it's ok if they don't like you

If you are going to lead, and do a decent job at it, there will be times when you make decisions that other people do not like. This is part of leadership. You have to get comfortable with the idea that some people will not like you when you don't make them happy. They will complain about it. They will talk about you behind your back. They will accuse you of all kinds of evil stuff. And you have to be OK with that.

This is nothing new. A quick study of the life of Moses (one of the toughest leadership assignments ever!) will tell you that good leaders will not always win the popularity contest. His followers murmured against him and even wanted to kill him! And all he had done is obey God.

Let me encourage you. If you are doing the right thing, obeying God and serving with integrity, don't let a little whining discourage you. In fact, if there aren't a couple of temper tantrums from time to time, thrown by your followers, you may not be accomplishing all that you can. It is also very likely that some of your followers will walk away from you because of the decisions you make (that hopefully are for their good). Once again, this is part of being a leader.

Hang in there, leader! Some of Jesus' followers didn't like Him either!

guard your heart

Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” (NIV)

Recently, several of my friends have experienced difficult things that have resulted in hard feelings. In day-to-day living, decisions are made and actions taken that create opportunities for us to become angry. We all experience it. I have heard my friends dialogue about how they were feeling. They were frustrated and ticked off at someone or something.

My advice has been and will be, “guard your heart”. “Don’t let this become a deep-seeded issue with you”. Proverbs tells us that out heart is our “wellspring of life.” The NLT makes that statement this way: “for it determines the course of your life”. The TNIV says, “for everything you do flows from it.”. If your heart gets hard, your life gets messy. The remainder of your life is negatively impacted. You become bitter and angry, you become harsh and hateful.

If you have been hurt, guard your heart. If someone does something to harm you, keep your heart tender and soft.

Guard your heart, you don’t want it to become stone.

lessons for a longer life

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

happy mom's day!

This is wishing all mom's out there a very Happy Mother's Day! You guys are incredible!: your commitment to your families, your unshakable love, your willingness to sacrifice for others. I hope your kids give you and entire weekend of honor!

Join us for a very special event at Maranatha on Sunday. My wife, Letha, will be sharing her wisdom with everyone in our services. I am really excited about this event. She and I will be together at all three of our services: Church at the Beach at 7:00 AM and Main Campus services at 9:00 and 10:45. Bring a mom and enjoy "The Heart of a Woman".

National Day of Prayer

A great event! Thursday, May 7, 2009, Christ followers from all around the country will be gathering to pray on behalf of our nation. I can’t think of a better way to spend a few minutes. I think it may also be a good idea to have a “National Day of Doing Something About the Things For Which You Are Praying” (or something similar). True, God is able to do more in one split second than we can do in an eternity. But I think sometimes God expects us to act on issues of passion. If we are passionate enough to pray about something, maybe we can also get involved in addressing the issue. As I have heard it said, “sometimes, we are the answer to our own prayers.”

Examples- Prayer: “God, feed the hungry.” Action: feed someone who is hungry.

Prayer: “God, fix the broken morality in America.” Action: live morally and get personally involved in setting a good example.

Prayer: “God, let the whole world know how awesome you are!” Action…well, you get it.

I also think this may be a great to remind everyone that we don’t always know what God’s will is, so an important prayer is, “God, do it Your way!” We are sometimes presumptuous in our prayers, assuming that God agrees with us on purpose, timing and details. If Jesus prayed, “not my will but Yours”, maybe we should consider the same approach.

Get involved in a National Day of Prayer event. We are hosting one at Maranatha tonight (Wednesday) at 7:00.

Fighting 4 Your Marriage

Today is the conclusion to our series Fighting 4 Your Marriage. Because I know that there is absolutely no way that I can deliver all of the material I have today without keeping the people until 1:00 in the afternoon, I am putting my entire outline here. If you check this out before you come to one of our services this morning, don't be tempted to stay at home. In fact, you could have a little fun by whispering to the dude next to you whatever I am going to say, just before I say it. He'll think you are a prophet!

Fighting 4 Your Marriage (part 3)
Security

(I love this story) SECRET TO A LONG MARRIAGE:
A man and woman had been married for more than 60 years. They had shared everything. They had talked about everything. They had kept no secrets from each other except that the little old woman had a shoebox in the top of her closet that she had cautioned her husband never to open or ask her about.
For all of these years, he had never thought about the box, but one day the little old woman got very sick and the doctor said she would not recover. In trying to sort out their affairs, the little old man took down the shoe box and took it to his wife's bedside. She agreed that it was time that he should know what was in the box. When he opened it, he found two crocheted dolls and a stack of money totaling $95,000. He asked her about the contents . "When we were to be married," she said, " my grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue.
She told me that if I ever got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and crochet a doll."
The little old man was so moved; he had to fight back tears. Only two precious dolls were in the box. She had only been angry with him two times in all those years of living and loving. He almost burst with happiness."Honey," he said, "that explains the doll, but what about all of this money? Where did it come from?""Oh," she said, "that's the money I made from selling the dolls."
The Prayer....... Dear Lord, I pray for Wisdom to understand my man; Love to forgive him; And Patience for his moods; Because Lord, if I pray for Strength, I'll beat him to death........ because I don't know how to crochet. (thank you – Rebecca Simms!)

We need to learn how to make the bad times work for us instead of against us!

Securing your marriage in uncertain times.
Couples: how to make tough times work for you instead of against you.
How to fight For your marriage rather than against it.

Intro: How do these news headlines make you feel?...

USA Today headline from Wednesday: Alert Nears Pandemic Level
World Health Organization Director: “it really is all of humanity that is under threat”

America Online headline, 4.14.09:
“Massive Asteroid Headed Our Way”
Strike Would Be Global Catastrophe, What Are the Odds It Will Hit Earth?
“An asteroid the size of a 25-story building will come within 18,000 miles of Earth on April 13, 2029” –

America has grown accustomed to fear!
We thrive on scary stuff.
Some of us have become addicted to panic!

As Pastor Chris Goins put it recently, “It's The End of the World As We Know It...but God is Not On Prozac!”

Bad news is everywhere!
The results of all of this bad news?
Fear and stress.
People are freaked out.
And it is taking a toll on our marriages.

The most powerful and controlling emotions: common emotions in a marriage…
Anger: can cause you to do all kinds of things that you would not normally do.

But there is a more powerful and destructive emotion in marriage:
Fear:
1) can cause you to do things you would not normally do.
2) can keep you from doing things you should do!
Issues related to fear: Intimidation, apprehension, uncertainty, insecurity.

I see that many people are so uncertain about the future that they are making decisions that will negatively impact their future.
People are scared:
Too scared to make the decision to get married.
Those who are married are too scared to have kids.
People are too scared to save money, too scared to spend it.
Too scared to buy a house, too scared to sell it.
Stress is taking its toll.

We just don’t feel safe.
If our fears are not calmed, if is difficult to calm the fears of others.
If we are not sure that we are being cared for, it is difficult to care for others.

Marriages are being destroyed because of the stress they are experiencing.

This kind of uncertainty and fear has a spiritual source.
2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. (NLT)

We have to keep fear in perspective.
An easy way to recall what fear may actually be:
False Evidence Appearing Real.
The evidence is saying that only bad is coming. That evidence is not real!
but what God has for you is real...
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (NIV)

The times we are living in are referred to as “uncertain”.
I. An “Uncertain” Future
“Uncertain” certainly sounds certain.
When it comes to my future, “Uncertain”, “unsure”, “unknown” all sound bad to me!
I want to know, not only what is going to happen but I want to know that whatever happens will be good.
And, because of everything we are hearing, we don’t feel very good about our future right now!

Jeff and Diann Robbins gave me something to read that was written by David Wilkerson.
David is a prophet and, like most prophets, has the reputation of being a bit of a “doomsdayer”.
But he was writing about what Jesus said about worry in Matthew 6
Listen what he says:
Jesus also calls us to this way of living: giving no thought about tomorrow and putting our future into his hands. Matthew 6:31-34”31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (NIV) )
Jesus doesn’t mean that we’re not to plan ahead or do nothing about our future. Rather, he’s saying simply, “Don’t be anxious or troubled about tomorrow.” When you think about it, most of our anxieties are about what might happen tomorrow. We’re constantly harassed by two little words: “What if?”
“What if the economy fails, and I lose my job? How will I pay the mortgage? How will my family be able to survive? And what if I lose my health insurance? If I get sick or have to be hospitalized, we’ll be ruined. Or, what if my faith fails me in trying times?” We all have a thousand “what if” anxieties.
Jesus interrupts our “what ifs” and tells us, “Your heavenly Father knows how to take care of you.”
Christ tells us, “You don’t need to worry. Your Father knows you have need of all these things, and he won’t ever forsake you. He is faithful to feed you, clothe you and take care to supply all your needs.”
Matthew 6:26-30 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (NIV)
We gladly give all our yesterdays to the Lord, turning over to him our past sins. We trust him for forgiveness of all our past failures, doubts and fears. So, why don’t we do the same with our tomorrows? The truth is, most of us cling tightly to our future, wanting the right to hold onto our dreams. We make our plans independent of God, and then later ask him to bless and fulfill those hopes and desires.

Wilkerson is trying to get us set up to enjoy a secure future even in uncertain times.

II. From “Uncertain” to Secure
When tomorrow is unknown, you can be secure.

Here’s how:
1. Be shrewd/be innocent:
Matthew 10:16 I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. (TNIV)

2. Be listening.
Take in the news in balance. There is a time to turn it off.
Who is your influence? Hearing God’s voice in the noise.
Biggest question: what is God saying?
Not necessarily the loudest voice. Still small voice. His sheep know His voice.
Who is in control? Learning to trust.

3. Be obedient.
Plain and simple: God promises to take care of His kids when they are obedient to Him.

4. Be dependent: if your life does not require you to depend on God, you aren’t accomplishing much!
I’m going to say something crazy:
Some awesome things start happening when we get to the point in our lives that, if God does not come through, we are doomed!

But if only we could know what is going to happen in the future…

Our role is not to figure out our future.
Our role is to place our lives in God’s hands and believe he will care for us.
Our role is to make our marriages and families secure by giving God full authority over our futures.
Our role is to love our spouses enough to provide this kind of security.

III. A chapter that can Secure Your Marriage and Your Future:
II Chronicles 20

1. The bad news:
2 Chronicles 20:2 Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, "A vast army is coming against you from Edom
(NIV)

2. Their response: (we can’t choose our circumstances, only our response to the circumstances.)
2 Chronicles 20:3-4 Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. 4 The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him. (NIV)

3. A realization of dependence (prayer to God)
2 Chronicles 20:12 For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you." (NIV)
“We don’t know what to do.”
“Our eyes are on you.”

4. Unity of family
2 Chronicles 20:13 All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the LORD. (NIV)
Entire families (husbands were not expected to “fix” this. They trusted God together.)
Rather than blame one another for the mess they were in, they stood together.
Instead of fighting against each other, they decided to fight for each other.
They decided to let God fight for them!
They faced their fears head on. And they trusted God.

5. The Spirit of the Lord speaks
2 Chronicles 20:14 “Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel”
2 Chronicles 20:15-17 This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's.
17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.'" (NIV)

This vast army (did not deny the gravity of the situation)
The battle is not yours, but God’s.
You will not have to fight this battle
Stand firm and see the deliverance of the Lord

6. God takes care of His Children
2 Chronicles 20:22 As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against them (those who were attacking them) … and they were defeated. (NIV)

Importance of worship – vs. 21-23 - not an activity, a lifestyle, an approach to living trust.

The best way, most effective way is to allow God to fight for you.

The story ends four days later:
2 Chronicles 20:26 On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah, where they praised the LORD. This is why it is called the Valley of Beracah to this day. (NIV)

Beracah means: The Valley of Praise!

Conclusion:
Our marriages are under attack.
The news does not look good.
Our future is uncertain.
But the Best news is: God is fighting for your marriage!
And because He is fighting FOR your marriage, you can win!

prayer for a friend

Can you take a minute to pray for Jeff? He is a good friend of mine who is going through a very difficult illness. His is a faithful man of God, is a great husband and father and is one of our key leaders at church. Ask God for some miracles on Jeff's behalf. We know that God is able.

Thanks, everybody!

sex and marriage

We are in the middle of a very relevant series at Maranatha. I am talking about marriage and our title is Fighting 4 Your Marriage. This Sunday’s topic is sex so I thought that it may be helpful to offer a few more ideas and resources here. Time is short at our services and we can’t go into everything available.

I did mention these bullet points but maybe they are worth a second look.
When it comes to sex:

Face the fact that God created you as a sexual being. Sex is not sinful or dirty. Know what God says.
• Educate yourself (one sermon a year won’t cut it)
• Educate others: in the church, don’t relinquish this responsibility to our culture.
• Educate your children: if you don’t tell them, someone else will!

Understand the challenges of a culture that does not “get it”, has a warped definition of sexuality.
• Don’t buy the lies
• Don’t fall into the trap
• If you do, don’t be offended when God confronts you on it

Commit yourself to living out a God–honoring sexual life.
• Live within the Biblical boundaries
• Enjoy sex as God intended
• “be fruitful and multiply!”

Sex is a gift from God to married couples. Enjoy it! Still single? Lots of prayer, patience and cold showers!

Seriously, here are some sites you can check out:
(I am not agreeing with every point, just suggesting some resources…)

http://www.christianitytoday.com/mp/
http://www.familydynamics.net/sexandthebible.htm
http://www.marriagemissions.com/

Joe Beam, author of the book, "Becoming One: Emotionally, Spiritually, & Sexually.” Gives the following insight:

Priority One
First, pay attention to your sexual life. While it is true that every part of your life affects every other part, you must make every effort to keep your sexual life healthy. Never forget God's warning about Satan's attack that He gave you in 1 Corinthians 7. Sexually unfulfilled people can be tempted through their lack of self-control. Remove that avenue of attack from Satan's forces by keeping your mate thoroughly sexually satisfied!

Priority Two
Second, keep the bedroom special. Never argue in that room. Never discipline the children there. Never, ever, pay bills in that room. The bedroom should be for sleeping and love-making-nothing else! Don't let that room be associated with any negative thing in your mind or emotions. Make it the most special room in your house.
Teach your children to respect the privacy of that room. Train them from infancy that when that door is shut, parents are spending special time with each other that is not to be violated. If you fear that they may figure out what you're doing in there, what better way to teach them healthy attitudes about sex? They learn to associate sex--although, of course, they shouldn't see or hear anything inappropriate--with love and marriage.

Priority Three
Third, if either of you wants sexual activity that the other finds uncomfortable--or perhaps even repulsive--each should submit to the other. That means that the initiator must not manipulate, cajole, pressure, or punish the reticent mate. But it also means that the reticent mate should prayerfully and purposefully work toward doing what the initiator requests--as long as it fits the principles outlined above.
With time and patience, each mate will get what he or she desires-a loving relationship that doesn't get stale, doesn't frustrate, and does fulfill each with great satisfaction.

a week of miracles

This week, I have personally witnessed several events that I would classify as miracles. I would loosely define miracles as "things that God does that no human can do." My good friend Jeff experienced some very serious health issues which threatened his life. His life was spared and he is recovering from his crisis. Because I was able to be present with the family during some of the process, I was able to witness what the doctors said as well as watch, one by one, as God addressed Jeff's specific needs. It has been a while since I have seen this kind of faith in action. His family stood by his side and prayed. His church family prayed diligently. And word spread literally around the world and people prayed for Him. Prayer works.

Jeff has a long way to go to be fully recovered so I ask you to keep praying for him. It is an awesome thing to see God is action on behalf of His children.

good stuff

Hundreds Go Barefoot to Raise Awareness of the Global Need for Shoes

Hundreds of people are going barefoot today as part of a nationwide effort to raise awareness about the global need for shoes.

Organized by TOMS Shoes, a company founded by Christian businessman Blake Mycoskie, the One Day Without Shoes event has drawn participants from around the world. The Assemblies of God-affiliated Southeastern University in Lakeland, Fla., is serving as a pilot school for what they hope becomes a growing annual initiative.

“The idea for One Day Without Shoes was to kind of raise awareness of what life is like without shoes, to kind of think about the people in the world who are living without shoes and what they are susceptible to as a result of that,” said Allison Dominguez, a public relations representative for TOMS Shoes, which gives away a pair of shoes for every pair sold.

Reporting that 40 percent of people worldwide lack shoes, the Los Angeles-based company has donated 200,000 shoes to needy children worldwide since 2006. In rural areas where people walk through volcanic soil, such as in Ethiopia, going barefoot can lead to podoconiosis, a disfiguring illness that causes swelling and ulcers in the feet and lower legs.

“[One Day Without Shoes] really fits who we are,” said James L. Davis, vice president of development at Southeastern, which presented Mycoskie with its Servant Leader Award last month. “We believe servant leaders are world changers, so the whole premise of giving something away and serving the community and serving the world really fit for us. It was perfect in every way.”

Southeastern hoped to have 100 percent participation today, with students filing shoeless everywhere except to the school’s dining facilities, where bare feet would violate health codes. The Southeastern students are also participating in a documentary that will be used to encourage other colleges to get involved in future One Day Without Shoes campaigns.

“They’re doing exactly what we want to do-spreading the awareness and getting everyone involved in what we’re trying to do,” Dominguez said.

Mycoskie, who won third place in The Amazing Race II in 2002, said the idea for TOMS came after he befriended the children of an Argentine village and found that they lacked shoes. He thought his tech company would help pay for the shoe venture, but a newspaper article generated so much business he decided to sell the tech company and focus exclusively on TOMS, which refers to “creating a better tomorrow.”

Nearly 200 One Day Without Shoes events are being held nationwide, with attorneys at an Ohio law firm putting aside their wingtips to go barefoot for the day. Five events are being held internationally.

In addition to going without shoes today, Southeastern students purchased TOMS’ canvas slip-ons to sponsor shoes for needy children in the U.S. and abroad. Davis said a team of students also will accompany TOMS representatives on a “shoe drop” later this year

(Source: Charisma News Online)

Christians Called to Reject Consumer Lifestyle

LONDON – A U.K.-based network of Christians geared towards living more simply is calling on believers to use the recession as an opportunity to follow a less-consumerist lifestyle.

Breathe, whose tagline is “Less Stuff, More Life,” is inviting Christians to take the “Promise of Life” pledge to live more simply over a 12-month period. Christians who take the pledge commit to “savor what we have, pray for what we need,” “tread lightly on the earth,” and “share freely our homes and our things.”

Breathe’s annual conference on April 25 will further explore how Christians can live less consumerist, more thankful and more generous lives.

“When we started Breathe four years ago, we had no idea how global events would unfold,” said Mark Powley, associate pastor at St. Paul’s Hammersmith and co-founder of Breathe.

“We’ve talked to Christians across the country and have found a growing desire and need to live more simply and to find support and practical ways out of materialism,” he added.

The Rev. Simon Downham, vicar and senior pastor of St. Paul’s Hammersmith, said there was a need for the church to develop an effective response to recent research indicating a shift in British society away from the importance of material possessions.

“There is a new vocabulary of crisis and response,” Downham said. “Climate change, credit crunch, G20, carbon offset, fiscal stimulus, quantitative easing … At the very least, our lust for consumption lays exposed for want of proper limits. At a time such as this, Breathe is more crucial than ever.”

The Breathe conference is being held in partnership with Tearfund, Stewardship, A Rocha and Formation. The keynote speaker will be 24-7 Prayer’s Pete Greig.

(Source: The Christian Post)

happy birthday Jess!

Happy 25th Birthday, Jessica! Hope you have the best b'day ever! We love you.

9 questions to ask about your marriage:

These questions connect with our new message series at Maranatha: Fighting 4 Your Marriage. Whether or not you are involved in the series, work your way through these...

(ask yourself, not your spouse)

1. Is my marriage worth fighting for?
2. Am I 100% committed to making my marriage work?
3. Do I put my spouse before myself?
4. Do I bear any responsibility for the issues that my marriage is facing?
5. Am I willing to put in the work necessary in order to have a healthy marriage?
6. Am I willing to sacrifice in order to make my spouse happy?
7. Is God first in my marriage?
8. Can God heal my marriage?
9. Am I obedient to what God tells us about marriage?

If you answer “yes” to all of these questions, you are doing very well and your marriage is probably healthy.

If you find yourself saying “no” to any of the above, I would suggest charting a course of action:

• Reach out – to your spouse. Communicate your concern and desire for the health of your marriage.
• Work together. Stop fighting each other and start fighting as a team. Your spouse is not the enemy.
• Get help. Seek out a qualified (not a friend who only gets her advice from Oprah!) Christian professional to consult and work with. It will cost money but it is well worth the investment. Many times, financial arrangements can be made.
• Submit and commit to God. A marriage that is centered upon God and the principles He gives in His Word will survive. If you are not there yet, work on it!

Come to Fighting 4 Your Marriage. This week we talk about money. Next week we will discuss everyone’s favorite topic: Sex!

greatest strength?/greatest weakness?

I am not especially fond of talking. I know that is probably hard for people to believe who hear me ramble for 45 minutes every Sunday. I speak because God requires it of me. When in a group, smaller or larger, I would just a soon someone else do the talking. It is not important to me to be the one doing the dialogue. Even when I am at home, it is no problem for me to not be real verbal.

That being said, I make a living talking. People expect me to have something to say. In fact, they tend to get a little nervous when I don’t say much. Lots of times in my life, I have heard comments like, “You sure are quiet, something wrong?” or “what are you thinking? You must have something to add to the conversation”. Truth be told, I would rather just be quiet sometimes.

That is not typical of a preacher in our culture. Lots of loud talking, that is pretty much what we are known for. I guess I am lacking some of the natural gifts that preachers are expected to posses, and I am OK with that. In fact, one of the more annoying tendencies of many preachers I know is the need to be the center of attention. I am not being critical of these guys, it seems to work for them. But I don’t need a microphone to be happy.

Someone said (James in the Bible), “Be quick to listen and slow to speak…” One of the leaders I respect most is Moses. This poor guy got stuck leading a bunch of rebellious, complaining people for 40 years through a nasty desert. And he got blamed for everything. They wanted to kill him. Talk about a tough gig! He maintained his integrity through it and had the honor of “speaking face to face with God as a man does with his friend”. But the thing is, he was a reluctant talker. He spoke when necessary but he was glad when his larger-mouthed brother did the speaking. And God seemed to be fine with the arrangement, in fact, the whole thing was His idea.

The next time you hear a leader waxing eloquent, enjoy it. When she or he drones on and on about what they think, appear interested. But if there is a leader who prefers to be the silent type, cut them some slack. Maybe they know what the infamous Run DMC said in the 1985 old-school rap: “You Talk Too Much! (You never shut up!)” They may just be tired of talking. They may have nothing to say at that particular moment. And they may be exercising some real wisdom. I think it was Abe Lincoln who said, “It is better to keep your mouth closed and appear as a fool than to open it and remove all doubt”.

I think I’ll go on a mission to reduce my spoken words and see what happens. Besides, nobody likes a bigmouth!

new series

We are excited about our new series starting this Sunday at Maranatha. Fighting 4 Your Marriage is a three week teaching about how to survive the stress on our relationships. Notice the three topics: Money. Sex. Security. Should be good. If not good, at least interesting. If not interesting, at least it may raise some eyebrows.

Seriously, join us if you can. And bring a married couple that could use the help. Be looking for some interactive elements on this blog that connect with the series.

Ephesians 5:17 "Understand what God's will is." What does God want from you and for you? How long has it been since you pondered that idea? It seems to me that that we dismiss this question for times when big decisions need to be made, if we even consider it then.

So what might we be missing? The first part of the verse say, "don't be foolish." I suppose we have a choice, foolishness or living within God's will.

Ephesians 5:10 "Find out what pleases the Lord." This verse embodies the essence of the life of the Christ follower. This thought should direct all of our actions and decisions. This idea should provide all the incentive and motivation we should ever need.

"Find out": it may take a while to discover, it is a process. But we must pursue it.

"what pleases the Lord": What is it that brings joy to the heart of God? In a general sense, I believe it is our submissive heart that brings Him joy. Specifically, well, that is an individual as we are.

I encourage you, find out what Jesus wants for your life. Know what makes Him happy. And get on with it!

happy Resurrection

We enjoyed a very good Easter weekend at Maranatha. It is difficult to determine success in ministry, I believe that it is only in the long run that we will be able to measure whether or not things worked. In the short view, we had a successful season. If numbers mean anything (and they do because they represent souls), we succeeded.

Lots of people worked very hard in order to see the plans fulfilled. Our staff did a stellar job. The volunteers, and there were lots of them, worked diligently. We are grateful.

This stretch of ministry can be exhausting on a church. I think we did well. I believe that we gave our best. And I believe that we were faithful to preach and display the Gospel.

Jesus is alive! He lives in us. And we have plans to make Him known to as many people as possible in as many ways as possible.

Thanks, Maranatha, for making Easter 2009 awesome. Thanks, God for making Easter possible.

in between

It is early Saturday morning and I can't sleep. We had our Good Friday service last night, Clayton Watson did a phenomenal job bringing the Word. And although Clayton reminded us that Jesus didn't stay on the cross or in the grave, as we observe Holy Week, Jesus is now "in between". That is on my mind this morning.

Tomorrow will be lots of fun for the kids at our Eggstravaganza (massive egg hunt), as it should be. I think the kids know how to keep things in perspective.

And in 48 hours, some of us will be on the beach, getting set up for the Sunrise Service.

By noon on Sunday, the worship will be over and life will go back to normal for most of us.

I hope I recall the feeling of this "in between" morning. What Jesus did for us on the cross and in the tomb can't be overlooked or overstated.

Profound.

a strange subculture

This week, I finally got active on Facebook. I signed up a couple of years ago but wasn't interested in taking the time to jump in. Since the church is now using it to communicate, I figured that it was time. It is a little more than I bargained for. It appears to me that there are lots of people with lots of time on their hands. And my question is: how do you handle friend requests from people with whom you do not want to be friends? Seems rude to ignore them. Seems dumb to accept!

On a much more logical note, we are getting all set for our Good Friday events tomorrow. Journey to the Cross is from 5-7 and then our worship service will begin. We are really excited to welcome Clayton and Linette Watson from The Sanctuary Church in DeLand Florida as our guests. Clayton will speak and I am sure that he will do an awesome job. He is a good friend and I really hope that lots of people come out to hear him minister.

Easter is here. It will be one of the best weekends of the year. For more info, check us out on our web site.

issues

I've been away for a while, traveling and also trying to resolve some fairly serious computer issues. This post is coming via Letha's computer so if there is a decidedly feminine feel to this, please forgive...

There has been lots of personal and professional activity of late.

We finished Quest, to the relief of many. Even with only approximately 20% participation, I think we accomplished some significant things. I KNOW that we were obedient to what God told us to do. That is a victory.

Letha and I were in Minnesota from Thursday to Saturday for my niece Kelly's wedding. She married Kyle Berkness, a great guy we have know almost his whole life. I was honored to be able to conduct the ceremony. I love those guys and hope and pray for the very best for them.

Get this: while we were in MN, my nephew, Rich (named after me) was at Kyle's bachelor's party (playing paintball). He slipped and fell, landing on his head. He suffered a compression fracture in his upper back, tore ligaments in his neck and chipped a bone on his vertebrae. He spent a couple of nights in the hospital and is wearing a halo for 8-12 weeks. This contraption is screwed into his head in four places. He is very blessed that he was not injured more seriously. He is still in lots of pain, please pray for a speedy recovery for him. I have a feeling that God is going to be showing him some valuable things over the next couple of months.

This is Easter week, so our schedule is very full. We are working our tails off and praying a lot, trying to insure successful ministry this weekend. The measuring stick? Changed lives! A bit illusive and sometimes abstract but it is our goal, nonetheless.

If you are a part of the Maranatha family, I am asking you to step up. Do your part. Make sure that you reach out to people in your life. Share the power of the Resurrection. Live the abundant life that Jesus provides with His victory over death. Invite someone to a church service. Serve. I think we will see some great results.

In the mean time, I am considering buying a Mac but I am afraid that I would get a superiority complex over the lowly PC users. It would boost my cool factor, though.

grace and peace!