Check out this great organization that our church helps sponsor each month. If you are looking for a way to help different worthy organizations all around the world, here’s a way to do it all in one shot. And you get to vote on it.

These guys are the real deal…

Check out their video (with a few Christian artists endorsing) as well…

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M

Posted: July 16th, 2010 under Check This Out, Culture/Society, Videos.
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LeeAnn and I got to baptize my son Aadyn, along with 5 others last Sunday! What an amazing experience. Check it out…

M

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Posted: July 5th, 2010 under Church info, Family, Videos.
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Over the past couple of months I have been praying for the Holy Spirit to perform miracles, healings, signs and wonders at our church for God’s glory to be known and shown. I passionately want God to reveal himself to our church and I know maybe people that are simply doubters will know that He is truly God if they see His work in action. We’ve been praying over certain people for healing and I want to see the Holy Spirit show up and make His power known.

In the error of my ways, God revealed this to me….

Just imagine if my children constantly asked me for toys (which they do sometimes). Everywhere I went they asked for toys….toys…toys…toys. “I need you to get me some toys…I truly love them”. “Come on daddy, please buy me some new toys…!”

Now imagine that their hearts were more for the toys than pleasing my heart and listening to my instructions. That instead of coming to me and giving me a big “daddy hug” they continued to beg me for these toys without trying to hear my instructions and just simply loving and listening to me. Imagine if they NEEDED me to buy them these toys in order to truly love me. Imagine that my actions of giving them something actually then caused them to love me? Is that the kind of love I want to foster in my home? How soon before that latest toy got old or broken do they desire another one? Now I got to “earn” their love again by giving them something.

Would you consider that true love?

Wouldn’t that be a love based on performance?

Wouldn’t that be a love based on what you can give me?

That’s not true, passionate, full out LOVE! That’s not the kind of LOVE God deserves or wants.

Most of us (me included) have prayed for things to happen (healings, answers to prayers) and for God to show up. We passionately cry out to God for Him to do something amazing in our services. We want all the “toys” (blessings) He can give. We start to cry out for THAT more than we cry out for HIM.

See God doesn’t always show up the way we want. In fact He doesn’t always answer our prayers the way we think He should. That’s because He knows what’s best. When we cry out for His blessings more than we cry out for Him, we aren’t truly in right relationship with Him.

Let’s go back to the kid/toy example. When my kids truly show that they love me….when they listen to what I say, give me those big “daddy hugs” and tell me that they love me, I want to naturally bless them with gifts. It’s not a matter of them “performing” for my love (it’s not works that earn our love) it’s called relationship. When my kids are in right relationship with me, “toys” will be given naturally. (Matthew 7:11)

I know that if we, as a church, passionately cry out to God with love and obedience, the healings, miracles and deliverances will happen. (2 Chronicles 7: 14-15) As churches today, we need to stop seeking out the “toys” and start seeking out the Father.

M

Posted: June 24th, 2010 under Culture/Society, Leadership.
Comments: none

Join us Sunday afternoon (3-430pm) at Deer Run Retreat for our Baptism service. I love these times! We already have a good group of people getting involved. It’s definitely special for our family since my son, Aadyn, is getting baptized! How great is it that my wife and I get to baptize our son!!!

If you are wondering why you need to get baptized, check out this perfect explanation from Healing Place Church .

If you have already accepted Jesus into your heart, then you are ready to be baptized! Just like a wedding ceremony shows the public that a man and a woman have decided to pledge their life to each other, baptism shows the world that you have accepted Christ as your Savior and are now living for Him. Because Jesus instructed us to be baptized, it is an act of obedience. Jesus also set the example for us by being baptized by John. In Matthew 3:15, Jesus told John that He should be baptized to fulfill all righteousness. Though we do not believe it is a condition of salvation, it is a crucial part of our testimony. It signifies to the world that our old man is dead and gone and a new man is alive in Christ.

It’s truly an amazing day. Come join us as we cheer on those that are publicly confessing their faith!

M

Posted: June 23rd, 2010 under Church info, Leadership.
Comments: none

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I love this new worship album. As a pastor, I also love watching this video about their church. There is something special about a church that believes in great worship and is willing to invest in it. I believe it actually helps drive your ministry to a much deeper level. Especially if you set up camp in an area of the city where people have no hope. Check out this church and worship band.

M

Posted: June 21st, 2010 under Check This Out, Videos, Worship.
Comments: 1