What to do with those college students!
One of the great things about working with college students is that they are so very full of energy and great ideas! I sometimes feel like I could give them a class project to “change the world” and they would figure out a way to do it. If you are a pastor or church leader, remember this group. They don’t often give much monetarily, but they have very much to give to the church! You might find your church busting wide open with creativity and energy if you can harness their creative powers and help them find how GOD wants them used! And remember that most of the great revivals began when students got on fire for GOD! I am constantly inspired in my own walk with the Lord by the college students in my life.
If you are one of those students, thanks for all you guys do to make this world a better place and for everything you do to make Jesus famous!
Things that surprise me!
Just a list of things that surprise me…not exhaustive, but feel free to add to it with your comments.
- God can use our biggest failures to HIS glory!
- I really can’t outgive God!
- Seeing people come to Christ NEVER gets old!
- Re-reading the Bible still is fascinating! (Most books get old if I read them twice!)
- Atheists aren’t put off by a Christian’s passion for God. They are turned off by a lack of passion from those who claim to be a Christian.
- That there are so many different ways to worship one God!
- Prayer really works, though I still don’t understand exactly how.
- Confession breaks Satan’s bonds on people, and like prayer, I don’t know how it works, it just does.
Have an awesome day!
Isaiah in Awe of God!
Isaiah 40:12 says, “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains on the scales
and the hills in a balance?”
As I read this verse, it reminded me of Francis Chan’s video about being in awe of God from his book Crazy Love. By blog today is short…watch the video after reading this verse. Think about how all the universe is measured by the breadth (width) of God’s hand. One hand width is the entire known and unknown span of the galaxies! Then sit back and be in awe of our Awesome God!
Those Great Moments!
Filed under: Encouragement, Random Thoughts, Wonderment, accountability, healing, ministry, personal growth, praise, thanks, worship
Sometimes in ministry, it seems as if all is going great! GOD is working beside you and accomplishing great things through you! Those are the Great Moments! Those moments are when hundreds of people pack the altars asking God to forgive them and take over their lives! Those are the moments when you lay hands on a cripple or even a dead person and they get up and walk! Those moments when you are seated next to someone on the plane and before you touch down there is a new name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life! So what about the other times? Those moments when our spiritual walk with GOD seems stagnant? What about when we don’t even feel like reading God’s Word and even praying over meals seems like a forced exercise instead of time spent with our best friend? As is clear from my taking some months off from writing on this blog, I just went through a time where my passion for ministry if not even my passion for the Lord was in a very low place. The great thing I learned is that GOD is the same in both places! HE still walked beside me each day even when I didn’t pick up the Bible to start my morning. HE still wanted to spend time with me. That was incredible! So, enjoy those GREAT MOMENTS, but realize that GOD is the same even in the not so great moments.
15 Minutes of Glory!
Filed under: Body of Christ, Encouragement, Prayer, Random Thoughts, Sunday Reflection, Wonderment, community, evangelism, fellowship, ministry, missions, personal growth, praise, worship
Yesterday, I had a chance to see just a little bit of what the party in heaven must be like when someone comes to the Lord! NewSpring Church had a 10th anniversary celebration at the BiLo Center in Greenville, SC. Just being able to praise an ALL POWERFUL GOD along with 15,000 or so other people was incredible. The great thing was the altar call…over 350 people came forward to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior! The service was about 2 1/2 hours long and could have gone longer! During the altar call people clapped and cheered for those who were laying their lives down to let Christ take control of their destiny! For 15 minutes, 15,000 people were in unison praying for those down by the stage. For 15 minutes, there were no problems, no divorces, no debt, no tax issues, no kid problems or parent problems! For 15 minutes of Glory, people stood and cheered for the ALMIGHTY GOD who was GREAT enough to reach down and save not only those who walked forward but each of us who were cheering as well. We are ALL broken vessels saved by a LOVING GOD who cared enough to make a way for us to find HIM through HIS SON JESUS CHRIST! That was 15 minutes of GLORY!
Missions…
Filed under: Church Planting, Encouragement, Vision, Wonderment, church growth, leadership, missions, planting, praise, salvation, worship
This morning, I had my usual spot on Monday and Wednesday mornings. In a seat in chapel at North Greenville University. As with any institution that has chapel services, some services are better than others. This morning’s speaker was a guy named Dr. David Garrison. Don’t let the “Dr.” fool you. He was very in touch with his audience and with the message the Lord had laid on his heart. His text for the message was Habakkuk 1:5 “Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” The stories of what God is doing in traditionally tough mission fields were incredible! God is doing amazing things around the world in ‘our days’ that seem to defy reason. Missionaries in muslim and hindu nations reporting hundreds of thousands of people accepting Jesus as their Lord and savior! I see God working here in the USA on a regular basis. We however usually don’t face being beaten or killed for our faith when we tell someone about Jesus. These men did face that, and GOD showed that HE isn’t scared! HE can overcome any obstacle! And HE is doing things that utterly amaze us! He is doing them in our day! And they are things that seem almost impossible! Praise the LORD!
Getting to Preach!!!
Filed under: Random Thoughts, Staff Pastors, Wonderment, community, evangelism, leadership, ministry, personal growth, volunteering
Today I have a great honor! I get to go speak at Home with a Heart! It is always great to go speak with these guys! Michael Campbell, who is the editor of our local paper, The Pickens County Courier is going with me. It is always great to get to hang out with him. Those aren’t the reasons I am excited though. Sometimes, as a guy who doesn’t get to preach much, when the occasion comes up, I feel like I have to rush to get something, anything put together to be able to share with a group of people. Today is different. God put something in my heart especially for today and I am excited to be able to share it! Can’t wait! Have an awesome day!
Altar Calls
Filed under: Body of Christ, Repentance, Wonderment, ministry, praise, salvation, thanks, worship
Yesterday, the music was good, the sermon was well preached, but the amazing thing was the altar call. Some of you come from churches where it is very normal to see most of the congregation go forward at the end of almost every service. We aren’t one of those churches. It was amazing! Not sure exactly how many salvations we had in the mix as some were coming forward for salvation, others for re-dedication and others just to deal with something in their life. It was incredible to see the altar(Actually, we don’t have an altar, but the area up in front of the platform in the theater) so full of people that there were people in the isles! Just wanted to share a great day with you all! God was moving in some incredible ways!
How big is the box you put God in?
Filed under: Direction, Encouragement, Random Thoughts, Wonderment, church growth, creativity, healing, personal growth, worship
Odd title? The idea of us doing anything to God seems ludicrous? For some reason, it is human nature to try to put God in a box. So how big is the box you put him in? Does your God simply watch while the world spins, but not get involved? Does he subtly guide you, but doesn’t do anything too big? Or is your God such an overwhelming part of your life that your whole being is consumed with pleasing HIM? Is HE able to bust your box open? Does HE heal the sick? Does HE raise the dead? Does HE send fire from heaven to consume your enemies? Does HE guide your every move? Does HE speak to you? Does HE save people from lives of sin? Or even that neighbor next door? Can you let God have a bigger box? Can you open the box you keep HIM in and let HIM out completely? If HE calls you to be a missionary, will you go? What about talking to the waitress about HIM? Will you give all you own away and trust HIM to take care of you? Our God is an awesome GOD! HE is the God above ALL gods, HE is the KING above ALL kings! HE can do absolutely anything! Yet, Jesus told us that HE was unable to do more than heal a few sick people because of the people’s lack of faith. When we keep God in a box, that is our lack of faith. So how big is the box you put God in?
Personal Celebration
Filed under: Book Publication, Book Review, Marketing, Random Thoughts, Wonderment, reading
Ok, this post has nothing to do with church leadership! I am just happy. The author’s proof of my book came in yesterday! I made some minor format changes, and now it is done! (So all of you who were anticipating buying a copy can now click here to get one!) The feeling of satisfaction just holding a copy of Wild About the Church! Thought Provoking Ideas for Pastors and Lay Leaders was one I wasn’t ready for. There it was in my hands…a book with my name on the front…And people have actually paid money to buy copies! (No, I am not yet on the NYT best seller list, but sales have been made!) It is the same joy I get when I see that people actually read my blog. I think for the first six months or so, the only person who read it outside my family was my pastor.
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