"Summertime, and the living is easy." I seem to recall those lyrics from a popular song, and it has me already looking forward to having a time to refresh and recharge. My family will be taking a week for vacation this month, and we're excited about getting to go back to Pawley's Island, S.C. again this year. My only regret is that I have to be gone from EFBC during a time when God is moving so mightily.
But I know, and I hope you do to, that we all need periods of rest and rejuvenation. And that's just as true for those of us in vocational ministry as it is for folks employed in the secular world. I read recently where one minister wrote: "Pastors cannot lead their churches on empty." Even Jesus understood this, and He often took opportunities to get away and get refreshed.
And so, while I'm away, I won't be checking my email. I won't be posting on my blog. I won't be on Facebook. I won't even be working on sermon preparation. What I will be doing is spending some quality time with my family and with my Lord. And when I return on June 12th, I plan on being rejuvenated and energized, ready to see what God has next for us at EFBC (and hopefully hearing some glowing reports about what He did while I was away).
So this summer, I hope you'll have the opportunity for some times of refreshing. Let the Lord recharge your batteries and prepare you for greater things in the days to come. But just remember one thing: don't take the whole summer off from church! I've seen it happen all too often: folks go on vacation; come home, and suddenly serving the Lord becomes an afterthought. Let's all strive to NOT LET THAT HAPPEN!
I truly believe that EFBC's greatest days are still ahead of us. And I truly believe that this summer could be the best this church has ever experienced! Youth Camp's just ended, Bible School's just around the corner, and Children's Camp is right after VBS. God's got big plans for us in the coming days, weeks and months! So let's take the time to get refreshed and recharged, but let's all determine that we're not going to retire on God this summer!
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
It's Hard To Be Humble
Just saw our teenagers off on their way to youth camp, and it looks like we've got fifty, that's right, FIFTY, kids going to camp! I'm planning on spending some time with them this weekend, as they're just on the other side of the mountain in Golden Springs at Camp Lee. Please be praying for our kids this weekend. Pray for their safety. Pray for their attitudes. Pray for them to get along well. But most of all, pray for lives to be changed by the power of Christ!
And while you're praying, let me encourage you to pray for Sunday morning at EFBC. I'm incredibly excited about what God has in store for us this weekend! I'll be preaching a message entitled It's Hard To Be Humble. We'll be reading in 2 Chronicles 26, and we'll be looking at some lessons on how to avoid a fall.
History is full of examples of how strong and mighty people have fallen. You can see it in the world, but you also see it happen in the church. Satan loves to bring down Christians, and he'll attack us in a variety of ways. This Sunday's message will provide you with some guardrails to put up around your heart to help you avoid a spiritual crash.
God's still working here! Let's keep praying for His continued blessings! Let's keep investing in people and inviting them to come and hear about Jesus! And let's keep worshipping the One who saved our souls from hell and gave us life more abundantly!
Greater things are still to be done, and THE BEST IS YET TO COME!
And while you're praying, let me encourage you to pray for Sunday morning at EFBC. I'm incredibly excited about what God has in store for us this weekend! I'll be preaching a message entitled It's Hard To Be Humble. We'll be reading in 2 Chronicles 26, and we'll be looking at some lessons on how to avoid a fall.
History is full of examples of how strong and mighty people have fallen. You can see it in the world, but you also see it happen in the church. Satan loves to bring down Christians, and he'll attack us in a variety of ways. This Sunday's message will provide you with some guardrails to put up around your heart to help you avoid a spiritual crash.
God's still working here! Let's keep praying for His continued blessings! Let's keep investing in people and inviting them to come and hear about Jesus! And let's keep worshipping the One who saved our souls from hell and gave us life more abundantly!
Greater things are still to be done, and THE BEST IS YET TO COME!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Change Your Clothes
Can hardly wait till Sunday morning! I'm super excited about my message for this week entitled Change Your Clothes. Actually, it's more of a spontaneous skit than it is a sermon, because this Sunday we're going to have all of our children in the worship service with us! They'll be sharing four songs, and I'm excited about getting to speak to them (which is something I don't get to do very often).
Many of you will remember last spring we had a Children's Sunday, and I got some of the kids to help me do a skit entitled He Took My Punishment. Well, I've written another skit for this year entitled Change Your Clothes, and I can't wait to see how God works in this service. I'll have a brief message after the skit, and the verses we'll be looking at are Isaiah 59:1-2. I'm praying that the message in the skit will speak not only to children, but also to the adults who'll be with us.
If you know children who won't be in church Sunday, do your best to get them here. If you know their parents, try to get them here, too. In fact, if you know anybody, at any age, that doesn't know Jesus, do all you can to GET THEM HERE!!! This skit and message will clearly and effectively present the Gospel in a creative way.
Come expecting God to do great things. Come expecting to see His power and glory. And come expecting lives to be changed!
Greater things! The best is yet to come!
Many of you will remember last spring we had a Children's Sunday, and I got some of the kids to help me do a skit entitled He Took My Punishment. Well, I've written another skit for this year entitled Change Your Clothes, and I can't wait to see how God works in this service. I'll have a brief message after the skit, and the verses we'll be looking at are Isaiah 59:1-2. I'm praying that the message in the skit will speak not only to children, but also to the adults who'll be with us.
If you know children who won't be in church Sunday, do your best to get them here. If you know their parents, try to get them here, too. In fact, if you know anybody, at any age, that doesn't know Jesus, do all you can to GET THEM HERE!!! This skit and message will clearly and effectively present the Gospel in a creative way.
Come expecting God to do great things. Come expecting to see His power and glory. And come expecting lives to be changed!
Greater things! The best is yet to come!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Why Not...One More Time
So I'm super-pumped about this Sunday, because I'm finally going to get the chance to finish our Why Not Here? series. This four-week series that has taken six weeks is one that I feel is incredibly important. And now that I've had an extra week to let this Sunday's message marinate, I can't wait to see what God has in store for us.
Sunday's message will be taken from Isaiah 43:16-20. God wants to do new and greater things...why not here? The only question is: are we prepared for what He wants to do? I believe our church is more ready now for an amazing movement of the Holy Spirit than we've ever been in the eight years I've been here. I'm so excited about the future of EFBC that I can hardly contain it!
Having said all of that, let me remind everyone that when God starts working like He has been in Eulaton, you can be sure that Satan is going to start working overtime. Let's resolve that we're not going to let the devil get a foothold in our lives and in our church. He would love nothing more than to tear down what God is trying to build up right here.
I know there are some folks in our church who are really going through the fire right now, and I know that there are people in our community who are, as well. When trying times come, we can see them as a chance to be bitter, or we can see them as an opportunity to let God mold us and make us better. Let's resolve to choose the latter!
Some of you may have heard that Lisa Tucker's vehicle was broken into on Wednesday night in the church parking lot. They busted out her window, stole her purse and her coat. This thief stole not only material possessions, but also precious items like photographs that you can't put a price tag on. Please pray that the perpetrator will be caught and that Lisa can get back what is rightfully hers.
And please be sure to lock your cars and bring your purses and other valuable items into church with you. We're going to take steps to see that this doesn't happen again, but it never hurts to be extra vigilant. I learned a valuable lesson Wednesday night: I had an ipod sitting in plain sight in my truck and the doors were both unlocked. It could just as easily have been me!
As horrible as this crime was, it pales in comparison to what Satan is trying to do in so many homes in our community. Jesus said that the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy, and that's exactly what the devil is doing. He's wreaking havoc in so many places. He's not happy about the way God's moving in Eulaton. He's on the warpath right now!
But never forget that greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). I believe God's got something incredible in store for our church! I still believe we can see Acts 2:47 happen at 1835 Gate 8 Road! The thought of that many people being saved on a regular basis in Eulaton, Alabama gives me chill bumps on top of my chill bumps! And it would really send Satan over the edge, too! Let's keep praying and believing that God will do that right here!
Greater things are still to be done...WHY NOT HERE? The best is yet to come!
Sunday's message will be taken from Isaiah 43:16-20. God wants to do new and greater things...why not here? The only question is: are we prepared for what He wants to do? I believe our church is more ready now for an amazing movement of the Holy Spirit than we've ever been in the eight years I've been here. I'm so excited about the future of EFBC that I can hardly contain it!
Having said all of that, let me remind everyone that when God starts working like He has been in Eulaton, you can be sure that Satan is going to start working overtime. Let's resolve that we're not going to let the devil get a foothold in our lives and in our church. He would love nothing more than to tear down what God is trying to build up right here.
I know there are some folks in our church who are really going through the fire right now, and I know that there are people in our community who are, as well. When trying times come, we can see them as a chance to be bitter, or we can see them as an opportunity to let God mold us and make us better. Let's resolve to choose the latter!
Some of you may have heard that Lisa Tucker's vehicle was broken into on Wednesday night in the church parking lot. They busted out her window, stole her purse and her coat. This thief stole not only material possessions, but also precious items like photographs that you can't put a price tag on. Please pray that the perpetrator will be caught and that Lisa can get back what is rightfully hers.
And please be sure to lock your cars and bring your purses and other valuable items into church with you. We're going to take steps to see that this doesn't happen again, but it never hurts to be extra vigilant. I learned a valuable lesson Wednesday night: I had an ipod sitting in plain sight in my truck and the doors were both unlocked. It could just as easily have been me!
As horrible as this crime was, it pales in comparison to what Satan is trying to do in so many homes in our community. Jesus said that the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy, and that's exactly what the devil is doing. He's wreaking havoc in so many places. He's not happy about the way God's moving in Eulaton. He's on the warpath right now!
But never forget that greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). I believe God's got something incredible in store for our church! I still believe we can see Acts 2:47 happen at 1835 Gate 8 Road! The thought of that many people being saved on a regular basis in Eulaton, Alabama gives me chill bumps on top of my chill bumps! And it would really send Satan over the edge, too! Let's keep praying and believing that God will do that right here!
Greater things are still to be done...WHY NOT HERE? The best is yet to come!
Friday, May 07, 2010
Nueve de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo was a great day for me, and it had nothing to do with eating Mexican food (which I love, but can't have because it makes me larger than I already am). The reason it was a great day was because it fell on a Wednesday, and Wednesdays seem to be getting better and better lately! It was a great night here at EFBC as we had some 75 children and 34 teenagers in attendance. I know it's not just about the numbers, but let's never forget that every number represents a soul!
After a great Cinco de Mayo, I'm now looking forward to an even better Nueve de Mayo (that's "May the 9th" for the layperson). It's Mother's Day this Sunday, and I'm out of my mind excited about what God has in store for us this weekend at EFBC! In fact, He's changed my message again, just like He did two weeks ago! I was planning on finishing up the Why Not Here series on Sunday, but God's had me put that message on the back burner.
One of the things that I'm excited about for this Mother's Day is that we're expecting a lot of visitors on Sunday! This could be even bigger than Easter, and I have no doubt that's why God changed my message. With the potential of having numerous people here who don't know Jesus, I'm going to be preaching a message that will have a major focus on the Gospel.
I try to make sure that every week, no matter what I'm preaching on, it all comes back to the cross. And this week, I want people to thoroughly examine themselves to determine if they really have a genuine, saving faith in Christ or just a counterfeit faith that's focused on good works and not Jesus. The title of the message is A Legacy Of Faith, and we'll be looking at 2 Timothy 1:5.
Please do everything you can to GET PEOPLE HERE! We can't save anybody; that's not our job. God's called us to be in advertising, not in sales. We can share the message with them, and we can bring them to church to hear the Gospel, but ultimately it's up to the Holy Spirit to close the deal.
So let's be investing in people. Let's be sharing with them the story of Jesus. Let's be inviting them to come and hear a message of hope. And let's be praying that God will work in their hearts and they'll come to a genuine, saving faith in Christ!
Greater things are still to be done in this county, this city, this community, and this church! THE BEST IS YET TO COME!
After a great Cinco de Mayo, I'm now looking forward to an even better Nueve de Mayo (that's "May the 9th" for the layperson). It's Mother's Day this Sunday, and I'm out of my mind excited about what God has in store for us this weekend at EFBC! In fact, He's changed my message again, just like He did two weeks ago! I was planning on finishing up the Why Not Here series on Sunday, but God's had me put that message on the back burner.
One of the things that I'm excited about for this Mother's Day is that we're expecting a lot of visitors on Sunday! This could be even bigger than Easter, and I have no doubt that's why God changed my message. With the potential of having numerous people here who don't know Jesus, I'm going to be preaching a message that will have a major focus on the Gospel.
I try to make sure that every week, no matter what I'm preaching on, it all comes back to the cross. And this week, I want people to thoroughly examine themselves to determine if they really have a genuine, saving faith in Christ or just a counterfeit faith that's focused on good works and not Jesus. The title of the message is A Legacy Of Faith, and we'll be looking at 2 Timothy 1:5.
Please do everything you can to GET PEOPLE HERE! We can't save anybody; that's not our job. God's called us to be in advertising, not in sales. We can share the message with them, and we can bring them to church to hear the Gospel, but ultimately it's up to the Holy Spirit to close the deal.
So let's be investing in people. Let's be sharing with them the story of Jesus. Let's be inviting them to come and hear a message of hope. And let's be praying that God will work in their hearts and they'll come to a genuine, saving faith in Christ!
Greater things are still to be done in this county, this city, this community, and this church! THE BEST IS YET TO COME!
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