Today's Quote

"Motivation is everything. You can do the work of two people, but you can't be two people. Instead, you have to inspire the next guy down the line and get him to inspire his people." -- Lee Iacocca, Auto Executive

Is the Glory of God Central To Your Church Plant?

I just spent an amazing week walking and worshiping God in the hill country of central Texas (which is prettier than this boy thought it would be … please forgive me, Texas!).

(Every pastor and/or church planter needs time away to recharge.) When you get away from the city, leave the laptop and cell phone at home, and run after God it’s amazing how fast He catches you!

One afternoon, while I was basking in His glory in a meadow, it struck me that I can’t honestly remember the last time I remember a Church Planter telling me, “I want to plant a church for the glory of God.”

I think we sometimes assume too much when we assume all churches are being started for God’s glory … and not our own.

Who’s getting the glory in your church plant?

[Guest Blogger: Bobby Vaughn, Church Planting Director - NorthWood Church]

Celebrate Easter at a Bible Theme Park

Fields of the Wood

Murphy, North Carolina

Celebrate Easter at Fields of the Wood!

Saturday, April 11th

All Day Singing

Easter Pageant beginning at Sunset (Activities will begin at around 11:00 AM)

Sunday, April 12th

Sunrise Service at 7:00 AM with breakfast following at the Fields of the Wood Worship Chapel

THE PARK IS OPEN DAILY FROM SUNRISE TO SUNSET AND ADMISSION IS FREE

Gift Shop - Burger Mountain Café - Picnic Areas - Nature Trails - Baptismal Pool – And More!

10000 Hwy 294 – Murphy NC 28906
828-484-7855 or 423-559-5100

http://www.fieldsofthewood.net/

http://www.heritageministries.blogspot.com/

-

Six Stages of Attitude Change

1. Identify problem feelings
2. Identify problem behaviors–what actions result in negative feelings?
3. Identify problem thinking
4. Identify right thinking–what is the thinking that is right and what you desire?
5. Make a public commitment to right thinking–public commitment becomes powerful commitment
6. Develop a plan for right thinking (written definition of right thinking)
   a way to measure progress
   a daily measuring of progress
   a person to whom you are accountable
   a daily diet of self-help materials
   associating with right-thinking people

[John Maxwell]

National Day of Prayer - May 7

Greetings from the National Day of Prayer Task Force!

As Chairman, I want to encourage you to mark Thursday, May 7th on your calendar and take time to pray for our country on that day. Our theme for this year's National Day of Prayer is "Prayer … America's Hope!" It's based on Psalm 33:22, which says, "May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in You."

This is an extremely critical time in America's history. From economic pressures, to the ongoing threat of terrorism, to the unraveling of our culture's moral fabric, many people are dealing with a deep sense of uncertainty and apprehension.

Visit http://links.mail-family.org/ctt?kn=3&m=2468257&r=MjQzNzQzMTgzMgS2&b=0&j=NzAyNTM0NTkS1&mt=1&rt=0, to find local events, connect with other volunteers in your area, download prayer resources and participate in our online video contest, where the winner and a guest will join Honorary Chairman, Beth Moore, and me in Washington D.C., for our national NDP observance. In addition, the winning inspirational video will be aired on GOD TV, which is available in more than 200 countries around the world!

The video contest begins on Monday, April 6, and concludes on Friday, April 24, 2009. Michael W. Smith will kick off the contest with a special announcement which you can watch on http://www.nationaldayofprayer.org/.

There are many other ways you can get involved:
- Join our LIVE online prayer room every Thursday at Noon CST
- Request free devotionals
- Sign-up for weekly prayer tips via email
- Support Regan Smith, driver of the NDP and Furniture Row race car at NASCAR's Talladega event on April 26th
- View GodTV's LIVE webcast and television coverage of the National Observance from Washington D.C. from 9-noon EST on May 7th.

Again, I hope you will join with our Task Force and millions of other Americans on Thursday, May 7th, to observe the 58th annual National Day of Prayer.

Thank you, and may GOD BLESS AMERICA.

Shirley Dobson, Chairman
National Day of Prayer Task Force

Bishop Earl Sutton - Arrangements

The services of Pastor Earl Sutton will be handled by:

Ridouts Brown Service Funeral Home
711 Memorial Drive SW
Decatur, Alabama
256-353-1511

The family will be receiving friends Saturday, April 4, 1009 from 6:00 PM to 8 :00 PM (CDST).

The funeral service will be Sunday, April 5, 2009, at 2:00 PM.

Please continue prayer for the family.

Good Stewardship

In these times of economic challenges, every Christian must decide the prudent steps to take in order to be a good steward of whatever resources one has.

It is not the time to stop tithing and giving. We need God's blessings now more than ever. It is not the time for the windows of Heaven to be closed.

Among prudent cutbacks, there are also other areas Christians should not cut. The folks at Money Talks News advise that cutting some things may save you now but cost you later. Examples?

1. Your oil change. Skipping oil changes might save you 30 bucks today, but a seized engine could cost you $5,000 down the road. Something you might cut back on? Tune-ups. If your car is running well, it’s probably ok.
2. When it comes to car insurance, don’t cut your liability. But if your car is only worth a few hundred dollars, you might consider dropping collision. Weigh the cost/benefit.
3. Your health: many people are tempted to skip or cut doses in half to prolong prescriptions. Bad idea … even if you’re feeling fine. Good idea? Ask your doctor about generic substitutes or free samples.
4. And finally your home. Even if the value of your home is falling, the cost to rebuild it isn't: don’t lower your coverage. Do however, look into raising your deductible. Going from $250 to $1,000 can save 15% or more.

Bishop Earl Sutton Passes

Bishop Earl Sutton, life-long pastor in Alabama, passed away before Noon today. Arrangements will be announced as soon as they are made. Please be in prayer for the family.

Beautifully Singing Preachers

Recently, I read an advertisement for a person to travel to various restaurants and report on the quality of the food. Hmmmm ... thought about applying, but changed my mind! Weight control, you know.

In these tough times it would have a double-whammy effect if you took the position — give you a job and, in addition, get you a free meal every day. Not bad!

Reflecting on this task, I thought about Ezekiel. The crowds came to hear him preach. But it’s said of Ezekiel’s preaching (33:33), "Yes, to them you are like a singer of love songs who has a beautiful voice and plays skillfully on an instrument. They hear your words, but they don’t obey them."

Of course there’s nothing like that going on in the church today!

No one today would shop around for the best preacher in the community because they enjoyed his style. Of course not. They’re interested in what he has to say only because they want to learn to become more faithful Christians. Having discovered such an eloquent preacher, no one today would listen to and enjoy his sermons and then fail to go home and practice what he preached. Of course not! They all are anxious to leave the service so they can get at it!

I wonder how much of this sort of thing is actually involved in the church attendance of many today. We don’t have divine revelation on the issue as Ezekiel had, so we can’t read hearts (on this mattert see previous blogs about reading the heart).

Even if such pulpit entertainment isn’t your prime concern in attending church, even if you aren’t a sermon taster travelling about from church to church (or from Bible conference to Bible conference ) in search of beautiful singing and skillful playing from the pulpit, isn’t there at least a touch of this attitude in you? Shouldn’t we all become aware of the fact when it exists and root it out of our lives? You know we should.

[from Institute for Nouthetic Studies Blog by Jay Adams]

Global Day of Prayer Video

Global Day of Prayer - May 31

187 Nations are lined up to participate in the Global Day of Prayer.

"To pray is to unite ourselves with Jesus and lift up the whole world through him to God in a cry for forgiveness, reconciliation, healing and mercy ... Prayer is leading every sorrow to the source of all healing ... But most of all, prayer is the way to become and remain a part of Jesus' mission to draw all people to the intimacy of God's love." - Henri Nouwen, The Only Necessary Thing: Living a Prayerful Life

The phenomenon of city-gatherings all over the globe, simultaneously crying out to God for revival, is unprecedented. God is moving in tremendous power in these days and He is calling us to be part of His journey. This journey is beyond the church, it is more than what God is doing for and in His church. It is about what He is doing and getting ready to do for a world so desperate for His love and glory.

He is calling us, his servants, to humble ourselves, to pray, and to seek His face (2 Chronicles 7:14) so that He will fill our communities, cities, nations and all the earth, with His glory (Habakkuk 2:14).

The date is May 31, 2009. Only 33 nations have not responded to the invitation to participate in GDOP. Pray that every nation will be represented in this global prayer meeting. The sole focus on that day is to saturate the earth with prayer.

Find out if there is a Global Day of Prayer event scheduled for your city. If there is - join it. If there isn't - sponsor one. Call the believers of the city together. Pray for a Global Spiritual Awakening, for a fresh Pentecost.

And pray for these nations in Africa - Niger and Reunion; in Asia - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Georgia, Iran, Nepal, Oman, Syria and Yemen; in Europe - Andorra, Belarus, Iceland, Lithuania, and San Marino; in Latin- and Central America (Caribbean) - Anguilla, Aruba, the Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Falkland Islands, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Turks and Caicos Islands, Virgin Islands of the USA; in the Pacific - Nauru; and in North America - Greenland, Saint Pierre and Miquelon. If you are in one of these nations, the Global Day of Prayer leadership team is looking for you - to assist in leading this effort.

For information, go to the GDOP website.

[from Blog Entries by webmaster@pathwaypress.org]

National Day of Prayer - May 7

Last year, throughout the nation, millions joined together on the First Thursday in May for the National Day of Prayer. Some believe the numbers were greater than ever before.

The National Day of Prayer leaders say the number of the public-invited events doubled from the previous year, 2007. In addition, there was more favor from local and state governments; more politicians who participated, more access to government buildings, and even more governors. All 50 governors signed National Day of Prayer proclamations. Many mayors participated.

There was a wider scope in the type of events as well: planes, motorcycles, children prayer walks, buses, train, IRS, NASA and police departments.

PrayerFlight - a group of Ohio based private pilots - organized "50 Capitols." These private pilots did 'prayer-flights' over all 50 state capitols, while praying for those states. Military pilots serving overseas and airline pilots and flight attendants were also organized to pray while airborne as well.

Prayer events occurred at past sites of recent tragedies such as: Minneapolis 35W Bridge Collapse, the New Life Church shooting site and the Virginia Tech shooting site. YMCAs and the Salvation Army held events around the nation. In Colorado Springs pastors from 27 denominations filled the Pikes Peak Cog Railway and prayed for the local community and our nation on the 75 minute trip up and back the 14,000 ft peak. In Alaska, a 300 mile prayer train traveled from Anchorage to Fairbanks. In Bakersfield, CA, 30 churches lengthened the National Day of Prayer to three days, highlighted by the formation of a human cross with red shirts.

Prayer events were held in 110 Federal Prisons, national monuments such as Mount Rushmore and the St. Louis Gateway Arch, military bases, stadiums, nursing homes, schools, town halls and in the Senate and Congressional chambers of many state capitols as well as the west lawn of our nation's capitol in Washington, DC. In rain, snow, sunshine or indoors tens of thousands of prayer events took place with every denomination and race present in all 50 states, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

There were prayer breakfasts, prayer walks, Bible reading marathons, motorcycle cavalcades, prayer at countless businesses, and even prayer balloon releases marked some of the creativity of our massive national network.

Governors in Minnesota, Texas, Louisiana, and the First Lady of Nevada spoke at their events and were prayed over by participants. Attorney Generals and Judges participated in many states. Michael Reagan, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Bill Bennett, and Focus on the Family promoted the event. At least 2500 stations nationally carried promotional spots. The event showed up on Facebook, My Space, YouTube, and GodTube. 18,340 military devotions were sent to encourage deployed soldiers.

Millions united in prayer from coast to coast and transformation is taking place in communites throughout America.

The 2009 National Day of Prayer is scheduled for May 7. Go to the National Day of Prayer website to register your event or download promotional materials.

Listen to this audio message.

[from Blog Entries by webmaster@pathwaypress.org]

The Need for Church Planting in North America

Some things become painfully obvious when seen in the light of solid information. For years the Church in the United States has been in a constant state of decline with no end in sight. Our neighbors to the north, Canada, have seen an increase in church starts beginning in 1997. While Church planting is flourishing in other countries, here in the States we continue to see a massive drop in church starts. Hundreds of thousands of churches are half full each Sunday with little prospect of dynamic new growth.

Well known researchers are speaking of at least 80% of the church being stagnant or declining in growth. Few church leaders will entertain the notion of a fresh move of God in our land. It is no wonder that a high percentage of pastors in a recent poll indicated they would get out of the ministry if they could.

The United States may be the one place where it will take a miracle of God to see a saturation church planting effort. Imagine trying to get the Church of America to join in what would appear to be yet another campaign to evangelize the nation. Hasn't every local church at some point thrown its energies and resources into a cooperative effort that in the long run produced little or no new growth for their congregation? Many attempts to cast vision to pastors and church leaders across the land has been met with a cold reception.

American Christians tend to believe we are the most churched country in the world. The reality, however, is that the United States is the fourth largest unchurched population in the world. It also appears that much of what we have identified as Church in the United States has very little chance of multiplying and filling the nation with the glory of God. While there are perhaps 3,000 mega churches that are filling their pews, many of those attending are little more than spectators. Most neighborhood churches see gatherings between 40 and 80 people. And most of those churches haven’t baptized a new member in years.

Something in the structure of Church that has worked so well for our parents has lost its glimmer in this post-modern world. We are no longer reproducing disciples who walk in the love of the Lord and set their world on fire. It just isn't authentic or real anymore to this “emerging” generation. It is viewed by many as a system of do’s and don’ts, as legalistic and controlling.

While it is reaching some, its ability to transform culture and reach two hundred million people is seriously in question. It seems to me that the culture in North America had changed dramatically over the past century, but the Church has not caught up. In fact, the church now looks and acts in large measure, just like the culture. Our measure of success and our system of validation and affirmation matches the business models of our day. True life in Christ and the joy of community in Christ have faded on many fronts. The tremendous move of God around the world is being thwarted in the U.S. by what has become “Standard American Churchianity." My persistent prayer is, “Lord, how can we impact the millions of people who have either left the Church or won’t go to it?”

I long for a “church” that is new, refreshing, able to multiply by becoming “all things to all men” in order to reach the masses that want a relationship with Jesus but need a new door to enter through. A Church that is not so much about structure as it is about a way of life.

Jesus summed up all that was written when He encouraged us to fall in love with His Father and let that love flow through our families and spheres of influence. The problem in the American church is centered on the decline in true intimacy with the Father and in the understanding of nurturing communities where life and love are shared and freely expressed among the beloved. Our hearts are broken and only the love of the Father can heal them.

I believe with all my heart that God will raise up a people in America who will move up to another level of growth and impact. They will hear the voice of God and make an impact in their spheres. They will rebel against the status quo and model biblical community, earnestly seeking the mind of the Lord for His people. The idea of living every day with Jesus and each other will become their common thread. Their belief in a 24/7 relationship with God and people will lead them to see structure as a secondary issue. “Church” IS the people (not property) and happens in the midst of the people. They will emphasize the idea of relational community. They will invest in a discipleship process much in the style of Jesus’ model of discipleship. They will live relationally with each other and they will grow!

Larry Kreider in his book, House Church Networks states, “House churches, and churches of any kind, should never be exclusive entities cut off from the rest of the body of Christ. The healthy house church will focus on loving the Lord, loving each other, reaching the lost and loving the rest of the body of Christ anywhere and everywhere. Healthy believers will want to relate closely to the rest of the body of Christ because they want to be 'one with the Father and each other.'" Rather than living in isolation they see themselves as another extension of all that God is doing in the world. Furthermore, they see the opportunity to partner with more traditional models of “church” to saturate a city or state with the presence of Christ.

I see a new wind blowing across the land. God is raising up a new generation that will bring a whole new vitality, empowerment and expansion to the Church in North America. Though referred to by such terms as organic church, New Testament church, house church, redemptive community, oikos, lighthouse or other terms, an umbrella name that could be used is “simple church.” A simple definition of "simple church" could be - “Simple church is a small group of people seeking intimate relationship with God and each other through hearing from God and living the Kingdom lifestyle.”

For years, the Body of Christ in Western Culture has assumed that Church is a major event requiring great expertise to lead. Have we missed the essential truth that God fully intended Adam and Eve to be the foundational model for the Church? Church was meant to begin, and to be lived out, in the family. The simplest and most primary expression of the Church is the family. The essential building blocks for the Body of Christ are healthy spiritual parents giving birth to healthy spiritual sons and daughters who give birth to healthy spiritual families. Healthy families will naturally reproduce and multiply.

Most people think of the church as a place and event at a certain time. Since "simple church" is about people, where they meet is secondary. The important idea does not revolve around a building or a meeting place but a lifestyle. When they do gather they could be in cells, house churches, neighborhood churches, mega churches and so on. Simple church is at the core of life in Christ, no matter the structure used for the gathering of the saints together. Simple church is about being the “church” not going to “church."

A new emphasis to plant churches is exploding all around the country. It is yet to be seen what form these new churches will take. Though they may take many forms, shapes and sizes, at a heart level, church may become a way to experience Kingdom life lived out in relational intimacy with God and with fellow believers. In its purest form, church is Mom and Dad living the life of Christ in the home. It can be experienced in one family, a neighborhood gathering, the cell of a larger congregation, an affinity group or other small gathering. It is characterized by outreach to the unsaved, by reproducing every time the group reaches about 15, by participation by all in the gathering, and by the absence of need for ordained professional clergy or separate buildings. Imagine what a mega church would look like with all their families living out a relational lifestyle? You would see hundreds of families incarnating the love and presence of Christ in their neighborhoods daily. The Kingdom alive and incarnating the presence of Christ in the midst of the people in a community would be a tremendous example of the love of Christ touching every part of life.

The new essentials of Church will affect real life! It's going to be a source of life for you, for your family, for your neighbors and for your whole neighborhood! Church could happen 24/7, all week long! If you set out to start a church, it is common to put the church in front of family. But, if you start out to be God's people as a family, and bless each other, (and you can do that), then other people will just naturally be drawn in, and it won't take a toll on your family.

God has been moving through His Body around the world for at least the last 15-20 years in a new and pervasive way (house churches expanding throughout new communities). It may just be the season for the Church in the United States to join this work of the Holy Spirit around the world and enjoy the life of the Kingdom in this country.

It is my sincere belief that we are on the verge of a significant movement of God in North America that will spawn healthy, multiplying “extended families” all across our nation.

Obama nominee wants one world order.

Judges should interpret the Constitution according to other nations' legal "norms." Sharia law could apply to disputes in U.S. courts. The United States constitutes an "axis of disobedience" along with North Korea and Saddam-era Iraq.

Those are the views of the man on track to become one of the US government's top lawyers: Harold Koh.

A New York lawyer, Steven Stein, says that, in addressing the Yale Club of Greenwich in 2007, Koh claimed that "in an appropriate case, he didn't see any reason why sharia law would not be applied to govern a case in the United States."

Read The Full Article

Saddleback Church Trains 2,400 New Members; Baptizes 800

Saddleback Church in southern California trained nearly 2,400 new church members on Saturday. It was the largest membership class in the megachurch’s 30-year history.

Of those who participated in the church’s introductory membership session, Class 101, about 800 were baptized afterwards. Founding pastor Rick Warren personally taught the program and then, with the help of other Saddleback pastors, spent more than three and a half hours baptizing the hundreds of new members.

Attendees were walked through three areas in their faith life: God’s plan and purpose for everything; the history, faith and future vision of the church; and the importance of membership.

During the session, Warren recognized that the class was taking place in the midst of economic hardships, but he said the church was created for these difficult times.

“When bad things happen in life, don’t ask why, ask how, and then discover what God wants to teach you,” Warren said, according to A. Larry Ross Communications, Saddleback’s public relations company. “The way God is going to teach you the good qualities in life is to put you in the exact opposite situation. How will God teach you joy? By putting you in the middle of sorrow. How will God teach you love? By putting you around difficult people. How will God teach you peace? By putting you in the middle of chaos. God never wastes a hurt. He can bring good out of anything.”

Warren emphasized the importance of the five purposes for the church as well as individuals – knowing, relating, sharing, growing and serving. These purposes were discussed in depth in Warren’s best-selling book, The Purpose Driven Life.

“The Bible says the church is the support and foundation of the truth,” Warren said. “We in California know the importance of support and foundation, because we have earthquakes. If you don’t have a good support and a good foundation when an earthquake comes around, your house will collapse.

“The same is true of every area of life. If you don’t have the correct foundation and support for finance, relationships and your marriage, it will all collapse. God never meant for you to go through life alone; you need relationship, you need a spiritual family.”

Everyone needs to find a church home and be connected and fulfill the five purposes, the well-known pastor said.

“A Christian without a church home is an orphan,” he said. “We aren’t in competition with any church. We want every church to grow.”

Those who have completed Class 101 will be encouraged to take three additional training classes: Class 201 that focuses on growing in Christ, Class 301 that helps individuals discover their purpose, and Class 401 that centers on discovering mission in life.

Recently, these classes were updated and revised to incorporate Warren’s PEACE Plan, an initiative to mobilize Christians around the world to Promote reconciliation, Equip servant leaders, Assist the poor, Care for the sick and Educate the next generation.

Warren will teach these advance courses in May, June and July, respectively.

Over three decades, more than 35,000 people have participated in Saddleback Church’s Class 101. The Orange County-based church is one of the five largest churches in America and draws an average weekly attendance of 22,000.

[By Jennifer Riley, The Christian Post]