For the past two months our church has been focusing on the topic of making Kingdom Investments while being a part of, participating in and supporting the local congregation. The ways we provide this support are through our time, our talents and our treasures. Each area of investment is very important to a local congregation and the mission that we pursue together as His church in this area.
Often times, I wonder - do our folks who give so much really 'get' how big a difference it is making in human lives? I and the staff and ministry leaders get to see it week in and week out, but some of us don't get to peek behind the curtain to see what all is going on. Well this weekend, we will get a 'peek behind the curtain' of our awesome Youth Ministries here at Westside as our teenagers lead us in worship and share in song, testimonies and other ways of service. I am so excited about this weekend! I truly think you will be amazed by the caliber and heart of the young people in our church!
Just last night I got my own little peek when I showed up and witnessed them preparing for Sunday and I have to tell you, that God is going to move mightily through them. So, if you have ever wondered, 'where do our talent, time and treasure go,' then this is the Sunday for you to find out!
Don’t' forget: This Saturday we will gather at Rock Springs (Kelly Park) in Apopka for our Family Fun Day! Bring 5$ to get in the gate. You will also need to pack a lunch and stop by the rental places and rent a tube for the day on the way in! I can't wait to see you there!
Biz
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Nation Building: One home at at time!
In January of this year the tiny country of Haiti was struck by an earthquake. The death toll from this mighty quake has numbered up to 300,000 lives lost. Let that sink in for a moment. That number is higher than the population of most small to midsized cities in America. While the population of the metropolitan area of Orlando is around 2 million people, the population of Orlando proper (the city itself) is around 240,000 people. Yes, that is 60,000 people less than the number of folks killed in one day or the days following that massive earthquake.
Let's think about this for a moment. We live in a very well developed country, county and city. We have a strong infrastructure and stable response systems in place. Yet, if within a few days time our city were devastated to the degree that Haiti was devastated in January, how long do you think it would take us to recover? How much help would we need? Who would answer that call?
Let's not forget that beyond the death toll you have thousands of amputees still living, you have thousands without parents, children, churches, shops, homes, the list could go on and on! I know that we cannot respond to every need and help everyone in this world. Indeed if we were to try we would collapse of exhaustion before we even got up a good head of steam. But we are called to respond and to be about 'good works' in this world as we live out the Gospel. Galatians 6:9 says, "So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up." What a great reminder of the command we are given. It is a command stated negatively for the full force of its impact - we are to NEVER get tired of doing what is good!
In two days, I am going to drive down to Ft. Lauderdale and board a plane with the leader of Helping H.I.M. Ministries (http://www.hhimtoday.com/). We will join a team of 10 other men who are going to work to provide much needed housing and stability to folks in the region of Calebasse. We will be staying in a local orphanage called House of Blessings (http://www.haitihouseofblessings.org/) as we work in the area to build homes. To ALL Westsiders, let me prepare you: I anticipate coming back with a mandate for this congregation to go and reach this tiny nation with the love of the Gospel in tangible 'good work' ways. I am praying that God will connect me with the heart and soul of the need and show me if He has some work for us to do with the Haitian peoples in the future. If that is the case, then get ready for some awesome God sized adventures in our church and in your life!
Once I get into Calebasse proper it will difficult, if not impossible, for me to maintain communication with the outside world. So, please take a minute now and write down the following prayer requests. I need each of you to pray every day for these - multiple times a day --- seriously write them down and pray; pray hard and pray often!
1. Pray that God's grace would guide every step I myself take and that we as a team take.
2. Pray that God will enable us to accomplish significant and enduring 'good works' while there. We are there to build homes - pray that God would make us great at this task for this time (for those of you who know me, you know He will have to help me out with that one :-))
3. Pray that God will put in my path the folks that He wants us to partner with well into the future.
4. Pray for our safety there and back and for the safety of our families and ministries while away.
5. Pray that through our meager offering of time and talent and treasure that somehow God might be glorified and His Name proclaimed to those in need of the Gospel!
If you think of some more, then add them to the list! I am excited about this great opportunity the Lord has provided and looking forward to where it may take us as we go together on mission with Him!
Haiti Bound!
Biz
Let's think about this for a moment. We live in a very well developed country, county and city. We have a strong infrastructure and stable response systems in place. Yet, if within a few days time our city were devastated to the degree that Haiti was devastated in January, how long do you think it would take us to recover? How much help would we need? Who would answer that call?
Let's not forget that beyond the death toll you have thousands of amputees still living, you have thousands without parents, children, churches, shops, homes, the list could go on and on! I know that we cannot respond to every need and help everyone in this world. Indeed if we were to try we would collapse of exhaustion before we even got up a good head of steam. But we are called to respond and to be about 'good works' in this world as we live out the Gospel. Galatians 6:9 says, "So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up." What a great reminder of the command we are given. It is a command stated negatively for the full force of its impact - we are to NEVER get tired of doing what is good!
In two days, I am going to drive down to Ft. Lauderdale and board a plane with the leader of Helping H.I.M. Ministries (http://www.hhimtoday.com/). We will join a team of 10 other men who are going to work to provide much needed housing and stability to folks in the region of Calebasse. We will be staying in a local orphanage called House of Blessings (http://www.haitihouseofblessings.org/) as we work in the area to build homes. To ALL Westsiders, let me prepare you: I anticipate coming back with a mandate for this congregation to go and reach this tiny nation with the love of the Gospel in tangible 'good work' ways. I am praying that God will connect me with the heart and soul of the need and show me if He has some work for us to do with the Haitian peoples in the future. If that is the case, then get ready for some awesome God sized adventures in our church and in your life!
Once I get into Calebasse proper it will difficult, if not impossible, for me to maintain communication with the outside world. So, please take a minute now and write down the following prayer requests. I need each of you to pray every day for these - multiple times a day --- seriously write them down and pray; pray hard and pray often!
1. Pray that God's grace would guide every step I myself take and that we as a team take.
2. Pray that God will enable us to accomplish significant and enduring 'good works' while there. We are there to build homes - pray that God would make us great at this task for this time (for those of you who know me, you know He will have to help me out with that one :-))
3. Pray that God will put in my path the folks that He wants us to partner with well into the future.
4. Pray for our safety there and back and for the safety of our families and ministries while away.
5. Pray that through our meager offering of time and talent and treasure that somehow God might be glorified and His Name proclaimed to those in need of the Gospel!
If you think of some more, then add them to the list! I am excited about this great opportunity the Lord has provided and looking forward to where it may take us as we go together on mission with Him!
Haiti Bound!
Biz
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Body Life and Kingdom Investments: Dependence, Decision, Deliverence
I spent most of my morning at the Dentist office. I have one thing to say. Ouch! Yep, they worked hard on my mouth for nearly four hours (you read that right - 4). Now, it's not the dentist fault. It was not as if she was inept or deficient in her dental knowledge or practice. Nope, the problem is that I haven't been to a dentist in nearly 5 years. So, in some respects if you calculate the average per year then I really only spent about 40 minutes in the chair today! Okay, so I'm an optimist. Either that or just really stupid (you choose; be nice).
Everything went pretty well until she pulled out one drill that sounded like (I am not kidding) a Jumbo Jet hitting the brakes as it first touches the tarmac for the landing. You know that sound (and feeling). When you hear that sound there is the slightest moment of wonder - will this thing land upright or will the brakes cause it to skid and squirm all over the runway eventually landing us in a ditch next to some poor guy’s house who just wanted to get away from everything when he built there years ago. That was how I felt, when I first heard the drill. Will this drill, I wondered, hit the target safely and excavate the correct part of my decaying tooth? Or will it go wild and squirm all over my mouth causing me to 'bite' down in pain and screaming like a 'stuck pig?' Well, since I am writing this blog (in no small amount of pain) you can probably guess that the 'Jumbo Jet hitting the brakes' drill hit the right spot and got the job done, in spite of all my unfounded fears and concerns to the contrary.
This experience with the dentist, however, has caused me to reflect on my life as a pastor. I have wondered, 'do people view me in a similar way that I view the dentist?' Or, perhaps better put, 'do people view the church the way I view a dentist office?' You see, like me and the dentist, some people never darken the doors of the church until something in their life says ouch (e.g. toothache). When they finally cross over to the other side and enter in, they do so wondering what they will find, how they will be received and will the visit pay off in the end? Will we reject them out of hand, because their lives are full of cavities? Will we admonish them for not coming in sooner (you know, before it got so bad)? Will we ask them if they have been praying twice a day and reading there Bible regularly? While they may not express their concerns and emotions in those precise words, believe me they are there - and they are real!
So, the question becomes (for me at least), 'what does the church offer a life that is full of decay?' Okay, before I answer - back to my dental adventure. My dentist sat me down in the chair and basically said the following: 'Mr. Gainey, apart from not visiting a dentist enough, it is obvious that you have tried to keep your teeth in order (yes, I do floss and brush daily).' She went on to explain to me that, though I gave it my best shot - my teeth have still ended up decaying and slowly, over time, they have literally been dying in my mouth (now, not all of them, but enough). She then told me something amazing. She told me that she was going to do for me what I have been unable to do for myself! Yes, she was going to fully clean my teeth and, get this, restore the ones that were too far gone - you heard that right - she was going to make them right again, just as God originally intended. She didn't berate me for having decay; she simply pointed me to the answer for my dying teeth and decaying enamel. Man that was pretty cool.
Then came the tough part - I had to say 'okay' I will let you do this work on me. I had to make a decision to trust the dentist with my teeth. And believe me, this was no easy decision. In fact, she told me that the choice was mine to make - I could keep doing what I was doing and hope for the best, or I could trust in her and her staff to 'set my teeth right again.' Now, I knew what that meant - it meant pain and agony. It meant that I would have to face my own decay and submit myself to someone who could perform a surgery - one that I was incapable of performing. And, guess what, four hours later I was up and out of there - with new teeth (well not totally - I have a couple more sessions yet) and a relieved mind that my tooth was no longer going to ache and that my mouth was back on track to carrying me through another forty years of living!
Let me make my point (I have rambled on enough): people who need God, need him because of 'life decay.' Perhaps they have tried everything in the book and still continue to decay - some slowly, some quickly, but we all decay nonetheless. So, they show up at our church, or they stop by your cubicle at work or interrupt your yard work in your neighborhood. When they show up they wonder, what will happen next, how they will be received? Will we point them to the One who can do for them what they cannot do for themselves? Or will we ridicule them because they are 'decaying?' To me the answer is so clear - funny enough, I learned it in a whole new way while visiting, of all places, the dentist!
More than Before!
Biz
Everything went pretty well until she pulled out one drill that sounded like (I am not kidding) a Jumbo Jet hitting the brakes as it first touches the tarmac for the landing. You know that sound (and feeling). When you hear that sound there is the slightest moment of wonder - will this thing land upright or will the brakes cause it to skid and squirm all over the runway eventually landing us in a ditch next to some poor guy’s house who just wanted to get away from everything when he built there years ago. That was how I felt, when I first heard the drill. Will this drill, I wondered, hit the target safely and excavate the correct part of my decaying tooth? Or will it go wild and squirm all over my mouth causing me to 'bite' down in pain and screaming like a 'stuck pig?' Well, since I am writing this blog (in no small amount of pain) you can probably guess that the 'Jumbo Jet hitting the brakes' drill hit the right spot and got the job done, in spite of all my unfounded fears and concerns to the contrary.
This experience with the dentist, however, has caused me to reflect on my life as a pastor. I have wondered, 'do people view me in a similar way that I view the dentist?' Or, perhaps better put, 'do people view the church the way I view a dentist office?' You see, like me and the dentist, some people never darken the doors of the church until something in their life says ouch (e.g. toothache). When they finally cross over to the other side and enter in, they do so wondering what they will find, how they will be received and will the visit pay off in the end? Will we reject them out of hand, because their lives are full of cavities? Will we admonish them for not coming in sooner (you know, before it got so bad)? Will we ask them if they have been praying twice a day and reading there Bible regularly? While they may not express their concerns and emotions in those precise words, believe me they are there - and they are real!
So, the question becomes (for me at least), 'what does the church offer a life that is full of decay?' Okay, before I answer - back to my dental adventure. My dentist sat me down in the chair and basically said the following: 'Mr. Gainey, apart from not visiting a dentist enough, it is obvious that you have tried to keep your teeth in order (yes, I do floss and brush daily).' She went on to explain to me that, though I gave it my best shot - my teeth have still ended up decaying and slowly, over time, they have literally been dying in my mouth (now, not all of them, but enough). She then told me something amazing. She told me that she was going to do for me what I have been unable to do for myself! Yes, she was going to fully clean my teeth and, get this, restore the ones that were too far gone - you heard that right - she was going to make them right again, just as God originally intended. She didn't berate me for having decay; she simply pointed me to the answer for my dying teeth and decaying enamel. Man that was pretty cool.
Then came the tough part - I had to say 'okay' I will let you do this work on me. I had to make a decision to trust the dentist with my teeth. And believe me, this was no easy decision. In fact, she told me that the choice was mine to make - I could keep doing what I was doing and hope for the best, or I could trust in her and her staff to 'set my teeth right again.' Now, I knew what that meant - it meant pain and agony. It meant that I would have to face my own decay and submit myself to someone who could perform a surgery - one that I was incapable of performing. And, guess what, four hours later I was up and out of there - with new teeth (well not totally - I have a couple more sessions yet) and a relieved mind that my tooth was no longer going to ache and that my mouth was back on track to carrying me through another forty years of living!
Let me make my point (I have rambled on enough): people who need God, need him because of 'life decay.' Perhaps they have tried everything in the book and still continue to decay - some slowly, some quickly, but we all decay nonetheless. So, they show up at our church, or they stop by your cubicle at work or interrupt your yard work in your neighborhood. When they show up they wonder, what will happen next, how they will be received? Will we point them to the One who can do for them what they cannot do for themselves? Or will we ridicule them because they are 'decaying?' To me the answer is so clear - funny enough, I learned it in a whole new way while visiting, of all places, the dentist!
More than Before!
Biz
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Kingdom Investments: Willing, Worthy, Worthwhile!
In Luke 17 Jesus speaks to the evil of temptation, the power of cleansing and the hope of His Kingdom! Now all of us probably get the 'evil' that lies behind temptation. In fact, most of us will be tempted in some form or another today and recognize that behind it lies the enemy - just waiting on us to take the bait. I think most of us could also attest to the power of cleansing that comes from the Lord. We could certainly attest to the cleansing He grants from sin. There are also many of us have experience first hand physical cleansing and restoration.
I am concerned, however, that we may not be able to readily express and give witness to the hope of His Kingdom. No, this one seems perennially more difficult for us. In Luke 17 Jesus' audience is also having trouble 'getting it,' or 'getting Him,' rather. But that is understandable, after all they are Pharisees - they truly don't ever get Jesus - I mean they don't seem to get Him on any level at all. In fact, they fail to get him so badly, that they miss what I believe is one of Jesus' most aggressive and antagonistic statements toward them.
You see, in Luke 17 Jesus is being question in regard to end times, 'How will we know,' they ask, 'when the kingdom of God will come?' Rather than pointing to signs, Jesus says - the time is now, open your eyes because the Kingdom of God is in your midst. Now some of your Bibles may say within you - but this is a bad translation at this point. He is, after all, speaking of Pharisees and there is simply no way He would tell them that the kingdom in within them. No, he is trying to say that the Kingdom of God is now present because He (Jesus) represents that kingdom. This is the great hope that we all have - that God is not withholding His presence from you and me. No, in fact He has granted us His day to day, minute by minute presence of Jesus Himself through the ministry of His Spirit (okay, I will say it for you 'whoohoo!'). In fact, here is how Paul says it (yes, Paul) in Ephesians 1:7 - 8, "In him (JESUS) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding." Yes, friend, we have been 'lavished' by God's grace! You want to really 'wig' someone out today? Next time you are asked how you are doing respond by saying: 'I have been LAVISHED by God's grace today!'
Okay, what are the implications of this great lavishing from God. Put simply, the lavished heart - those who truly get that they have been lavished - will respond as willing vessels of a worthy God on a (His) worthwhile Mission. Now, this speaks to you and me today. Are we willing vessels? Do we get the idea that God is Worthy and we are Unworthy? Do we know that any service rendered to God is or should be seen as not meritorious, but as a humble response to His Worth?!? And do we get, I mean really 'get' that there is no more worthwhile investment in this life than the Kingdom of Christ and His mission on this earth? If we were to generously give of our time, talents and treasures to something, then surely it would be to this!
What about you today? Have you been lavished? If so, will you respond as a willing vessel of a worthy God on a worthwhile mission? You know, my family and I were out of town for a week and a half - we had a great trip, though it was not without its low spots. While gone our church suffered a great loss as Andy Higgins was ushered into our Lord's presence. I miss Andy. I will miss Him for sometime to come. The impact of his life on mine is deep indeed. In times like this we need to rest and reflect, grieve and mourn. However, we never, ever need to stop. I think Andy himself would be telling us today, 'okay, Westside - take the next step - follow Jesus and share His love with everyone you see.' Yep, he would tell us to become 'willing vessels of a worthy God on a worthwhile mission.'
See you Sunday, 930 or 11 (or both, worship in one, serve in the other)!
Biz
I am concerned, however, that we may not be able to readily express and give witness to the hope of His Kingdom. No, this one seems perennially more difficult for us. In Luke 17 Jesus' audience is also having trouble 'getting it,' or 'getting Him,' rather. But that is understandable, after all they are Pharisees - they truly don't ever get Jesus - I mean they don't seem to get Him on any level at all. In fact, they fail to get him so badly, that they miss what I believe is one of Jesus' most aggressive and antagonistic statements toward them.
You see, in Luke 17 Jesus is being question in regard to end times, 'How will we know,' they ask, 'when the kingdom of God will come?' Rather than pointing to signs, Jesus says - the time is now, open your eyes because the Kingdom of God is in your midst. Now some of your Bibles may say within you - but this is a bad translation at this point. He is, after all, speaking of Pharisees and there is simply no way He would tell them that the kingdom in within them. No, he is trying to say that the Kingdom of God is now present because He (Jesus) represents that kingdom. This is the great hope that we all have - that God is not withholding His presence from you and me. No, in fact He has granted us His day to day, minute by minute presence of Jesus Himself through the ministry of His Spirit (okay, I will say it for you 'whoohoo!'). In fact, here is how Paul says it (yes, Paul) in Ephesians 1:7 - 8, "In him (JESUS) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding." Yes, friend, we have been 'lavished' by God's grace! You want to really 'wig' someone out today? Next time you are asked how you are doing respond by saying: 'I have been LAVISHED by God's grace today!'
Okay, what are the implications of this great lavishing from God. Put simply, the lavished heart - those who truly get that they have been lavished - will respond as willing vessels of a worthy God on a (His) worthwhile Mission. Now, this speaks to you and me today. Are we willing vessels? Do we get the idea that God is Worthy and we are Unworthy? Do we know that any service rendered to God is or should be seen as not meritorious, but as a humble response to His Worth?!? And do we get, I mean really 'get' that there is no more worthwhile investment in this life than the Kingdom of Christ and His mission on this earth? If we were to generously give of our time, talents and treasures to something, then surely it would be to this!
What about you today? Have you been lavished? If so, will you respond as a willing vessel of a worthy God on a worthwhile mission? You know, my family and I were out of town for a week and a half - we had a great trip, though it was not without its low spots. While gone our church suffered a great loss as Andy Higgins was ushered into our Lord's presence. I miss Andy. I will miss Him for sometime to come. The impact of his life on mine is deep indeed. In times like this we need to rest and reflect, grieve and mourn. However, we never, ever need to stop. I think Andy himself would be telling us today, 'okay, Westside - take the next step - follow Jesus and share His love with everyone you see.' Yep, he would tell us to become 'willing vessels of a worthy God on a worthwhile mission.'
See you Sunday, 930 or 11 (or both, worship in one, serve in the other)!
Biz
Series: Kingdom Investments
This week: Becoming Willing vessels of a Worthy God on a Worthwhile Mission!
Series Goal: To Enlist (encourage, inspire, empower and recruit) our congregation to live a life of Kingdom Investment!
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