Tuesday, April 26, 2011

People or Potential

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This morning I have been wrestling with a question that you might find interesting to ponder for yourself. It will require some honesty within your spirit as you press through this…

Which is it that draws you to people…them or their potential?

Is it people we love or their potential?

The quick answer of course it that we are drawn to people…and it’s the people that we love. But now peel back a few layers.

If you are like me, there are some people that I am drawn to and strike it off well from the beginning. I enjoy being with them because of who they are (or are posing to be…yes, I just said that). I take them at face value and enjoy all the attributes about them.

Now there are others when we meet they are not so impressive. Their poser masks are so heavy they are slipping off their face. They really don’t want anyone to see inside them and begin to see who they really are…because they know, and they don’t like it. Fear of rejection, betrayal, being used, being hurt yet one more time….these are the glue that keeps those masks on. Yet, if we take time, we begin to see glimpses of who that real person it. Their glory if you will, begins to peak out and we get excited about who this person really is and can be if they were to take off the layers of masks. We begin to see the incredible potential this person has if they will just step into their glory and be all that God created them to be.

But wait…this is also where the flesh begins to fight to take over. When we begin to see the potential this person holds. The potential to help us make money. The potential to introduce us to someone we want to meet. The potential to get us into a place we have always wanted to go. The potential to get something from them…the potential for this person to help satisfy our own selfish desires…

3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Philippians 2:3-5

I now circle back to my original question…what is it that draws you to people…the person or their potential? What is it that draws me to people?

I believe that it is both…the person and their potential. When Christ came to earth to begin His physical journey of redemption, He saw us for who we were….and died for all that we can become! He came to seek and save that which was lost. He came to give us life…and give us life abundantly! He came to save us from our sins where we are but came to set us free from our masks so that we can become all that He created us to be!

Today…I will try to look at people differently. To see them with a pure heart and not a selfish heart. To accept them for who they are and help them to unlock and see all that they can become…

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Compassion Sunday

Today is Compassion Sunday at Stonecreek Church. As you watch todays video post, ask…”what am I going to do to make a difference?”

You can click on the Compassion link on the right side of this page to sponsor a child today…

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Be a Hero

This is the third in a series of posts advocating for children…children who need hope…Hope…HOPE.

I have looked in their eyes. I have seen their bruised and dirty feet. I have seen their tattered clothes…and those that had no clothes.

Poverty is a disease. It infects and effects every area of your life. One by one each area begins to fail and fall apart…nutrition, education, health, family, community…your future…and your hope.

Poverty DOESN’T have to rule and destroy lives! You and I, we are blessed beyond measure and have the ability to help destroy the grips of poverty one life at a time.

 

Compassion International is committed to helping break the chains of poverty one child at a time.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Compassion In Haiti

As many of you know I have had the opportunity to visit Haiti twice in the past six months. The work that Compassion International is doing in Haiti is incredible. The needs are great but the impact that Compassion is making with the resources they have is greater.

Here is the story of a young girl in one of the Compassion projects near Port-au-Prince, Haiti. As you watch her story, know that there are thousands more like her who have been given hope because of the sponsorship of people just like you and the commitment of those at Compassion International.

This Sunday, April 17th 2011, is Compassion Sunday at Stonecreek Church. Will you consider sponsoring a child and bringing them Hope?

If you would like to sponsor a child but don’t attend Stonecreek, you may sponsor a child through clicking on the Compassion International link on the right side of my blog page.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

A Chance to Shine

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Yesterday I shared a question to ponder…what would a light map look like if it mapped the light of believers around the world. How bright are you shining, how bright am I shining? Todays post and the next few will give you and opportunity to turn up the intensity of the light you carry.

Compassion International is an organization committed to rescuing children from the grips of poverty and giving them hope.

Compassion International exists as a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults.
Founded by the Rev. Everett Swanson in 1952, Compassion began providing Korean War orphans with food, shelter, education and health care, as well as Christian training.

Today, Compassion helps more than 1 million children in 26 countries.

My family has sponsored children through Compassion for the past seven years. We have also had the opportunity to visit Compassion projects in both Haiti and the Dominican Republic. What Compassion does they do with excellence. A testimony to this are the many children who have come through the sponsorship program, continued their education and are now serving with Compassion or other organizations back in their communities to bring hope to others in the very community where they grew up.

This Sunday, April 17th 2011, is Compassion Sunday at Stonecreek Church where we worship and serve each week. As we lead up to this day I will be posting a video each day to share a glimpse into what Compassion does and how you might get involved. When you are ready to make a difference in the life of one child, you can click on the Compassion sponsorship link on the right side of the page. Know that this decision is one that will leave a legacy and forever change the life of a child…

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Mapping the Light

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When we were growing up we sang the song…”this little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine”. We are each called to be a shining light in this world of darkness.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 NIV

The picture above is a light map from NASA which plots out the light shining from the cities of the world. But what if we were to see “The Light Map” that our Father (Yahweh) sees? What would that look like?

I guess the questions that each of us needs to ask are:

  • How bright is my light shining in this world of darkness? Can others truly see the light and love of Yashua (Jesus) shining through me?
  • Am I sharing the light I carry with those around me so that as they come to know the True Light…they too carry the light and thus we collectively shine brighter in our communities and those area we impact?

As we enter this season of Passover…what does He see as He passes over?

1 John 1:5 Tells us that when the light shines into darkness, the darkness cannot overcome or understand the light…

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Worth Reposting…

The following is NOT my personal post but I am simply re-posting what Perry Noble posted today on his blog. It’s clearly worth pondering and sharing. Perry is the Sr. Pastor of an incredible church called NewSpring Church with campuses throughout South Carolina. NewSpring Church is an incredible gathering place of Believers who are excited about serving Jesus and serving others with the goal of making an impact for eternity…and I might say they do it with excellence.

Thank you for the reminder Perry….

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Why Would You Not Do It? April 6, 2011

One of my life verses that is always in front of me is Hebrews 11:6

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

One of the myths that has been crippling to Christianity for years is that Jesus has called us to “play it safe”…when that is not taught OR modeled by Jesus OR His followers in the Scriptures.  (See Acts 20:24 and Galatians 2:20)

Jesus didn’t play it safe…Paul didn’t play it safe…none of the Apostles played it safe…the church in Acts 4:23-31 upon being threatened and persecuted did NOT pray for safety…they prayed for boldness!

Yet today we seem to want to play it safe…that cannot be the goal.

So what about you church leader?  Church member?  Whoever…what is that ONE THING that you KNOW the Lord is calling you to do?  You know it’s a risk…you know that in order for it to take place you are going to need divine intervention?  What is it?  Why not do it?

People have asked me before, “Pastor P, how do I know that it’s God telling me to do it and not just an idea I had?”  GREAT question…allow me to share three identifying marks that I have personally experienced.

#1 – This thing that you believe you are called to do by God will not contradict God’s Word! I believe in the power of the Holy Spirit…and I believe that He speaks as loud today as He did in the book of Acts; however, I also know according to the teachings of Scripture that the Holy Spirit will not contradict the Word of God.  So…if “that thing” that you feel called to is in direct conflict with God’s Word…then it’s not God telling you to do it.

#2 – You can’t get away from this thought…it dominates your thinking and the more you marinade on it the more you feel like you might explode. For example…I really did believe back in 1996 that Jesus was telling me I needed to start a church.  BUT…instead of running out and doing it immediately I began to read books on it (Rick Warrens books and Bill Hybels book on the subject of church planting impacted me significantly) and dove into the Scriptures to see what they taught about the subject.  AND…the more I prayed, studied and read about it…the hotter the fire inside of me became.

#3 – Godly people in your life affirm it. (SEE Proverbs 15:22)  What I have learned from personal experience is that if I do not want to share my idea with those in my life who I know really do love Jesus and love me…then…I usually know it’s not a “God idea” but rather a Perry idea.  One of the things that EVERY believer in Christ needs is godly men and women who love Jesus and love the person enough to speak the truth in love…people who value the friend more than the friendship and are willing to say what needs to be said.  ANYTIME I have ever shared a thought/idea that I really believe the Lord has placed in my heart and the people the Lord has placed in my life to love and challenge me push back…I ALWAYS take a step back and pray and think through the idea more until the Lord either gives me greater clarity OR shows me that the wise counsel of my friends is exactly what I needed to hear.

That is what works for me…so how about you?  What is that thing that you know you should do?

Life is short, hell is hot and eternity is forever!!!  The world has NEVER been impacted by Christians who spend their whole lives in a car seat and beg God to never let anything bad happen to them!

Ask HIM to set you on fire with HIS plans…and THEN GO FOR IT!