August 26, 2008 • 8:27 am
As the time draws near for one season of my life to end and the next season to begin, I am forced to reflect on what God has done along the way. Over the past 4 years I have served in a secular job while volunteering in different ministries at our church. I have seen God stretch me, teach me, and grow me into who I am today. My wife and I knew that when we moved down here in May of 2004, we were called to plant a church. Little did we know what that journey would look like. Throughout the last 4 years we have had several opportunities to move into pastoral roles in other churches, but God had a different plan. He shut all of those doors and kept us on the track of lead pastoring a new church plant.
God’s call has been confirmed in us in many ways. The most significant was just a few weeks ago. Now I am not one to wake up early. I like my sleep. But this particular Saturday morning I was awake at 6:30 am and could not go to sleep. As I laid there I heard the Lord say “get up I have something I want to show you”. Wrestling with the fact that I wanted to go back to bed, I knew that if I did not get up there was something major I was going to miss. So I got up and went downstairs with Bible and journal in hand. He pointed me to the reading that I had been going through and told me to continue reading where I left off. As I spent some time in the Word, He gave me some things to write down and record in my journal. I then prayed and closed my Bible. Yet again the Lord spoke to me. He said “get dressed and go outside for a walk, I have more for you.” I couldn’t believe it, I had already had a deep time with Him reading the Word and He had more? I quickly got dressed and walked outside. I began to walk around my neighborhood and said “here I am Lord”. He began to show me things and tell me things that completely confirmed what we were doing. I believe he gave the area of the plant and He gave me a new confidence that He was working His plan.
So, next week I begin a new journey, the journey to planting a church. The title of my blog is a church planter’s journey. And that is just what it has been, a journey. I know that this journey is only beginning and that God has great things in store for us. So I am writing this post to encourage all of you who are waiting patiently on the Lord for and answer, direction, and/or timing. My advice, dig in and don’t give up. God’s timing is perfect and He will work His plan. We must understand that God’s plan is the right plan, and His timing is perfect. We too often try to work our plan and then ask Him for help. We must ask Him for His plan and as He gives us the pieces, then work that part.
In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps. Pr. 16:9
Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Pr 19:21
Filed under: Church Planting, My Journal , Bible, Church Planting, God, god's calling, God's hand, God's Plan, god's will, Jesus, Relevant Church Charlotte, Religion
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
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