Saturday, September 29, 2007

Real Life: My Secret

Beginning with the October 21’st service Real Life will be kicking of a new series with the help of LifeChurch (www.lifechurch.tv) based out of Edmund Oklahoma. LifeChurch is one of the fastest growing and most innovative churches in the country having satellite campus’ all across the country and providing great teaching, networking, and resources to churches just like Real Life.

My Secret is a five week series that begins by taking a Biblical look at lying, then looks at addictions, followed by sexual sins, our secret shame, and finally how God can set us free and place us on the path to receiving healing from these things.

This series may be one of the best things we have ever done here at Real Life and I am really excited about Real Life being a part. This is one of those times you’ll have do whatever you can to bring your friends, family, and neighbors to church. I can promise you this it won’t be church as usual and after this series you’ll never be the same!

Check out the promo video's for the series in the upper left hand corner of the blog.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Some thoughts on worship.

I was sitting at my computer today thinking about how awesome it is to worship a God that allows for such freedom. In worship, we are free to worship God by raising our hands, clapping, standing quiet and listening, through sign language, in tears, and just about any other means that suits the way God wired us up.

The great thing is that we are free to worship that way right next to someone worshiping God in their own way all during the same song or prayer. The only Biblical requirement for worship is that it is done in spirit and in truth. In other words worshiping God is something that is done in the supernatural. We can’t force ourselves to worship and it's not a ritual.

The other aspect of worship is that it needs to be done in truth. In other words, you can’t fake it. Either you’re worshiping or your not. So the question looms? How do you tap into the supernatural to worship? It’s pretty easy. Take your focus off of you and put it on God. It’s that simple. Don’t think about your problems and issues just turn them and everything else over to God and you’ll be amazed at what happens!

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

It's the little things.

Way to often in church we think it's the big things that we do that bring people and keep people in church. The reality is that it's the little things that count. Taking the time to thank everyone that brings a dish, sets up a chair, or sings a song will go a long way in keeping your church happy and healthy. It might not seem like a lot but the fact is people will not invite their friends to a church if they feel like there is a risk they'll get burned.

I learned the hard way that we have to go out of our way to make sure that people know that they are appreciated. Take the time today to thank someone who has come along side of you and helped you with whatever it is that your doing.

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Kids Ministry

My wife and I were sitting at the dinner table tonight and she was asking me to imitate some of the characters from our kids ministry program. I laughed and of course I did it. I can never miss the chance to make her smile.

I have to say I am really impressed. We purchased the curriculum from empowering kids (www.empoweringkids.net) and let me tell you it is really sweet! There are some hilariously funny scenes and the kids seemed to really come out of our kids church last weekend looking like they were having a great time.

As a Pastor that is a huge thing for me because one of the four main reasons people don't go to church is that there is nothing for their kids to do, and what there is for the kids to do is boring. Seeing our kids laughing and having fun is a good thing. I can't wait to see what is going to happen with our kids in the coming months.

Fall Bad. Football Good.

As much as I dislike leaving summer behind I love the start of the football season! For those of us who love football, and I know I am talking to 99.99982 % a male readership on this one. Is there anything better than Sunday? Getting up (not too early), going to church, worshiping God, then coming home stretching out on the couch or your favorite chair and watching the king of all sports NFL football!!

I also note. My wife has become a huge football fan over the years. Not because she cares one bit about the game. What she loves about football is that she gets a three hour nap when the games are on.

This weekend I'll be into the Tampa Bay vs St. Louis rams game. Course this weekend I'll have to TIVO the game because the band is playing in Blissfield today for another new church plant. Which by the way is pretty exciting for me. I love church planting and I get so see another one start up on day one.

Friday, September 21, 2007

Real Leadership

I was thinking about real leadership today. Real leadership is never given or taken it's always earned. When I was a kid I was in the Army, and there is one principle of leadership I learned that has stuck with me over the years. In the service you have to do things that are not always pleasant. I remember one time we had to walk 18 miles (ok, it wasn't uphill both ways.) The thing that made the walk tolerable was that our officers were right there walking beside us. They were carrying the same loads we were carrying. They were living out leadership not just talking about it. Long after we had reached our destination and us working folk were done for the day and free to relax, they were still working!

How is that a lesson in leadership. Simple! Never ask someone to do something that you're not willing to do first. Think about that one for a sec. Way to often people aspire to leadership because they think they can teach, sing, play an instrument, balance a checkbook, create a killer power point presentation, or whatever else they happen to be good at.

Real leadership is all about being a servant first. Are there times when leaders need to delegate? Without a doubt. In fact, I need to learn to delegate more so that I can be more effective but sometimes leadership means cleaning bathrooms, hauling equipment, listening to a story you've already heard, or holding a hand. Jesus was a great model of how a leader should think. His response about being put on a pedestal might surprise some. He told people that he came to serve them not to be served.

If you think you are being called into leadership that's awesome! Start by serving were you are. Use the gifts and talents God has given you to be a blessing to others. If you are called and have the ability to lead people will notice and people will follow.

Way to often us church types think leadership relieves of our duties to serve others. The reality is real leadership requires more humility, sacrifice, and service than just being a part of something. Much like the officers I saw living out leadership in the military we need more people willing to become servant-leaders.

Excitement!! Excitement!!

I have to say I am a bit stoked for the weekends church service. We had our music pratice on Weds and the band was pretty darn tight. We are doing some great music this weekend. On top of that, we are in the middle of a large marketing campain. The stuff went out this week and we are seeing a respectible spike in our web traffice which means that people are checking us out. To be honest I can't wait to see what God is going to do. The great and scary thing abour marketing a church is that...and I know this is a rough analogy but it's kind of like fishing. You throw a pole in the water and you really never know what is going to bite on your line. As in fishing you taylor your bait for what you'd like to catch. In our case we are trying to reach younger familes (and what church isn't!)

Real Life is starting to take shape as a church and it's really neat to see. Many of the things I daydreamed about years ago are starting to come to pass and it is pretty sweet how God has begun putting this whole thing together.