Growing Hurts....If You Let It

Ok, ok, I ain't gonna lie, sometimes when you are building something, it gets hard.  Building people is tricky too.  You may say, what do you mean building people?  Well that is what we are in the business of as children of God.  There is a process in our growth in the spiritual just like the natural.  We go from baby and being spoon fed, to teen interdependence, to adult dependence to reproduction.  The cycle may not be cognitive as it is natural, yet there is a definite process to personal growth and development.  Some have a positive and healthy process in growing up in the natural and some are about as dysfunctional as you could imagine.  The calling is for parents to have a clue and to be formational in the shaping of their children.  Selfishness, ambition, greed and such- all hijack people from the calling of forming children into healthy and functional adults.  That we see perfectly in the natural (rude and insecure people overly needy and unbalanced). 

In the spiritual we see a similar parallel.  Jesus says to us in Matthew 28:19 to go and make disciples.  What in the heck?  How does one do that.  My coin phrase in our church is "you can't make what you are not."  Well, the spirit is not different in this case than the natural.  What I mean to say is that one has to be spoon fed, then they must become interdependent in their learning and application of spiritual truth, then they can move onto birthing other sons and daughters.  Problem is people think because they are 35 in the natural, they are mature in the spirit.  Wow.  Imagine a baby balancing a checkbook, or serving in military conflict.  But I see that every day in the spiritual.  One of the things that I am wrestling with now as a pastor/discipler is that some people will not "allow" for the process of their own spiritual growth.  The one difference in the natural and spiritual process is that natural children are "forced" into having a growth process.  In the spirit it is much more an invitation and a submitting to the process, in the natural parents come with the package.

So in understanding this process, been having some challenges on encouraging people to get in the process of their own spiritual growth process and it can at times be overwhelmingly frustrating, especially if the individual thinks they are somewhere they are not (they are in spiritual diapers, but leading a bible study etc...).  Many struggle with submitting to the process of growth.  Internalizing this makes me frustrated much like a coach is frustrated by an unwilling player on a team, or a husband is frustrated with an apathetic wife. 

Cheap answer is to not care and let people fall in their own pride.  Other answer is to shirk my responsibility as a man of God and just live my life and let people fumble.  John MacArthur in his Matthew Commentary offers some strong words about the topic of half hearted spiritual people: 

"When Jesus called the twelve to Himself, He carefully instructed them about what they would be expected to do and endure.  In so doing, He excluded the half-hearted people who wanted the benefits of the kingdom but not its commitments.  He elected to Himself only those who were willing to enter the narrow gate and walk the narrow road."

Ouch-  time to grow up-  Stu

HARVEST TIME!!!!

We have the honor of having with us at our local church  180-degrees this weekend Todd Wood.  Todd is the founder of Impact Ministries.  A dynamic Christian totally committed to reaching the lost for Jesus Christ, Todd exudes passion for Christ with a personal love for Jesus that will leave you wanting more every time you talk with him.  Right now our church is in a season of harvest, and it is essential that we know and understand how to be effective in loving the people around us into the eternal life that Christ died to give them.  Todd will help coach us on how to have the right mind set while equipping us to all be better messengers of the gospel.  We look forward to some practical application steps in partnering with Todd in reaching out to our community and specifically the Sea Mist Resort staff and employees.  If you have a heart for evangelism, or know of friends who want to share their faith but don't know how, this weekend will be a huge blessing for you all. Check out more about Todd's ministry at impactmb.org. 

Hope to see you Sunday at 6 pm at the Sea Mist.  Remember this will be our last 6 pm meeting as we move back to 5 pm in February.  -  Stuart

Look at the Snake!

This morning was reading a story to my children at the breakfast table and it was scary.  A lot of people seem to lack in the area of "hearing God speak."  This morning reading the story to my children I heard loud and clear the Lord speaking to a situation that surrounds my life and ministry.

The story in a short nutshell goes like this.  Israel, God's chosen people were wandering in the desert for 38 years.  They were having to wander in circles because all they could seem to do was complain and bellyache about how God rescued them out of their slavery to bring them to a promised land.  All they had now was 2 years left on the trip itinerary.  Now the route God took them was honestly a bit ridiculous, but He wanted to test them to see what was in their heart.  Upon finding out that they were an independent and prideful people, constantly complaining against God, the process and God's man, Moses, God told them they could stay out there in the wilderness with their ego's and ungrateful selves.  At this point I will pick up in the book of Numbers...because of the continual bellyaching, God sent a host of poisonous snakes to the camp.  They were in cookware, sleepware, bushes and tents.  In reality the hundreds of thousands of Israeli's were infested with snakes.  The camp was in dire need of intervention.  As usual, Moses went before the Lord and was asked to erect a bronze serpent on a pole and have the people look at it when they were bitten.  Think about it.  Absolutely ridiculous.  Look at the snake and don't die.  And do you want to know what happened next?  Some of the people did not look at the bronze snake on a stick!  Goober.  Are you kidding me.  Yes, the reality is people die around us all the time because of pride and arrogance against God.  Do you think God needed to put a snake on a stick to rid the camp of poisonous snakes?  NO!  But he wanted to see if the people would HUMBLE themselves, listen to Moses and FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS!  Some did, some unbelievably simply would not.  Today is no different.  If I could plead with you today....to not harden your heart against God, and what God is speaking.  It may mean life or death to you, and it might mean living a life of less than your calling and destiny, or it might mean continual wilderness.  Look at the snake-  Stu

September Prophecy: Living Out

As a local church pastor, I teach that God has not only spoken (scripture), but that He is continuing to speak to those who desire to hear His voice.  Sunday I made mention to a word that we believe God spoke to us corporately in Sept. 2010.  As I spoke Sunday, here is the prophetic word that was released to the church on the 5th of September in 2010.  We believe that we are at the Harvest time now, so it is time for us to get the invitation to all.  Pray through this word as we continue to walk it out as a church.....


"Come unto me, I have many things to show you.  Now is the hour!  Gather together my sheep and feed them, pray over them. The times are going to get turbulent.  The sheep need to be on solid ground, so they will stand in the days ahead.  My ways are not your ways, I have plans for my people.  Look unto Me for direction, stay close, keep your eyes fixed on my face.  The tempter is out to snare and destroy!  Listen for My voice in the darkess to lead you into the light.  Hold on and don't let go!  I will be right by your side.  My ways are higher and they are brighter, they are peace, happiness, they are narrow, self-less and full of LOVE.  Find my way and you will find my Glory!  Desire Me and Me alone and you will find Me.  Knock and I will answer, seek and you will find Me.  Let your hearts be ablaze for Me.  Not the world!  Spend time with me, sup with me, get to know Me.  Our time will be sweet, like the fragrance of honeysuckle.  For you are my bride and its time to prepare yourself, for the Groom is coming!  I am coming for my bride that is ready.  Fill your lamps with oil, cleanse yourself, soak in my presence, put on your wedding apparel of holiness and purity.  For the hour is drawing near.  I am preparing a place for my bride and I am ready to receive her.  Send out the 'invitation' to all, invite them all!  Go to the highways and byways, the hedges and the ditches, the high places and the low places.  It is time to gather, for the wedding will soon begin."

Failures Ain't That Bad

Ok, Heather hates this picture.  I wanted to make it my email picture, but she absolutely refused to get in agreement on it.  So here it is in a lone cameo.  I have no idea what I was saying but it had to do with something about "4".  A cookout/outreach to the Fresh Brewed community last summer.

Was reading from a new friends book, From Crackers to Caviar (James Cooper).  He writes about failure/success..... 

"If you haven't failed, it's because you haven't tried anything.  You have to get out there and become comfortable with the fact that there are times where you will miss the mark if you want to become a success.  You have to learn from your mistakes and you have to get your mistakes quickly out of the way so you can try again.  You can't fear failure, quite the opposite, you have to embrace it.  One of the key differences between successful and unsuccessful people is that unsuccessful people fear failing; they fear trying, because there may be a chance of failing.  But successful people understand that there's a lesson in their failure.  Michael Jordan says this, 'I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career.  I've lost almost 300 games.  26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed.  I've failed over, and over, and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.'

You have to become comfortable with failure because failure is the incubator for success.....We know that Edison had 2000 failed attempts before he finally found the right material (for light bulb filament)  Edison continually questioned about his repeated attempts and subsequent failures by reporters.  When asked about all his failures he said this, "I have not failed.  Not once.  I've just found 10,000 ways that didn't work."

Don't be afraid to fail...Go for it!!! You can do it!   Stu

Charlies Angels and Membership

OK, so I do not have a clue about this picture except it totally is absolutely confusing.  And funny. Caitlin reminds me of Charlies Angel girl and Kelly like Vanna White.  So if either of you dare, you can post comment to explain.  Or not.

The Lord has been speaking to me this week, and we discussed in detail that God truly has a plan for you and not only is that plan individual in nature, but it is corporate in blessing.  By that I mean the church is to be working together by what, "every joint supplies" as in the context of being a body.  Scripture throughout, tells us that the church is a body and we are members.  Somewhere along the way, even "sensitive churches" are dropping that label altogether because of the negative connotation that "member"  brings with it:  country club, moose lodge;  and AARP (exclusivity).  Membership in church is not like that of exclusive society, it is connection and effection.  Connection meaning, when you surrender your life to Jesus, you immediately become part of His body and thus you become a "member".  Not a membership like club,  but a breathing, life giving and essential part of what God is doing, like in the human body.  Why is that important?  Because you have to now FUNCTION in a new way.  Before Christ we do as we want when we want and how we want...now??? you are a part of something greater than yourself.  But really? Sure...just read Ephesians 4: 11 thru - Chapter 5.  You have to give something only you can give.  Some of us are like a voice box, some like a tendon in the knee, some like an ear and some like a kidney.  We have to know our part and do it.

So what does that mean for me?  How do I get to understand that and flow in it?  In proverbs, the scripture says that your "gift will make room for you."  Don't sweat it...just get involved and start to do what you can do and do it well.  Listen to your passion and take a step there.  If you are unsure, find out where there is a need to be filled and serve there diligently until God releases more insight to what you are to do and what you do well.  God will begin to make a way for you to be used greater and greater in the corporate calling you have.  It is important not to forsake this calling because we need each other to fulfill the will of God in the earth.  So understand God's heart- you matter and you are needed, so get in place and let your gift "make room for you."

What do the pictures have to do with this post?  Absolutely nothing except part of Caitlin's call in the body is to be goofy and make people laugh.  Other than that the pictures don't match the articles...as you can see somebody needs to get to work in the body at 180 because I continue the legacy of random photo placement in my blog posts!

Get connected and know you matter as a MEMBER!

Stu

Second Gathering @ our New Home: And A Huge Testimony

Our second gathering at the Sea Mist Resort was awesome.  We were able to put into place 4 or 5 new positions of leadership.  The Lord is speaking to us that we are right in the timing of harvest so of course that is an amazing time.  The past 6 years have totally been groundbreaking, relational building and sometimes taking two steps forward and one step back.  There seems to be a momentum and a building that we have not seen to this level.  Spending all night Saturday with about 20 core leaders at our Community Life Kickoff was great as we are strategically aligning ourselves to better care for and nurture new believers in the Lord. One value that is huge in the ministry is COMMUNITY.  Without it, people struggle.  With so many opportunities to make connections all around us, we know the church needs to be a family dedicated to love, care and cover one another, and that not just on a Sunday morning. 

One of our immediate needs was met this past week and I just wanted to celebrate that with you.  Kelly Edwards, our Song Leader came to me at our Kickoff Event Saturday night and informed me that an annonomous donor sowed the needed $6,000 for our sound equipment!!!!!!  That was such an amazing breakthrough for our ministry and how we are looking to worship God together with a quality system.  I have always seen God work with Heather and myself on a family level, but never have I seen God move on behalf of a corporate group of people like I am eyewitnessing now.  I am seeing the community rally together in one accord, with one mind and heart and with that, much is going to be birthed in this season.

Thank all of you for your prayers as we do believe we are in the center of His will right now.

If you would like to, look below a couple of posts and see the investment we are about to make in the sound systems/A/V stuff.  I posted it right around the holiday.

Happy New Year

I spoke to a lady in the parking lot the other day, "happy New Year!" and she said, "just the New?"  Talk about speechless.....180-degrees has truly turned a corner in the Spirit, and for sure we are moving in a new level of momentum.  As we all move forward in each of our lives, I thought I would post a writing from Jonathan Edwards, the great preacher and theologian whom God used to bring revival to colonal America:



"I claim no right to myself, no right to this understanding, this will, these affections that are in me.  Neither do I have any right to this body or its members, no right to this tongue, to these hands, feet, ears or eyes.  I have given myself clear away and not retained anything of my own.  I have been to God this morning and told Him I have given myself wholly to Him, I have given every power so that for the future I claim no right to myself in any respect.  I have expressly promised Him, for by His grace I will not fail.  I take Him as my whole portion and felicity, looking upon nothing else as any part of my happiness.  His law is the constant rule of my obedience.  I will fight with all my might against the world, the flesh and the devil to the end of my life.  I will adhere to the faith of the gospel however hazardous and difficult the profession and practice of it may be.  I pray God for the sake of others to look on this as self-dedication.  Henceforth, I am not to act in any respect as my own.  I shall act as my own if I ever make use of any of my powers to do anything that is not to the glory of God or to fail to make the glorifying of Him my whole and entire business.  If I murmur in the least at affliction, if I  am in any way uncharitable, if I revenge my own case, if I do anything purely to please myself or omit anything because it is a great denial, if I trust myself, if I take any praise for any good which Christ does by me, or if I am in any way proud, I shall act as my own and not God's.  But I purpose to be absolutely His."

I pray that we could be Wholly His in 2011.  To God be the glory.....Stu

COMMUNITY LIFE KICKOFF EVENT THIS SATURDAY!!!

A little out of focus...but whatever Jaimie and Heather are getting....I want it.  Thank God for laughter.  Below is a redo of an email I sent out for our community kick off at the Springmaid Beach Resort.  Check the link above to get directions.  It is the Resort Conference Center 3rd floor (top)

RSVP LIST FOR SATURDAY KICKOFF


1) Michael Tucholski

2) Jennifer Tucholski

3) Trevor T

4) Christopher T

5) Kelly Edwards

6) Kristen Bowers

7) Karen Roady

8) Elizabeth Fletcher

9) Jaimie Baskins

10) Louis Sirvent

11) Nicole Sirvent

12) Landen

13) Maddie

14) Janet Greene

15) Zeke

16) Rayne

17) Debbie Benedict

18) Skip Benedict

19) Tom Ditzler

20) John Mashburn

21) Tim McCray

22) Ray Dynia

23) Alberto Gomez

24) Rosa Gomez

25) Tiana

26) Cassey Maye

27) Berto

28) Stuart Royall

29) Heather Royall

30) Jeremiah

31) Alexandra

32) Sydney

33) Caitlin Beidler