A day in leadership meetings
Today I attended several meetings. A roller coaster day.
I was blessed, disappointed, excited, challenged and hugged.
Blessed to have good pastor friends and older men in the faith encouraging you
Discouraged to hear some churches that used to flourish now losing lots of people over half the congregation gone.
Disappointed with some Christian leaders holding on to power but doing nothing to build the kingdom and reach out. Simply laziness.
Excited with some of the events coming up in Auckland – Greg Laurie coming, the Katinas,
Challenged by a senior elder to preach the Gospel without compromise
Hugged by a great man of God and an influential leader in our nation
What is your Purpose in Life?
Many people ask the question “What is the purpose of life”. I think its the wrong question to ask. Instead we all need to ask ourselves, ‘What is my purpose in life’? I think one of the greatest tragedy in life is not death but living life and not knowing your purpose. Your purpose is not just earning a living but living for your God given purpose. There is more to life then just simply existing, working, and paying bills. You are here on purpose and with an assignment from God to fulfill.
Sunday Reflections
The presence of God was in the house in a special way. I got up from my knees and turned around. I saw so many people raising hands and worshiping God with such passion. What an awesome sight! It must please the heart of God seeing His children loving Him and adoring Him.
- The song: To worship you I live, I live to worship you……………..is powerfully anointed. So simple, few words, 10 to be exact but powerful enough to draw people to the heart of God. I can sing that song all day.
- Sunday was our annual Vision Sunday and I shared a few things (Tip of the iceberg stuff) but there is so much in the pipeline. This year we are taking the ‘Next Step’ seriously. I preached a series on this last month. Some of the stuff we have been sitting on for a while, waiting, wondering, thinking, worrying, praying …… The time for that is over. Watch this space!
- Esther spoke well as she shared her story of what God has done in her life and the importance of being planted in the House of God. I knew Esther from the business world before she came to church. To see her grow in God is evidence of God’s grace.
- Every time we have communion my love for God is renewed and my strength rejuvenates. Hearing breakthrough stories after the 10 Days of fasting, answer to prayers, changed lives is so encouraging and refreshing. I don’t know how someone can say there is no God.
- As a pastor, the most encouraging thing to see is when someone comes to Christ, falls in love with him and lives to serve him passionately.
3 John 1:4 “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth”.
Go with an expectation
Every Sunday morning I go to church with an expectation of God to show up big time. I expect God to invade my life in a powerful way that will change something on the inside of me. Expectation is permission we give God to let him be God. Expectation breeds the miraculous. And when you are in that environment of expectancy you know something is going to happen.
I refuse to go to church with a casual attitude. Casual attitude is a careless attitude and I think its close to unbelief. Going to church just for the sake of going to church is a waste of time. You won’t receive anything. When the Word is preached you receive nothing. Remember the soil must be prepared and ready. A prepared soil expects seeds.
A hard soil on the other hand is not ready for the seeds, and when church is over you go home and you wonder why did you bothered to go in the first place!
The most popular post on my blog!
What attracts young people to church http://wp.me/s8vls-1450 is the most viewed post on my blog for 12 months straight (apart from the Tsunami photos during September) since February last year.
More and more churches and youth leaders are asking this question and looking for ways to attract and keep young people in church. I remember preaching at a church the other day and some of its leaders brought up the issue asking for tips and ideas to keep young people in church. I want to let the young people answer this question but I want ask it from a different perspective and see what they say.
The question is: What stops young people from going to church? Lets wait and see if we get some answers.
Sunday Reflections
Some thoughts on Church this morning before I take a long good night sleep.
- I love the House of God!
- Both services were energetic, intense and passionate. There is an amazing sense of celebration and anticipation in church. Gone are the days of trying to rev up people to worship God.
- There was a real sense of awe in the 9am service we reflected on the greatness of God.
- The second service was off the hook!! Celebration and dance, dance in the freedom we know in the freedom we know…!!!! (words one of the songs we sang today)
- I was blessed today with Tana’s playing. He made that guitar work extra hard today.
- Every Year we have a special prayer time for all the children before they start another year at school. When the kids went up, there were a lot of empty seats. More than half of the congregation is children and young people.
- Prayed for Mabel Pele. She starts tomorrow at ‘Headspace’ – Bible & Mission Training. After her training she will travel to Thailand on a mission.
- Blown away with our Courtyard and foyer set up this morning – Thank you team for not just talking about ‘another level’. Very Impressive! The team had a new plan and executed it very well.
- OK we have moved ‘Pokeno’ to LifeChurch. $1 a scoop! Good job Lisa!
- Part 2 – Pursuing the Heart of God. The Heart of God is the House of God
- Awesome story Geoff. Love the Butcher challenge and Geoffs paraphrase of ‘I am the Way’… BTW I am going to steal your ‘Passionfruit’ illustration. Fantastic!!
- Love Connecting with new people at church. Love hearing their stories, where they have been and where they are at in life. I get excited because when they encounter Christ they will never be the same again.
- Last year, a new guy came to church and told me his story about his ‘messed up’ life. Watching him growing in God and serving the House is such and exciting thing to see. Pay day for any leader and more worship to the throne room of God.
- Its Vision Sunday this weekend!!
- I am pumped! Bring it on 2010!!
Day 10 – It’s Decision Day!
Congratulations for making it this far. Praise God for strength. Thank you LifeChurch for your courage and determination to seek God. Whether it was one meal a day, no meal for 10 days, vegetables only for 10 days, it does not matter. The desire of your heart is important to God.
I believe the Lord’s been speaking to us individually and also corporately as a church in the last 10 days. Whatever the Lord said, the ball is now in your court. The decision is yours. I encourage you to act on it. Don’t fear! God is with you.
Joel says: “Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, Let all men of war draw near, Let them come up…Multitudes…multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.” Joel 3:9-14
What decisions have you made since you started praying and fasting. Decisions to do with your personal growth, to do with family or church. Don’t sit on the fence. Step out and claim what God has promised. Step up and be the person that God has called you to be. Mediocrity is sin. Its times to pursue God with everything you have. Decide today.
On your tenth day of fasting, remember:
1. Find someone and share your experience with them. Christian or non.
2. Replenish yourself with liquids, and prepare to ease back into solid food on the 11th day
3. Praise God all day long. Be thankful and rejoice
5. Write your feelings in your prayer journal
Physical Effects:
1. You continue to lose weight
2. You become exhilarated as you cross the finish line
3. Bad breath will begin to dissipate upon completion of the fast
4. Cravings will be strong the first few days after the fast…be careful to ease back into hard foods over the next few days to a week. Soup is best for the next 2 days.
5. Keep drinking plenty of water. Try drinking the same amount of water everyday even if you are not fasting.
Today’s Quote:
“Jesus said to His followers, ‘whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock’ (Matt. 7:24).
Praise God!
1. On this final day, ask the Lord to reveal to you if there is any un-forgiveness, bitterness or other hindrances that you have yet to lay fully before your Lord.
2. Prepare for blessings, harvest and an anointing like you have never experienced before.
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