Day of Prayer

I am starting to plan another day of prayer for myself. A few years ago I had everyone in the church write the names of three people they want me to pray for that they would be saved. I then took an entire day off and prayed through the list three times that day. it took all day!

Be thinking about people you will list. I will do it again when it is a bit warmer outside.

Here are some results since the last day of prayer. Two names on the list have begun attending our church regularly. We hosted a family funeral last month for one person on the list. One person on the list rededicated their life to Jesus at our church and has brought five friends. The son of one of the people on the list rededicated his life to Christ last month. Is a full day of serious prayer worth it?


Here is the post from the last day of prayer, April 2nd 2007. http://pastorwithcoffee.blogspot.com/2007/04/day-of-prayer.html


Here are a few pics from the last day of prayer.

Weekend Rewind

We finished February strong! We received over $3,000 in every Sunday offering this month. That has been our goal for a while. That is on top of three great missionary offerings and faith promises for mission giving that has risen to $22,000 for 2009. We also had great attendance. So far this year we have surpassed last year's average attendance by a minimum of 11 every Sunday, and a maximum of 27. Last year our average attendance was 121.

We were also blessed to have a good friend in service at 10:15 who rededicated his life to Christ! His mother, his aunt and several friends were with him. It was an amazing picture of God's grace and undying persistence toward our salvation and blessing. It was great to experience the gifts of the Holy Spirit in operation again, and by an individual who had not previously been used in the gifts at our church. That was very encouraging.

The Lord is strengthening our church in so many ways. We are stronger spiritually and that is most important.

We Still Have A Mission Field

This morning I was helping in a class at the public school and had one of those amazing God moments. Yes, I have had several great God moments at Washington West this spring! I will start blogging some of them.

I was in a classroom and one of the boys in the class was so excited that HIS PASTOR was in his class! He just kept saying, that's my Pastor, that's my Pastor. His mom and dad are both teachers at our church and they have a great family. OK, here is what got me. A little girl across the table from him said, "What's a Pastor?"

Just when you think that everyone is a Christian and living in the mid-west is living in burnt over territory for reaching the lost you meet a child like this. I was so excited for the future of this young man in our church. He is befriending those who don't know about Jesus or His Church. I look forward to the days ahead when these children will be sharing stories of their witnessing opportunities in life.

Last week I had the immense privilege of meeting with some new Christians (adults) in our church, teaching them how to look up Bible verses. I explained why we call the Gospel of Mark, a "book." I explained what a chapter was and what a verse was, and how they are written out (Mark 16:15).

Let's not get lazy and think, "Well, everyone knows about Jesus..." Many do not know about Jesus. Many more may know something, but it is twisted and slanted information from a cult or anti-Christian media source. Many, many more, know the truth but don't benefit from a good local church and a good Pastor who loves people and loves Jesus. We still have a mission field.

Valentine's Day Fun

I know it's not till tomorrow, but all the school parties were today. Since I help out on Friday's at Washington West I got to get in on the V. Day fun. Teaching would be a real tough job, but in many ways it would be a real great job. I love the idea of a nine month work schedule. Holidays off with my kids! Great retirement options compared to us self-employed folks. But, the best part is watching kids develop.

This morning I gave a reading quiz to each child individually. Then I helped the children place their V. Day cards in their friends decorated boxes. At the start of Kindergarten some of them did not know all their letters and did not know the sounds. Now, they can sound out words, have lots of sight words memorized, and can read their friends names. It is amazing how much their minds are soaking up.

What really got me is that most of the kids know my name and are no longer nervous about a man in the class room. Several of them gave me little gifts of candy so my pockets were stuffed when I left. I know that Friday is my day off and I need some time for myself and to rest. But, I am so glad to have the chance to get into the schools and really help, befriend teachers and staff, meet kids, and learn.

Mission Convnetion Reflections

So far, we have had two missionaries visit this month. I have experienced something that I did not expect in their ministry. First, we heard form John Marical, who is 3/4 Mohawk and ministers to Native Americans. Then we heard from Jim Babcock, leading an aftercare ministry for ex-offenders. Jim had done time in prison before he was saved and called to ministry.

Here is the unexpected part. Usually we have no difficulties hearing about ministries to other cultures and other nations. However, I could tell that these two ministries taking place in the US touched on prejudices that we have in America. There is often a racial prejudice toward Native Americans. Like wise, there is often a prejudice against ex-offenders and parolees.

The depth of impact is not that these two missionaries are ministering to these two sub cultures in the larger American cultural picture. The depth of impact was that both of our missionaries are from those sub-cultures, and in them. It is good for us to get shaken up from time to time. We get comfortable, falsely thinking that it is not our responsibility to reach people who are not like us. What a great reminder that Jesus does not look at our race, language, dress, or past history to determine our worth, value or potential. Jesus loves and saves. You may not think about it living in the mid-west, but being a disciple of Jesus makes you a part of one of the most diverse groups on the planet.
"...all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:13

Missions Lunch

This Sunday missionary Carol Deal and his wife Gayle will be with us to cap off our 2009 convention. Carol and Gayle are the missionaries who will be hosting our mission team in September in Africa.

We would really like to get everyone who is interested in going to Africa to join us for a dutch lunch. The goal is to get better acquainted with Carol and his wife and their ministry.

Video

This morning we started shooting video for a church infomercial that we are going to put on YouTube. Once it is up you will actually be able to e-mail friends to it and link to it from our website to give information about the church. I hope that we will be successful with it as an outreach tool.

You Go!

Was anybody else proud of the 7th grade young woman who started our Sunday services with prayer! Go Ahnna!

Idea

This morning I got another book idea. Yes, I know, I have not finished the first one, nor is it published. But, I am just saying, the ideas just keep rolling. It is a little idea that I have shared with the church several times, but this monring while writing the idea really seemed to grow some wings and take off. It might have to be a semron series first. It would be a very good series.

It is not about denial. lol. That was a completely different thought this morning.

Denial

This morning I read the story of Peter denying Jesus the night before the crucifixion. For the first time it really hit me that Peter is no different from the rest of us when it comes to denying Christ. How many times have we made some bold statement of commitment on Sunday morning following the pastor's message (or in the Pastor’s message) only to deny it by Monday morning? We are as likely to deny Christ between Sunday and Monday as Peter was between Thursday and Friday.

Here is the big difference. We are in denial about our denial. Peter immediately recognized his failure and wept over his backpedaling. For us, we live in a culture of making commitments to God on one day and failing the next. Our habit is to fail. Our habit is denial of Christ. But, we deny that we have made any denial worthy of weeping or real sorrow. Ouch!

Jesus restored Peter, but I am not to that part in my reading yet so I guess I will just leave this entry like it is for now. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."

Youth

In today's world there is this dangerious fad that says, if your not young, your a looser. Just look back at some of the unbelieveably ignorant commentary and conversation on the 2008 election and you can see that this fad is alive and well. Knowing this, I am still going to post this observation.

Reading through the gospels in my devotions has been a bit different lately. I am now 37 years old and reading about Jesus has a really different twist the farther past the ages of 30-33 I get. As a young person it is easy to look up to Jesus as a person who is older. As a young adult you feel a certain amount of connection with the gospels because Jesus is your age. I always felt like I was reading about a peer. But, now that I am older, I am noticing other things.

First, I consider the self-discipline, drive, courage, and obedience of Jesus, and I compare it to the same features in my self at 31 or 32. Wow, Jesus was really perfect. I thought I was so mature and ready to do great things. Actually, I was a bit arrogant and over confident. Second, I am stunned at some of his actions. A 31 year old single guy with no intentions of wife or family, but a great ministry mission to change the world, is taking up babies and children in his arms to bless them. Third, this young guy is rebuking the teachers of his day who are considerably older than he is.

These things never really hit me with the emotion that they are hitting me now. Now I am four years past the age when Jesus died. I have kids and some gray hair. I am getting a new perspective on Jesus and I am finding him more amazing with each new discovery.

Proud

I was so proud of our men tonight! They did an amazing job with the men of the church banquet. I want to say thanks to Pastor Bob at First Baptist for allowing us to use their building. What a perfect host. Hal Donaldson was a great speaker and not only gave a great report on Convoy of Hope, but he really inspired us a men in the church to unite to do great things for God. Imagine what we could do for Christ if we all worked together! It just reminds me that being a part of the body of Christ is an amazing privilege.

2009 Improvements

This year I wrote out a list of goals for my life in 2009. A few I have already met. Some are well on their way. Sunday, someone left a copy of U S News and World Report for my by my office. I guess they had read some of my goals for 2009. In the issue was an article with 50 ideas to improve your life in 2009. Here are the ones that matched my own gaols.

1. Bike to work.
2. Get a new toothbrush.
3. Pick up some new job skills.
4. Be a micro blogger (already started).
5. Learn Philosophy (I teach it at M.B.U.)
6. Make yourself an author (already started).
7. Keep a simple diary (already started).
8. Start a non-profit.
9. Watch TV free online (already started with my wife).
10. Recycle retired gadgets (already did it).
11. Study the life of Abe Lincoln (did it last year 6 volumes).
12. Eat your own spinach (did it last year, will repeat).
13. Give pottery a spin (already started with Fred).

OK, so based on this magazine article I am really gong to become a better person in 2009. And, God already directed me to write these things down before I read the article. Is God wiser than man or what?

By the way here are the ones I will not be following.

1. Move to Vermont.
2. Take an afternoon nap (not every day).
3. Investigate Edgar Allan Poe.
4. Lear to speak Russian.
5. Unscrew a bottle of wine.
6. Switch to a push mower (I have never spent more than $99 on a mower, I obviously push already).
7. Don't drive distracted (I have kids in the car, impossible).
8. Spread tolerance (well that depends on what you want me to tolerate).
9. Several other ideas for watching or listening to music or videos that I won't like based on the titles.

Well, there you have it. A better me in 2009.

Make sure you have asked God what your goals should be in 2009.