SEA MIST- 180 Meeting Place

Ok, here it is in HI-Def!!!  This animated looking map is much better.  Notice where the ocean front highrise entitled: The Tides is located.  Right behind it to the back left is a little building "Movie Theater".  THATS US!!!  There is a little sign that is in front of the theater entrance.  Just go up the stairs.  I will be so excited, I will probably be standing outside waving you all in so don't worry about it.  We will try to have the 180 sign out front to help too!  Thanks- Stu

180-Degrees Worship Meeting Space

180-Degrees is planning to have a great start to the new year by holding our services at the SEA MIST RESORT.  The map to the right is awfully small, but it is the best I could come up with.  Look at the link above and click on the SEA MIST website to view the map a little bit better (on the maps link at the top of the page.   For all you Myrtle Beacheans, the Sea Mist is located between 12th and 13th Ave. South and Ocean Blvd.  We will be meeting in the "Movie Theater" attached to the high rise right near the oceanfront.  Services will be at the same time as usual, 600-7:30 p.m.  Parking is available on the street and in two parking decks nearby.  HERE WE GO 2011!!!!

Stuart. 

180-Worship Time: 6-7:30 as usual

I have had a lot of questions about our meeting times for this sunday.    Please note that our regular time of 6-7:30 p.m. is still in effect.  Solidifying our location hopefully by Thursday so keep your ear out!  More later-  Stu

Snow!!!

Well, our last meeting at the current facility for church was done, largely because of the Christmas season travel, a snow storm on the East coast and a bit of tricky weather for frozen roads in Myrtle Beach.  We decided to hunker down in Clayton, NC and take advantage of the snow with our family.  Hope you all were able to enjoy some of the snow too.  I laugh because in a time when many presents could have been scarce, the Lord provided a "white Christmas"....something that you just can't buy.  My kid' this have been telling me this is the best Christmas they ever remembered!

Enjoy the video clip of sledding Royall's...ok. the video won't load.  I will work on that tomorrow :)

180-Cancellation

Ok,  Myrtle Beach is a beach....but tonight, our last meeting in Fresh Brewed Coffee House is cancelled due to cold and wet weather.

I've already heard it from a few folks, but I am on snow lock down in N.C. and it is to get a little slippery tonight on the roads.

God bless you all and we will see you in the new year.


Peace-  Stuart

New Facility....Pray in the equipment!!!

Ok guys, Merry Christmas EVE!  Loving being with my family.  Pricie and little Syd on the left goofin off.  Looking forward to being with mom and dad, kids, and some of the family.

Just an update....wanted to keep you all in the loop.  We are not official yet, but have the papers in the mail for me to sign for contract.   It will be a year contract (something we have never done!)  A little concerned about price and time, but for the most part feeling awesome to be in Myrtle Beach and even in the resort area.  Our ministry focus is not so much on tourists, so it will be interesting to be down with the millions of them in the summer.  Our focus continues to be on the community that God has called us to in MB.  We focus on community, reaching unbelievers and then Biblical training (discipleship/life transformation).  One of the things our Sunday services have taken on is a very artsy feel.  One of the values that has developed (not due to my gifts but by the people around me).  In the coffee house everything we needed was provided, so stepping out on our own means getting ahold of the equipment we need.  Michael Tucholski, our Techy put together a needs list for the ministry moving on for 2011.  Please pray over this list and if you know of any of this stuff laying around, please know a little church developing in myrtle beach can make use of it!

Thanks for all your prayers, support and interactions in 2010.  God has been so faithful and so have you all.  I am hoping for more blogging and interaction about all the goings on in 2011, so keep giving me your feedback and thoughts.

See our prayer list for audio/visual below:
Merry Christmas. - Stu

	A	B	C	D	E
1	Equipment	Quantity	Unit Cost	Cost	Notes
2	Stage Wash Flown Lighting Package	1	$1,500.00	$1,500.00	(8) PAR 64 Lights, (8) Clamps, Cabling, (2) Dimmer Packs, Control Board
3	15” Self-Powered Speaker w/Stand	2	$400.00	$800.00	Front of house sound
4	Self-Powered Sub	1	$650.00	$650.00	Front of house sound
5	24 Channel Mixer	1	$350.00	$350.00	Front of house sound
6	15” Self-Powered Speaker	1	$350.00	$350.00	Second monitor speaker for band (We already own one)
7	Wired Microphone with floor stand	3	$50.00	$150.00	Band microphones
8	Podium	1	$200.00	$200.00
9	Wireless LAV Microphone	1	$100.00	$100.00	Pastor
10	8’x8’ Screen w/Skirt	1	$450.00	$450.00
11	Projector Cart w/Skirt	1	$150.00	$150.00
12	LCD Projector				We already own, correct?
13	Music Stands	3	$40.00	$120.00
14	Wireless Remote	1	$50.00	$50.00
15	Video Camera				We already own
16	Tripod	1	$50.00	$50.00
17	Direct Box (PC Sound & Video Camera Audio)	2	$15.00	$30.00
18	Power Cabling	1	$200.00	$200.00	Ball Park
19	XLR Audio Cabling	1	$300.00	$300.00	Ball Park
20	Audio Snake				We already own, correct?
21				$5,450.00
22
23	Children's Space
24	42” LCD TV	1	$400.00	$400.00
25	TV Cart	1	$115.00	$115.00
26	DVD Player	1	$50.00	$50.00
27				$565.00
28
29	Additional House Lights for Theater		TBD
30

Drummer Boy

Sunday night worship at 180 was a sweet fellowship.  Counting down to one more Sunday and we will be in a new venue.  A highlight for the night was Jeremiah on drum for the "little drummer boy" song.  We were sorry to not have Christopher Tucholski with him tonight.  Get well little brother.  The video is a snippet of the song.  Forgive the sound, it is not true to sound in the crowd.  The mics are alot louder in the video.  Have a wonderful holiday season and remember to "play your best for Him!".  Tim Turesco is "helping" JJ and is the majority of the jam out...JJ is helping keep time.

Church Moving On From Coffee House

Well, it has been a terrific run so far at the Fresh Brewed Coffee House.  We have been there for two years and made some great relationships.  After much prayer and a push from circumstances, 180 will be moving into a new location for ministry for 2011. 

We are excited about our new venture as we were coming into FB.  Please keep an eye out for where we will be going as we hope to have a place locked in by Dec. 26th.  January 2nd will be held in a new location!!!

Thanks for keeping us up in your prayers as we have a meeting on Monday @ 1 with a possible venue. 

Peace:  Stuart

Sincerity in Prayer

Two blog posts in one day...feelin it.  Sorry if this offends some, but it is so stinking authentic I had to give it out.  Again from Spurgeoun, Praying Successfully:

"Real prayer is far better than mere ritual because there is meaning in it.  When grace is absent, there is no meaning in ritual.  It is as senseless as a fool's game.  Did you ever stand in a Roman Catholic cathedral and watch the daily service, especially if it happens to be on a holiday?  With the boys in white, and the men in violet, pink, red or black, there are enough performers to entertain a city.  There are those who carry candlesticks, those who carry crosses, those who carry cushions and books, those who ring bells, those who sprinkle water, those who bob their heads, and those who bow their knees.  The whole scene is very strange to look at- very amazing, very amusing, very childish.  One wonders, when he sees it, what it is all about, and what kind of people are really made better by it.  One wonders also what an idea Roman Catholics must have of God if they imagine that He is pleased with such perfomances.  Do you wonder how the Lord endures it?  What must His glorious mind think of it all?  The glorious God cares nothing for pomp and show.  But when you call upon him in the day of trouble and ask Him to deliever you, there is meaning in your groan of anguish.  This is no empty formality.  There is heart in it, is there not?  There is meaning in the sorrowful appeal.  Therefore, God prefers the prayer of a broken heart to the finest service that was ever performed by priests and choirs."  And more: "How we mock God when we do not discern Him as present and do not come near to the Lord Himself!  When the heart or the mind or the soul breaks through itself to get to its God, then God is glorified.  But He is not glorified when we merely perfom ritualistic exercises and forget about Him.  Oh, how real God is to a person who is perishing and feels that only God can save him!  He truly believes that God exists, or else he would not make so passionate a prayer to Him.  When he said his prayers before, he cared little whether God heard or not .  But he genuinely prays now, and God's hearing is his chief concern."  Let us pray real prayers to a REAL GOD!- Stu

Troubled Prayer

It has been a good long while since putting out a post.  Busy, challenged, overwhelmed or whatever, it is good to process some stuff.  In an overwhelming time personally right now.  So much resistance in the reality of life.  Don't get me wrong, not in a bad way but in a good one.  Been learning alot about depending on God.  Running out of what I can do.  Knowing that God brought me to a place where He wants me to be and all I can do is wait.  The Lord is amazing and teaching me about learning how to TOTALLY TRUST HIM.  Here is a great excerpt from the book: Praying Successfully from the Preacher of Preachers, Charles Spurgeon,

"God Himself cannot deliver a person who is not in trouble.  Therefore, it is to some advantage to be in distress, because God can then deliver you.  Even Jesus Christ the Healer of men, cannot heal a person who is not sick.  Therefore, sickness is not an adversity for us, but rather an advantageous opportunity for Christ to heal us....I have sometimes wished that very comfortable Christians, who seem to treat religion as if it were a bed of roses, could have just a little time of "roughing it" and really come into actual difficulties.  A life of ease breeds hosts of falsehoods and pretenses which would soon vanish in the presence of matter-of-fact trials.  Many a man has been converted to God by hunger, weariness, and lonelines, who, when he was a wealthy man, surrounded by frivolous flatterers never thought of God at all.  Many a man on board a ship out on the ocean has learned to pray in the cold chill of an iceberg, or in the horrors of a tidal wave out of which the ship could not rise.  When the mast has gone by the board and every timber has been strained and the ship has seemed doomed, then hearts have begun to pray in sincerity.  God loves sincerity.  When we mean it; when the soul melts in prayer; when we say, 'I must have it or be lost'; when it is no sham, no vain performance but a real heartbreaking, agonizing cry, then God accepts it.  That is why He says, "Call upon me in the day of trouble."  Such a cry is the kind of worship that He cares for, because there is sincerity in it, and this is acceptable with the God of truth." p55.

40-Strong

Birthday thoughts from Stu:

Many well wishers hit me up today with some subtle jabs and some with encouragements and then there is my wife who absolutely went over the top by putting an over 40 slogan on my car windows......all of them.  Ok, and filled the car with black balloons.  Did I mention I had to take the kids to school- listening to car horns honking at 7 30 am?  That is my birthday so far.  Looking forward to my Montana sis coming in, couple of family members and mom and dad.

40 is cool.  Not too worried about it.  Most people freak when they hit 28, but for me- hey, one step closer to Jesus.  Bones are pretty strong.  Think my mind is in there too.  Thinking about a physical fitness comeback.  Been thinking about that for a long time.  Regardless, I'll take the 40.  I think there is an anticipation for more now.   More of God.  More influence.  More substance in Jesus.  More obedience, quicker obedience.  A willingness to be teachable and go wherever God wants me to go.  More kindness....more gentleness; especially to the "Sprint" customer care lady.  Much more gentleness now that I think of it.  Some get mellow with age, and some get cranky and peel.  I think I want to be more refined.  Like an old iron.  You know the classic metal ones with black handles and turn knobs for the heat setting.  You know the ones that weigh like 9 1/2 pounds.  The modern plastic ones just won't compare with how those things roll.  I think I want to age like one of those.  It is ok to be outdated, but still be valued and effective! 

How bout furniture.  The new stuff is cheap and light when you move, but the knobs break off.  Give me a solid wood furniture piece.  Skip the old cars.  They are sweet, but the gas is really not realistic.  Blankets are better old, unless they never get washed.  Old cutlery (like grandma's peach knife) is greater with age.  Puppies are cute, but an old dog just, well, you know it is all about relationship and time and such.

So no more subtle digs on geriatrics and canes and metamucil and such please.  This old iron is rollin!

Peace- Stuart

Your LIfe is Being Built

Tiana Gomez, one of our sweet youngsters in 180, taking time to goof off with Sydney at my son's football game.  Preparing for a weekend of family and birthday celebration and church family stuff.... praying for the fulness of God over our time.  As I am preparing for the weekend, the scripture that I will be speaking on this week is,

 “therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.  But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who build his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell.  And great was its fall.   And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. ”  Matthew 7:24-29

This text is the real deal and is loaded with some powerful truth.  Jesus states that there are two kinds of people:  those that hear his word and those who don't.  You know, the world will tell us there are more voices than this.  Buddah, self, allah, totem pole, inner self, etc... But Jesus claim is that there really is only one voice.  And that is His.  This enfuriates some, and is laughable to others, yet I still have to hold out the quote often used, "Jesus is either lunatic, liar or Lord."  Either way, this scripture points out that there is only One voice.  And there are only two responses to that voice.... heeding or dissing.  The heeding response is the person about listening and doing the will of God in the earth.  It is about building a house on the Rock, JESUS.  That foundation will surely stand through the end of time and eternity.  Then there is the dissing response.  It looks like more than one response.  Some ignore the voice, some curse it, some deny it.  Yet Jesus says, if you diss my voice, you will be dissed.  Sandy foundations make for HARD FALLS.  Thing is, everything is fine until the storm.  One writer infers that the storm is the day of judgment.  My concern is for the people thinking their house is good to go.  Question for the week and as we come into more discussion on Sunday, "Is what you are building made to stand?"....

Peace.

MEMBERSHIP HAS IT'S PRIVILEGES ...AND HEADACHES

It is wednesday pm and the kids are coming on home from school.  Just had a minute of down time and wanted to type a bit.  Contemplating today about community and being a family of faith.  I have been preparing a 12 week training video series that we are hosting in homes of our church members.  Each week is basically fly by the seat of my pants.  Shooting the video session (40-60 minutes); running off homework papers and editing the guidebook each week as we go.  The video is accompanied by a powerpoint series that also needs to be updated and such.  Pretty much that takes up to 3 days to complete (even with Heather helping with the typing) every week.  The goal is to communicate the need of knowing how to function as a healthy and loving and powerful/authentic Christian community.  As we began 180, the church, nearly 6 years ago, many people were interested in our church and how we developed small groups and such, but as we began to move on through the months, it seemed that community would wane with lack of commitment and involvement.  Hence the training.  We have learned that not much can be accomplished in the church when people look at it (church) like another activity.  Church is not an activity it is a living body.  When the church is passive and uncommitted to one another, there is little of lasting value that can be attained in the earth.  Christ, works on an individual level, but Christ surely works in a corporate "body level" even more so.  The church is compared to the body with Christ as the head.  Can you imagine a body being disconnected.  Or worse yet, being connected but not active?  Anemic....paralyzed.  So right now we are in a challenge phase...we are asking people to come in covenant with the church.  We are all excited to be in covenant with Jesus, but because we are in covenant with Jesus, that makes us in covenant with each other.  People are quite unsure about that type of deal.  It just wiggs people out.  Especially difficult people, loud people, obnoxious people.....But that is the type of people that Jesus partnered with.  Loud mouth Peter, lovey dovey John, heady Luke.  Jesus loves people and for the church to connect to who they want to instead of who they are called to, it becomes a membership like a country club instead of the body of the living God.  Praying for a revelation for our church that we can love each other, love Jesus and COMMIT to standing with each other together in the days ahead.  I think we will!  GLORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NOVA Part II- Confession

Here are a few of the mighty young men of God out of Northern Virginia.  Anderson, Jason, Daniel and in the back Abraham.  In sharing with you a few more memories from our time together on Columbus day, I thought you would like to hear about a very defining moment at the retreat.

As we were in a breakout session, trying to process all that God was doing through our times together in worship, Heather and I felt the need to lead the group in a time of personal reflection and such.  I was able to take the young guys and Heather the ladies.  As we huddled on the outside of the meeting space in the grass, I shared with the men how the scriptures teach us a truth about confession.
  

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;15 and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.17     James 5:13-17

From this scripture I explained how important it is for us to confess our sins to each other.  The catholics have it right in one way, by having the confessional box.  The reality is though, that what we all struggle with is this shame and guilt that comes with sin.  Sin always brings pleasure in some way, be it drugs, sexual perversion, drinking, cheating.  The immediate satisfaction is right away, but the end result is shame and hiding.  That is how Satan operates.  He lulls us by giving us candy so he can give us cavaties.  We are lulled in by constant tv, only to lose our families.  We are lulled by materialism so we work out of proportion to a balanced lifestyle and we lose our wives and husbands.  We are lulled by interenet porn for the immediate satisfaction of a hidden rendezvous, and we receive the guilt that makes it impossible for us to have any confidence before God and man.  The reality is that we know that sin SEPARATES us from God, but we are not getting out of the junk.  And it doesn't go away....it stacks up and guilt gives way to shame gives way to heaviness, and then depression and before you know it the church is anemic and without power, and the glory of God is substitued by forms and liturgy.  This dying world is in need to see God's radiant bride marching victorious in a sin scarred land.

Jesus teaches us that if we confess to Him, He is faithful to FORGIVE us.  If we confess to each other, we can be HEALED.  Some would argue that I don't need to go to anyone but Jesus, but scripture actually teaches us that we do.  Not for anyone but us.  I think it is harder for us to go to man.  We lose our pride, because we can't hide behind our paper walls and straw houses of pretention.  When we confess to our bros and sis's we have to realize we are not "all that", and it puts the glory with whom it belongs,  God.  When God is the one we hope in, we can strip ourselves.  And in a very mysterious way, when we show our sordid lifestyles, reveal our hidden motives and tell on ourselves, God recognizes a humility and brings a healing in our lives.  To man, we may look shameful, but at that moment, God declares us righteous, forgiven, healed and made whole.  Now from this point, we can begin to say, that I can move forward from the sin that HAD a hold of me!  Victory only comes from being raw with ourselves and our brothers.

How did my boys do from NOVA?  One boy stepped forward and got some of his.  Yes he looked the most "un"spiritual as he confessed his dark issues.  But in reality, he was OBEDIENT and truth known, he probably got the most momentum from the conference.  I was floored that any young man would do this in front of his peers, but when the Spirit of God and the Word agree....and God's people respond, REVIVAL is alive in the church.  THERE IS HOPE.

Have you need of confession? Get some.   - Stu

NVCCC Youth Conference- Harrisonburg, VA

This past weekend I returned from the Virginia Mountains, spending Friday- Sunday at a Presbyterian Conference Center- Masanetta Springs.  The grounds were gorgeous and the time with the youth from Northern Virginia was forever etched on my heart. 

Spending 3 days with the Northern Virginia Chinese Christian Church was an amazing trip.  I have led this conference for years so it was very special to see many of the dynamics of the youth are still intact from year to year, but also that things change.  I spoke to about 30 youth from middle school through working adults in what they call the english ministry.  All the parents would gather and worship in their Chinese tongue, the children and young adults did the same, but only in English.  I was the featured speaker.  I was blessed to bring my wife and three kids with me.  The church was so generous in hosting my whole family and it did add a dynamic that will not soon be forgotten.

I hope to be sharing some memorable moments from my trip but in one of our 5 worship gatherings we experienced a defining moment.  As usual, I was feeling free to be very open and quite confrontive about certain things that I was sharing about.  In general I was sharing how the need to totally love and serve Christ is totally essential.  At one point I asked those who were certain of their love for God to stand up and identify themselves as so.  One precious girl stood but leaned over at the chair in front of her.  I asked her from the podium, "are you ok?", thinking she might be sick or something.  She replied, "is it ok if I half way stand up?"  Without thought I quickly replied, "Absolutely not.  You need to sit down, because to serve and love God cannot be a question of deliberation but of commitment."  That young girl had tears in her eyes throughout the entire sermon.  I was wondering if somehow I may have been too direct, especially to a middle school student.  But the reality was that she was one of the ones I know that I was most impressed with.  It took guts to do and say what she said.  It was a miracle for that conversation to take place in the setting we were in.  And yet, the directness simply set the tone for the reality that God is just not satisfied with comfortable, status quo Christianity.  I loved that girl's honesty, her sincerity, her passion in the struggle.  It was real.  There were no masks and hypocrisy, only pure heart wrestling.  I so respected her for that.  And in a strange way, I felt excited for her because our 8 hour car drive was all for her.  That one girl was a soul that I knew God would touch that weekend.

Later in the weekend, maybe in the night session that very day, this sweet Chinese middle school girl, convicted to the core of her heart at how the Living God Jesus Christ deserves to be worshipped by a people who are not ashamed to live for Him alone and nothing more or less, gave her heart and life to Christ.  I was so humbled and in awe to watch God do what only He can do.

I thank the Lord for the opportunity to know these precious people, a church filled with uncommon love.  And I am so grateful to be used to sow into this fine fellowship and be a part of the work that the Lord did on their precious hearts.

Getting Free- A Few Thoughts

Sorry for the quiet blog.... so glad you are still tuning in and I hope that you are being blessed by the entries.  Today I share a piece from friend and fellow pastor in Kenya, Caleb Ochieng.  Caleb writes a lot on relationships and how we are constantly operating in lower level living because we are being influenced by true demonic oppression and attack.   We are not simply "just depressed,"  or "frustrated".  It is essential to remember that we are in a battle and that it is a key to hold fast to the Holy Spirit and the Word of God which gives us wisdom on how to relate and operate effectively in relationships.  In this writing I share two things from Calebs work 1) self examination and 2) praying for those coming against you. 


Breakthrough from controlling and influencing spirits


"The simplest way to overcome these forces and to live positively in God is to do the following. The list is not exhaustive, it is just a clue:

1. Acknowledge your limitations and sins. Do not allow pride and deception to convince you that you are ok and do not need a personal examination. For something to gain power over against you it must find its relative in you. “The prince of this world is coming but he has nothing IN me” john 14:30. What is in you is the force. What is on you cannot affect you much. It is what comes from within a man that defiles him. (Mk. 7:15, Mt. 15:18-20). In most cases people who are innocently suffering in the hands of others tend to think that they are righteous and their persecutors are wicked. They look forward to the day God will judge those people who afflicted them that they forget to “examine themselves to see whether they are still in the faith”. (2nd Corinthians 13:5.) You too have sins that should be confessed, sins of hatred, selfishness, anger, bitterness, self-righteousness, etc.

2. Pray for them. We have to remember it in our minds that it is when Job prayed for his three friends that God restored his fortunes two times what he had at the beginning. (Job 42:10). It was when Abraham had prayed for Abimelech that God “remembered His promise to Abraham and visited Sarah. Genesis. 20; 18; 21:1. Look at how the two breakthroughs were connected. You pray for those who have mistreated you and you are next in line. What you make happen for others, God makes it happen for you. Your breakthrough is always linked to your human enemies. If you pray for them and bless them you will encounter your own breakthrough almost immediately. If you hold on to their sins against you, God will hold on to your sins against Him and that will be a ceiling upon your head against the flow of God’s goodness. Remember it is seasonal. Breakthrough is always seasonal. It is not present always. It happened to Abraham at exactly the time when God had promised to give him a child from his loin. It happened to job at a time when God had decided to restore Job’s fortune and health. Had he refused to pray for his enemies the blessing of restoration would have just passed by. "

Pastor Caleb rightly suggests that many of us are burdened by unforgiveness, bitterness and unresolved conflict.  Instead of focusing on the hurt and anger, we would do well to pray for our adversaries and perhaps the demonic noose would be loosened around our own day to day experience and walk.

-  Thanks Pastor C

Discipleship

I cut and pasted my wifes homework assignment for today's blog post.  it blessed me much and hope it will you too- Stuart

I “CHRISTIAN SERVICE” study 31

Know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost; He lives inside of you.

You have been bought with a price; your body is not your own. Therefore glorify God in

your body and spirit which are Godʼs. I Cor. 6: 19-20.  We arenʼt alive just to exist. We arenʼt saved just to make it into heaven. We are to work and work is fun, creative, fulfilling, and satisfying. Iʼm talking about spiritual work. Our tools for spiritual work are prayer, Holy Spirit, word of God, fellowship. Iʼve never thought of it this way. We have a PURPOSE FOR LIVING!!! That is so amazing. I take that for granted b/c most of mankind live purposeless lives. Sad.

My purpose keeps me going when Iʼm going through tough times.  God doesnʼt want me to serve Him out of fear or duty but out of LOVE FOR HIM!! Jesus came to seek and save the lost & I must do the same because He is my master and my example of whom I am to follow. Jn. 13: 12-17.  I never knew DISCIPLESHIP means service.  It really encourages me to be reminded that “whatever I do, I do it unto the Lord, heartily, not unto men” Col. 3:23-24. When those whom Iʼve labored for act stupid and drop out of the race, my efforts arenʼt in vain b/c what we do for the least of these weʼve done it unto the Lord. Also, itʼs not over till the fat lady sings (thatʼs not in the bible) and even though people seem to quit, talk trash, act a fool...the word of God does not return void, it will accomplish what it was sent to do. God is the God of the impossible. I must surrender these people to His miraculous working hands & never give up on them! I can

be a better servant by guarding my heart so that when people reject God I donʼt get angry with them & the enemy canʼt use that hurt to make me want to quit the race, thus Iʼll be able to continue serving with a right heart until Jesus comes back.

Confession for Community

A good friend of mine Caitlin, forwarded a sweet message from an awesome writer....Deitrich Bonhoffer.  He makes a quote about community and how to "realize it".  We often cry that fellowships of faith are so lame and lacking AUTHENTICITY.  Why this is so dear to my heart is because Christ has adopted His children into His family and calls us to learn how to cultivate community of faith.  This community is different than elks, kiwanis, rotary, alumni.  It is founded on the spilled blood of Jesus and if all it is, is a bunch of people we hang around with for an hour on Sunday, it is no wonder we are simply going through the motions while checking off our "to do boxes."  .  Read the excerpt from DB:

"In confession the break through to community takes place.  Sin demands to have a man by himself.  it withdraws him from the community.  The more isolated a person is, the more destructive will be the power of sin over him, and the more deeply he becomes involved in it, the more disastrous is his isolation.  Sin wants to remain unknown.  It shuns the light.  In the darkness of the unexpressed it poisons the whole being of a person.  This can happen even in the midst of a pious community.  In confession the light of the Gospel breaks into the darkness and seclusion of the heart.  The sin must be brought into the light.  The unexpressed must be openly spoken and acknowledged.  All that is secret and hidden is made manifest.  It is a hard struggle until the sin is openly admitted.  But God breaks gates of brass and bars of iron (ps. 107:16).  Since the confession of sin is made in the presence of a Christian brother, the last stronghold of self-justification is abandoned.  The sinner surrenders, he gives up all his evil.  He gives his heart to God, and he finds the forgiveness of all his sin in the fellowship of Jesus Christ and his brother."

FOCUS

I am thinking today of a lot that is going on in my life.  Trying to keep a balance of the regular- like gathering together a sermon that will help build up the saints.  Always enjoying that.  Praying through developing our small group system for accountability and such, which sounds maybe easy, but can be tricky.  Continuing developing a youth ministry that needs to be in place by Sunday week and developing a dance team ministry this weekend.  Sometimes I think I am a glutten for punishment.  Why do I do this to myself? 

Taking JJ to football practice was rough too for me as his dad.  He was matched up against some beasts of boys and looking at it from the sideline it is easy to yell, "get em boy, press in there!"  But man, those boys were big and they looked like high school running backs (J is 9).  One kid got slammed and it wasn't but a couple of plays later that JJ was on the sideline with a leg bruise.  I asked him on the way home if he was scared (I knew I was).  He really got choked up but said yes.  I told him how in football, you really got to be bold and aggressive and how playing half way can only get you hurt.  We went home and I spent a lot of the night thinking how I could bulk his muscles up really quick without using hgh steroids.  I thought about taking him through a crash course on tackling and buying the big puffy "dummies" and pads...I thought about another knute Rockne speach about intensity and passion and giving your body for the team. 

A few minutes later I started to put in some praise music and faded in and out of sleep on the couch in the play room.  In the pitch dark the lyrics began to stir my spirit.... "Holiness, holiness, is what i long for....Lord, what can I give in return for all you've given me?"  I started to envision my son dancing with the dance team with his sisters and other kids from the church.  I thought eternally, what really mattered?  Tackling country bovine boys from the county seat or worshipping God and developing a love and passion for the Lord. 

Don't get me wrong, I am believer that we should be the best we can be in whatever we do, but in perspective.....ONLY what we do for Christ will last.  The Hall of Fame will not last the melt down of the earth, only the worship and love we show to God and each other.  Oh well, dance and football practices are both up on Saturday.  -   Stuart

A Matter of Perspective

I have had the privilege of spending a lot of time with my youngest daughter Syd lately.  JJ and Alex are both back to school.  Heather leads a Wed. a.m. community group meeting for our church and I spend pretty much every Wednesday for a few hours alone with her.  We also get time going to pick up the kids or watching her "bubba" play in his tackle football league.  Recently at Atlanta Bread restaurant I tried to "kill two birds with one stone."  I had a few minutes before I needed to be home with Syd and I convinced her (ok bribed) to go get a cookie so I could check my emails.  One of the joys of the financial crunch is lack of cable/internet at home!  So I am a wanderer now...a wi-fi signal junkie.  As Syd crunched on her cookie I was in a moment of bliss, replying to my 27 emails that piled up in a few days of no email exposure.  While we talked about barbies, our next daddy-daughter date, our dog Scooby, and the reality of how upset she was that although we went to the library and two parks, we went to the "wrong" ones...she demonstratively let me know that her cookie was not enough bribe to divert my half hearted replies.  As I looked down at her from our high raised table I noticed her looking up.  Not to be too much distracted by her inquisitive glances upward, I dove back into my final email, frantically replying so as to expedite my brief absence of total attention to Ms. Royall.  Then came the sentence of the week:

"Daddy, how come people put gum under the tables?"

Ok, so maybe that doesn't hit you like it did me, but what I got from that one statement:  PERSPECTIVE.  Frantically typing and trying my best at balancing relational devotions vs business responsibility (ok, ducking quality time is better).  That comment totally smacked me out of my unrealistic multi-media escapade.  The diverted Atlanta Bread trip was officially over.  I shut the computer and was totally amazed.  We walked out hand and hand, and got back to our "scooby" talk enjoying a ride of 7 minutes home through our neighborhood.  I was reminded while I was surrounded by unrealistic pressure to respond to emails, buy off kids with cookies and divert conversation with quick glances and one word "uh huh's"..... Syd sees gum underneath the table.  Perspective.  It is amazing what two people observe in the same setting.  For whatever it is worth, this is my inspiration so far this week.   - Stu

Sincere Love

"Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart.  Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible through the word of God which lives forever." 1 Peter 1:22-23.

This word is a good word.  The words that stick out to me are bolded for this discussion.  Sincere and fervent.  Going through some stuff and not really feeling loved you know, not valued and struggling with how to deal with a few bretherenses.  Trying to be a part of a company of people who are committed to Christ and each other.  So often, petty stuff just gets in the way.  To love sincerely....hmmmmm. What is that?  Sincere : not hypocritical or deceitful; open; genuine.  Well that is good.  We are to be open, not to pull punches.  Not to "act" like everything is ok and it isn't then go around with a mask on, acting like we are alright.  God tells us to love the brethren with sincerity.  I think I love loyalty so much because it is committed.  I know who I am with.  When relationally I come into a conflict with someone I fear that it all is going to get undone.  I am going to lose it.  So my fear naturally makes me put on a mask.  Act like it is ok.  Even if it isn't.  Man that is hypocritical.  God is wanting not just kindness love.  Not just patient love.  Not just forgiving love.  But sincere love.  You know when Jesus told Peter that he knew about Peter forsaking him.  When Jesus rebuked the religious Pharisees.  When Jesus spoke to the Father in agonizing pain, "Father, why have you forsaken me?"  I am longing today for sincerity.  God I want to be sincere.  With my brothers.  It is so hard.  You know, cause in yeilding to sincerity, it means to take off masks and take risks, but the reward is written in Peter's epistle as he says that we actually PURIFY our SOULS through obeying the word of truth  through the Spirit (of the Living God living in us as believers) by HAVING SINCERE LOVE- for our brothers.  So put it more directly....insincerity is not only falling short, it is DISOBEDIENCE.  That means impurity.  Wow.  Too often I think that if I am not truly true with my brothers and sisters in Christ it is a choice.  Just my choice, but in reality, witholding sincerity is wrong.  The last part here is fervent love.  You know as we grow in sincerity, we probably will lose some dear friendships cause truly many people can't handle candor.  Many people don't want sincerity, they want casuality and distance.  Well that is impossible in the Church of the living God.  When we take risks to love with sincerity, I have to believe that we will see solid friendships become more solid.  Through the fires of testing.  When that happens, loyalty is birthed.  Loyalty to our friends and brothers, and a redefined loyalty to our Christ.  That momentum is the birth of fervency in relationship.  How much ferver do you feel towards your church brethren?  Catch a fire and make our hearts sincere Lord!  - Stu

Too Much Free Time

Just happen to be in a new focus of study right now.  Reading a book that I have always wanted to read but never have made time for.  Richard Wurmbrand, Tortured for Christ.  Ok, if you have never read this book and are a Christian you probably need to repent now.  I know I am!  Wurmbrand lived through torture and imprisonment in the communist control of Romania.  I know little of his life, but I am seeking to learn more.  He is a true example of faith.  I am dealing with some stuff in the local church.  Thinking about how we as Christians often slip and slide around in sin and mediocre living.  After reading half of his book (Wurmbrand), I think "western Christianity" is so weak and anemic because we are simply bored.  We are not DOING ANYTHING.  I will leave you two excerpts of the book, examples of the suffering that his fellow underground church members endured during the harsh communistic rule....

"One of our workers in the Underground Church was a young girl.  The Communist police discovered that she secretly spread Gospels and taught children about Christ.  They decided to arrest her.  But to make the arrest as agonizing and painful as they could, they decided to delay her arrest a few weeks, until the day she was to be married.  On her wedding day, the girl was dressed as a bride- the most wonderful, joyous day in a girl's life!  Suddenly, the door burst open and the secret police rushed in.  When the bride saw the secret police, she held out her arms toward them to be handcuffed.  They roughly put the manacles on her wrists.  She looked toward her beloved, then kissed the chains and said, 'I thank my heavenly Bridegroom for this jewel He has presented to me on  my marriage day.  I thank Him that I am worthy to suffer for Him.'  She was dragged off, with weeping Christians and a weeping bridgroom left behind.  They knew what happens to young Christian girls in the hands of communist guards.  Her bridegroom faithfully waited for her.  After five years she was released- a destroyed, broken woman, looking thirty years older.  She said it was the least she could do for her Christ.  Such beautiful Christians are in the Underground Church." 

One final story to share: 

"It was strictly forbidden to preach to other prisoners, as it is in captive nations today.  It was understood that whoever was caught doing this received a severe beating.  A number of us decided to pay the price for the privilege of preaching, so we accepted their terms.  It was a deal; we preached and they beat us.  We were happy preaching; they were happy beating us- so everyone was happy.  The following scene happened more times than I can remember.  A brother was preaching to the other prisoners when the guards suddenly burst in, surprising him halfway through a phrase.  They hauled him down the corridor to their, 'beating room.'  After what seemed an endless beating, they brought him back and threw him- bloody and bruised- on the prison floor.  Slowly, he picked up his battered body, painfully straightened his clothing and said, 'Now, brethren, where did I leave off when I was interrupted?'  He continued his gospel message."

I think what is lacking in our Western church experience is too much freetime.  God emblazen us with a passion for the Christ, and not be satisfied with church attendance and simple Bible study.  Let us share the gospel even to the point of ridicule and shame.  -  Stuart

All That I Have ( a song by Niyoki) to the Lord

I'm making an assessment of what I have to offer You....and it falls so short of what You deserve.  I just want to show You, that I am thinking of You.  If only I could shout it throughout the earth.  Searched all over only to find there's nobody like You.  You have given me everything, can I give it back to You?  What can I render for all that You've given? I want to give more of myself to You. Hear my expression of love and fulfillment.  My soul does cry out, it's longing for You.  As a deer panteth for the water, so does my heart cry out for You.  And I just want to show You, that I enjoy You....I want to please You more, I really do.  I know you for just who You are.  I'm amazed You think of me.Your Omnipotent in all You do. So I will give worship at Your feet.What can I render for all that You've given? I want to give more of myself to You. Hear my expression of love and fulfillment. My soul does cry out, it's longing for You. As a deer panteth for the water, so does my heart cry out for You.  All that I have, is Yours.  And all of my praise is Yours.  All of my time and all of my service is Yours.  And I want to give you more....more, more.....more.  It's not enough what i give You.  Help me to give you MORE.

Hurry Up!

Ok....scary picture.  I am running out (of pictures not words HA!).  Pray for a brother.  Just reading another church brochure for small groups out of DC, and here is the footnote (National Community Church) out of DC.  The small group brochure is SWEET, and what their director of small groups (Will Johnston) says is even SWEETER.

"Despite being one of the fruits of the Spirit, patience isn't something we discuss often.  I've been doing a lot of thinking about patience recently, and I've found it to have far-reaching implications for our happiness, our definition of success, even our relationship with God.  Proverbs 15:18 tells us that "a hot tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel."  An impatient person is quick to react, often without full understanding, imposing the certainty of his or her view while still being ignorant of reality.  A patient person fosters peace by remaining calm and taking time to figure out what's really happening in a given situation.  A community that has no peae, whose members are constantly on the defensive- or the offensive- because they are impatient and react without thinking will not continue to grow together.  They will always reserve, hold back, so as not to cause a fight.  Or they'll get so angry that one day they simply walk away.  In 2 Timothy, Paul writes, 'Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage- with great patience and careful instruction.'  Spiritual growth doesn't happen overnight.  Fallen people don't always respond immediately to correction or advice.  Patience with others when they don't act as quickly as we would like results in spiritual growth, for them...and for us...over the long-term.  A community that doesn't grow, well, it's nearly pointless.  It may be fun, which is good, but one of the central purposes of Christian community is that we continue to spur each other on to become more like Christ.  It's a long process.  We can't give up on one another.  I know I often get fed up with people when they're not where I'd like them to be, but then, I'm not where I'd like to be either: How patient are you?"      Good word.  Lord help us to have that fruit fully!- Stu

Use The Weapon!

I have had so much to share with all of you,  but as things would be we are challenged not having an internet service at the moment.  Please pray that I would have good wifi strategies in the days ahead :).

Praise report....I called a medical company dealing with part of Heather’s surgery.  They were about to send our bill to collections.  We were so encouraged when I called them and asked them to set up a payment plan.  They totally forgave the entire $2,000 bill.  Minor detail.

Now a word by Derek Prince in his book “Secrets of a Prayer Warrior” that I thought would inspire:  “There are 3 main weapons (spiritual) 1) the Word of God, 2) The Name of Jesus, 3) The Blood of Jesus.  We use these weapons by these means: Prayer, praise, preaching and testimony.  Ephesians 6 states that there is no weapon of offense or attack, until we come to the sixth item, which is the Word of God.  If you do not use the Word of God, you may be able to protect yourself, but you have nothing to attack Satan with.  If you want to put Satan to flight, if you want to get him out of your way, out of your home, out of your family, out of your business, if you do not want just to tolerate him and hold him off, the weapon you must use is the weapon of attack, the sword of the Spirit the Word of God.”  

In thinking of this writing the picture I get is Sylvester Stallone in those ridiculous "Rocky" movies being nailed over and over and over and all I could think was...."Rocky, you have to punch back."  Many times I feel that is how I fight in the spirit realm against Satan and his cohorts.  I have a tough chin...I can take a tough week, negative reports, ridiculous odds, challenging health and finances, unbelievable reports and relational challenges.  This writing makes me see myself like a prize fighter taking a beating.  "I'm still standing," I say, but then again, I'm not really throwing any punches.  Today I was encouraged to not just stand against the onslaught of the enemy but to search the Word of God diligently to find the wealth of ammunition that I can USE against the enemy.  Are you discouraged today? Overwhelmed? In pursuit by negativity?  Grab the Word and see what it says to your circumstance.  Call it out of your mouth and declare it over your situation.  The promises of God in the Word are not only to encourage us but to be used as a WEAPON.  Prince says in his book that a Bible sitting on a shelf has no power, but one that is appropriated is very powerful indeed.  Fight the good fight of faith with the WORD herd! - Stu

Free Falling?- Trivia Answer and Award

Ok... so the winner of the trivia contest is Pastor Jeff Hoglan from North Carolina!  J-dog, your next starbucks is on me when you make it to Myrtle!  For the rest of you, you can check out the cartoon and get a more complete story from Acts chapter 20.  So it is totally not a bad thing to preach long, even though it is not acceptable in our current culture.  Remember the Apostle Paul went way beyond the normal 20 minutes preaching until sunrise.   Just a piece of advice:  If you are ever in one of our services and we go beyond 60 minutes of preaching, please, please don't sit next to a window, especially if we are on the 3rd floor.  I would hate to have to "fall on you" like Paul did, I am not sure we would have the same results :)

Sermon Online

Just wanted to invite ya'll to view our weekly sermon's online through the blogosphere.  To the right of the current post, note 180-web resources as a section on this blog.  Under the resource tab, you can click either our church webpage "180-degrees.net"....also you can click the "sermon's online" link to take you to vimeo.com where you can view the past sermons that I have preached at 180, online.  Special thanks to bro. Michael Tucholski and John Mashburn (the guy in the pink thing in the last post) for all their work to make this a reality.  

PS... if you don't like long sermons, don't even go there....I am a truly longwinded brother.  Just ask Eutechus (see if you get it....winner gets a free coffee with me at Fresh Brewed. I dare you to guess.)

-Stu

Hot Mash In Pink

Ok...so I am not so spiritual.  Shoot me.  Here is my good friend John Mashburn.  This just proves to you that 180 is not only a crazy Jesus Freak church but one that knows how to loosen up and smile a little.  John, you look great in pink hats and whatever the heck that is around your neck....

Pray for me, I need more inspiration to write a relevant blog post!!!!!!!!!!  Ha!

Stu

Ugly signs

Just a crazy story.  When we say "to God be the glory"... here is what I mean.  So a long, long time ago maybe over a year ago a brother in the church suggested we put out a sign before services.  We used to do that when we were on the other side of town.  I thought is a good idea and so we encouraged him to build it, which he did.  After a while an artist added to the sign with paint and addressed it in a really impressionistic and fancy way.  Every event we had the artist would repaint the sign with the event and then back over it again with the church meeting info for Sundays and such. 

After a while the sign just got put in the back of the church.  180 functions out of a coffee house so there is no signage at all for the church, so we pretty much function via word of mouth.  About 5 months ago I started being convicted to put the sign out, but I wanted it to be pretty.  So I told all the painters/artsy types to paint it all angles and edges not fru fru.  Well that didn't go far because who do you know that is artsy wants to paint stencily?  So I took it home and put about 2 days into it.  Making it all lines and edges, painted the whole sign black with freehand lettering.  At best it resembled 2nd grade cursive, but it was done by golly.  Next thing I know the sign got taken to a yard sale and was relettered.  I could have died.  Only because the sign ultimately kept sitting and never being used. 

Well this weekend I took out that old sign and for the second week in a row sat it on the sidewalk.  Ironically, one side of the sign isn't even finished.  It is a bit ridiculous, but I am so frustrated about this thing that I put it out in its deplorable space, hoping someone came in from the other side that they might see the "finished" signage and details of worship and our meeting.

Well, the service was fine as we talked about not worrying and reading Matthew chapter 6.  I felt the presence of the Lord was with us.  After service on the way out I was instructed to talk to a man who did not feel comfortable coming up to prayer.  I asked him as I introduced myself how I could help him.  He responded in tears, "I want to know Jesus."  We went to the back room and I listened to learn of this homeless man's story.  He had only been in a church 2 times in his life.  Now at 43, he was homeless, broken, and ready for God to forgive him of all his sins.  It moved me for sure.  Well the process for salvation doesn't change for economics we all know well, so we prayed to the God that cares and Jesus came into that man's heart I am sure of it. 

Just tonight, I was going through the information that new attenders fill out for us and put in our "giving box".  One of the fields of questions we sort is, "How did you hear about us?"  The man's answer:  "Sign out front."

Here's to ugly signs

-Stu