March 30, 2008 • 12:11 am
Earlier today we were able to go through an assessment to evaluate our church planting potential. What made this one different that any other, was we had already been through the process. Our paperwork had been lost and our Church district wanted us to go through it again. On top of being frustrated to have to do this again, we had to dedicate most of our Saturday to doing it. The night before my wife and I had an in depth discussion on what our future holds as it relates to our church planting call. There have not been to many times that I have questioned the call to church plant, but last night was one of those times. We had a horrendous time trying to find childcare to watch our 3 kids for a Saturday. When we found some people, one of their kids got sick yesterday. So as of yesterday afternoon we were not going to be able to attend the assessment. After our long discussion about what God is doing in us and taking some time to pray and really let the Holy Spirit do His work in me, we came to the conclusion that our “discussion” (actually it was an argument) was a spiritual attack from the enemy. The amazing thing was as soon as we called the attack for what it was, we received a phone call from my sister-in-law who said she would watch our children.
Saying all of this was to lead up to today. We went to the assessment with our pre-conceived ideas of what it was going to be like and thinking what we were going to face. As we started the 3 hour process it started the same as it did 2 years ago, but as we moved along, we quickly realized that there was a real reason why we were there for a second time. At the end of the 3 hour assessment, there were some confirming words, affirming words, and some great encouragement in the Lord from the panel who conducted the assessment. We walked away and knew that God had ordained this day and knew that He has something special for us today.
I just have to say that God is an awesome God and He has all of us in the palm of His hands. He knows what we need, when we need it.
Filed under: Church Planting, My Journal , calling, church, Church Planting, God, god's calling, God's hand, prayer, spiritual attacks
Earlier today we were able to go through an assessment to evaluate our church planting potential. What made this one different that any other, was we had already been through the process. Our paperwork had been lost and our Church district wanted us to go through it again. On top of being frustrated to have to do this again, we had to dedicate most of our Saturday to doing it. The night before my wife and I had an in depth discussion on what our future holds as it relates to our church planting call. There have not been to many times that I have questioned the call to church plant, but last night was one of those times. We had a horrendous time trying to find childcare to watch our 3 kids for a Saturday. When we found some people, one of their kids got sick yesterday. So as of yesterday afternoon we were not going to be able to attend the assessment. After our long discussion about what God is doing in us and taking some time to pray and really let the Holy Spirit do His work in me, we came to the conclusion that our “discussion” (actually it was an argument) was a spiritual attack from the enemy. The amazing thing was as soon as we called the attack for what it was, we received a phone call from my sister-in-law who said she would watch our children.
Saying all of this was to lead up to today. We went to the assessment with our pre-conceived ideas of what it was going to be like and thinking what we were going to face. As we started the 3 hour process it started the same as it did 2 years ago, but as we moved along, we quickly realized that there was a real reason why we were there for a second time. At the end of the 3 hour assessment, there were some confirming words, affirming words, and some great encouragement in the Lord from the panel who conducted the assessment. We walked away and knew that God had ordained this day and knew that He has something special for us today.
I just have to say that God is an awesome God and He has all of us in the palm of His hands. He knows what we need, when we need it.
Filed under: Church Planting, My Journal , calling, church, Church Planting, God, god's calling, God's hand, prayer, spiritual attacks
A couple of days ago I was reading in Hebrews and came across something in Chapter 3 that really stuck with me. It seems like the big craze right now (or before the house market tank) that flipping a house was the cool thing to do. So as I was reading the Holy Spirit brought that back to my mind.
Hebrews 3:1-6 – “1 Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. 2 He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. 3 Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. 4 For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. 5 Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be said in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.“
Like a house, we are being built by God’s hands. The master builder is the one that has our plans and blueprints. He knows what we are supposed to look like when we are finished. Many times we bring him crooked studs, bent nails, and broken windows for Him to work with. We often have junk in our lives that does not reflect the works of His hands, but the grace of God is big that he is able to take the messed up materials we give Him and make them look like new. No matter what condition we are in, He is able to take us and make us look brand new. He is the ultimate house flipper. There is no “down time” for this market. God is always in the business of flipping our lives around. It does not matter what condition you “house” (life) is in, God is there to reconstruct you into a million dollar home.
Filed under: My Journal , Christ, God, house flipping, Jesus, Religion, salvation
Recent Comments