that is blasphemous – not the truth.

Charlene Wi -

Leadership:  having the confidence and humility to give up the need to be in control, while inspiring commitment to get things done.

Mark Driscoll -

Ministry is not what you and I do for God – it’s what God does in us, for us, and through us.

There’s a difference between what I can do, and what God does in and through me.

10 Things that God does, so I don't have to worry about doing them (too long for this space).

Dallas Willard - 

Live with God being in charge - we have to learn to live in grace, allowing God to run our lives.

Grace is God doing in your life what you cannot do in your own life.

Grace is not passive.  It's not opposed to effort - it's opposed to earning.

Start doing the next right thing to do.

Reggie Joiner - 

Treat every prodigal as a loving Father would treat his own son.

I'll post some more in a couple of days.

Keep 'em Coming

We've got some great events these next two weeks to which you can continue to invite guests.  This Sunday (4/11) is a fun family event after each hour.  We'll do the burgers and dogs thing we've been doing once a month for the last few months, and we'll also have some bounce houses, a video game trailer, some volleyball, and other fun.  Invite your friends, neighbors, co-workers - whoever to come with you and to bring their family as well.


Then, Saturday 17 April is our next Serve Sunnyslope.  This is a great opportunity for us to meet some needs, make some friends, and change lives.  We're all about changed lives here at FCC - in fact, that's our vision statement - bringing real life change to Central Phoenix.  Sign up to work this day with your small group, neighbors, co-workers, and family to bring real change to Sunnyslope.  This is our 6th year of doing this twice a year project, and it's been so encouraging to see real change in people's lives as we serve them.  Thanks for your ownership of the idea of serving this community.  It's what Jesus wants, and instructs, us to do!  If you're not already signed up to serve, you can do that on Sunday or by calling the church office @ (602)246-9206.


See you this Sunday (4/11) and at Serve Sunnyslope (4/17).

Easter Reflections

Great day today at FCC-Phoenix.  We had a beautiful morning for our Sunrise Service and a delicious breakfast afterwards in the Fellowship Hall.  Our 2 morning services were great!  David, Heather, Chuck - everybody did a great job and God definitely showed up in a big way!  And 2 baptisms this morning, too!  It was a wonderful Easter celebration with a great crowd, and we need to give major thanks to everyone who helped out today in so many different ways.


Remember - next Sunday is our big family fun day with food, fun, bounce houses, a game trailer, and other good stuff.  We'll see you next Sunday - bring some guests with you!  Also, don't forget our next Serve Sunnyslope on April 17!  Good stuff coming up!

God-Confidence

Here's a great post from Mark Batterson that I wanted to share with you.


"Self-confidence is two inches deep. I don't care about it. I don't want it. It typically undermines my raw dependence upon God anyway. It's unhealthy. It's unholy. There is a higher, deeper and truer confidence that comes from God. Think of it as God-confidence. And it's the byproduct of two things.

First, God-confidence is a byproduct of humility. The more your humble yourself before God the more favor you expect. It sanctifies your expectations and it builds a holy confidence that God is in control. Humility is the way we stay out of the way of what God is doing. Holy Confidence is confidence that finds it's locus in Christ alone. The confidence for salvation. The confidence of favor. The confidence for miracles. The confidence for grace.

Second, God confidence is the byproduct of authority. We grossly underestimate the authority that is ours by virtue of the fact that we are "in Christ." He has given us "all authority." As long as we are functioning in the will of God, all things are possible. If that doesn't give you confidence nothing will.
Humility + Authority = Holy Confidence."


What about you?  Are you self-confident or God-confident?  Do you regularly humble yourself before God?  Are you seeing His power at work in your life?  Do you rely on your own strength or is His power perfected in your weakness?  (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)  Are you living in God's will and moving in His authority?  Good thoughts to ponder!

Worldview and Healthcare

Here's a link to a great post from Scott Allen and Darrow Miller of Disciple Nations Alliance regarding the recently passed health care bill.  Read the full post here.  A key quote, actually from Pastor Gary Skinner is this:


"The [social] problems are not the communities’ problems—they’re our problems! They’re not the government’s problems. The government can’t fix the problems because—although it may have a little bit of money—it has no love. Money does not solve problems. Love does! And if the government does it, God does not get the glory. But when the church does it with love, God gets the glory."


This describes our vision here at FCC: To bring real life change to Central Phoenix.  The government can't fix the problems in our community.  They don't have love.  We do.  The community problems are our problems and its our job to respond with love.  I believe we're up for that.  How about you?

Tuesday, 16 March

Thanks for the positive comments from last Sunday's message (listen here) on handling criticism and avoiding the comparison trap.  I love it when people come up after a message and say it was just for them, because each time I write and deliver a message, I write and speak to myself first!  I need to hear what God is saying to me and apply it to my life before I can give it to someone else.

I enjoyed a couple of spring training baseball games last week.  I'd never been to the Peoria Sports Complex before, and I went to one of the games there with some friends.  It was good to get out and enjoy our friends and some sunshine.  Off to the O.C. later this week with the family as my boys are on Spring Break.

Encouragement Matters

Great post from Craig Groeschel that I'll re-post here.

People in my church often ask me, “What can we do to help you?”

This week I’d like to dialog about how people can truly help and support their pastor. I’ll write from my perspective and would love to hear yours.

Your Words of Encouragement Matter

Dear Church,

Thank you so much for taking time to share how God is working in your life. Knowing that our ministry is making a difference is often all I need to keep going when I’d rather give up.

As your pastor, I’m way more “human” than I’d like to be. In my best moments, I’m fully convinced of God’s calling and presence. In my worst moments, I feel weak, insecure and totally ineffective as a Christian, much less the shepherd of a flock.

Just last week, one of you took the time to tell me how God has used our church to change your life for the better. I didn’t tell you, but on the inside I was wondering if my efforts mattered. God used your words to minister to me in a deep way.

Thanks so much for telling me how God is working in your life!

Couldn't have said it better myself!  How has God used FCC to minister to you?

Ouch

I'm currently reading a book for my coach training called "Ministering Cross-Culturally - An Incarnational Model for Personal Relationships" and it is really hitting me hard.  In the book, the author discusses the cultural differences we can easily identify across cultures, but that we can also see within cultures.  For example, do you have more of a time orientation (concern for punctuality and amount of time expended, carefully allocate time, tightly scheduled, goal-directed activities), or do you have an event orientation (concern for details regardless of time required, consider a problem until resolution, "come what may" attitude)?

There are several other categories to consider (status vs. achievement; crisis vs. non-crisis; etc.), but the one that hit me the hardest is the task vs. person orientation.  It's quite revealing to consider how I can have such a strong orientation to the point that I don't consider how someone else is oriented.  I really need to focus more on Philippians 2:3: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves."  Ouch.  God, help me accept and even embrace the differences in others and not always demand my own way.

New Site

Wow, my first post on a new site.  We're switching our website host soon, and the regular one isn't cooperating, so I thought I'd try something new.

I'm enjoying going through 2 Corinthians in my personal quiet times.  There's so much good stuff in it.  Paul was an amazing follower of Christ and a great writer.  Of course, it helps that his work was inspired!  I preached from 2 Cor. 4:7-18 yesterday, and it's a great passage.  I encourage you to read it if you haven't lately.  It's great  being a jar of clay with an amazing treasure inside.  I just need to share the treasure more!  Do any of you struggle with sharing the good news with others?  I don't know if it's because I'm an introvert or because I've been in the Christian bubble for so long, but I have a hard time doing this.  Let me know how you share the gospel in a friendly way.