What Message Are We Sending?

People will often ask me, what is your church like? They don't generally come right out and ask the following questions, but I assure you that their questions come in various more indirect forms of the following:

• Do I have to have a degree in linguistics to understand what is communicated?
  
• Do you communicate in a way that says I'm stupid and you are smart (although I leave feeling you are the stupid one because you almost demand that I believe what you do).
• Do you allow me to disagree?
• Do you assume all people are like you?
  
• Do you? Do you? Do you?
  

NO we don't. We work hard to provide an atmosphere that is welcoming to all people no matter their degree of church association. A place that removes demands that are placed on those exploring faith. Many churches and Christ followers have messed up the greatest truth of all, Jesus Christ, by forcing faith rather than serving up truth in a way that makes a person hungry for more. By demanding conformity rather than welcoming people into a life changing relationship. Church at the Falls is a place, I am proud to say, that communicates truth in an engaging compelling manor. We work hard to allow people the personal freedom to think, ponder and decide to embrace what the Bible teaches or reject it for that matter. After all, isn't redemption all about freedom?

I love Dave Allen's comedic look at religion. Enjoy a laugh and don't miss the message.

Humble Yourself

Sunday was a great day and I continue to ponder my own prayer life. Let me assure you when I deliver a message I am talking to myself more than anyone else. Trust me, Sunday was painful for my own prayer life or lack of prayer life. So I've had lots to think about and pray about since then. The first point about humble prayer has me really thinking. Am I humble before God? That means an attitude of submitting to Him in all ways including to His answers to prayer. Let me illustrate one aspect of humble prayer. God may impress on me the following, "change what you are praying", "change what you are expecting", "pray this way", "yes I will answer but not now", "no that's not the best thing for you", "yes I will am at work". Do you get the picture? God knows best and we must humble ourselves to hear Him through the noise of our own wants and desires. Keep praying, keep trusting, keep believing.

Here's a great blog by Perry Noble that I think further applies this point. She Has No Idea.

It's Friday But Sunday Is Coming!

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You might have wondered

Random questions you may or may not want to know about me.

#1 - What is your favorite take out food?

Pizza - I love pizza!

#2 – What is the last movie you saw?

Paul Bart Mall Cop

#3 – Coke or Pepsi?

Coke all the way.

#4 – Biggest Pet Peeve

People who can't accelerate and get on the highway - you are always in front of me.

#5 – Who would you like to see in Concert?

Rascal Flatts

#6 – What is your dream car?

Ford Mustang

#7 – Who are your favourite music artists?

I am kinda all over the place on this one.

#8 - What do you do to relax?

In the warm months I like to garden and hang out with my neighbours. In the winter I love to watch hockey.

#9 – Who is the one Christian leader you have not met yet that you would most like to meet?

Andy Stanley

#10 – What is your favorite Bible verse?

John 3:16 (simple and profound)

#11 - What is your favourite TV show?

24

#12 - Cottage or Beach

Beach

#13 - What is your favourite story in the Bible?

I love the story of Joseph. So much to learn about trusting God, waiting on God, humility, forgiveness.

#14 - What is your favourite sports team?

Toronto Maple Leafs (and hockey is the number one sport)

People Come and Go

I was inspired to write this by Pastor Tony McCollum, a pastor whose blog I read from time to time.

The great preacher, T D Jakes had this to say:

There are people who can walk away from you. And hear me when I tell you this! When people can walk away from you, let them walk. I don’t want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you. When people can walk away from you let them walk. Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left. The Bible said that, “They came out from us that it might be made manifest that they were not for us. For had they been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us.” [1John 2:19] People leave you because they are not joined to you. And, if they are not joined to you, you can’t make them stay. Let them go.

And it doesn’t mean that they are a bad person, it just means that their part in the story is over. And you’ve got to know when people’s part in your story is over so that you don’t keep trying to raise the dead. You’ve got to know when it’s dead. You’ve got to know when it’s over.

Let me tell you something. I’ve got the gift of goodbye. It’s the tenth spiritual gift. I believe in “goodbye”. It’s not that I’m insensitive or uncaring, it’s that I trust. I know whatever and whomever God means for me to have and be a part of my life He will give. And, if a relationship takes too much sweat I don’t need it. Stop begging people to stay. Let them go!!

People come and people go and from my perspective over the years, it's never easy. Even when the people leaving are pains it the butt it's hard, not to mention when those we hold dear leave or even walk out. I can tell you that every time someone leaves, even for the right reason, it hurts.

So, what do you do when people want to leave? Whether they are leaving your church, your company, or your life, your family, your friendship, what do you do? Well, I think Bishop Jakes hit the nail on the head. As hard as it might be, just let them go. Talk with them or pray with them if they’re interested in that sort of thing but don’t spend any energy trying to convince people into staying with you when they are sure they want to leave.

You just have to trust God in all this. You have to trust Him to take care of them. You also have to trust Him to take care of you. God doesn’t need them to do what He wants to do in your life. He’s also big enough to take care of them. Just let them go and let it go. Trust God and just say goodbye and leave it with him - He is able.

You Need To Read This

Stop What You Are Doing And Read This http://www.perrynoble.com/2009/05/19/stop-what-you-are-doing-right-now/

Live In Light

You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 1 Thessalonians 5:5 TNIV
Is there an area of your life that is in the dark. Are you allowing darkness to enter your life? When we live in darkness - a place that God would not want you to be - we allow "gods" to form in our lives. We were not redeemed by Jesus Christ to live in darkness - sin. We are children of light. How do we flood our lives with light?

• Read the Bible daily. Ask the question, how does this apply to my life. "God's Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."
  
• Pray daily. Talk to God and be still and listen to God.
  
• Live a life that shows God's love to the people around you.
  
• Spend time with the Church on Sunday and in a LifeGroup.
• Serve others.
• Daily give your selfish desires to God and ask Him to fill your life with God honouring qualities.
  

Is is easy to live in the light - no way! Just like it's not easy to exercise, eat right and live healthy. It takes hard work and discipline to fill your life with God. The pay off is huge, so let's work out spiritually so that we are filled with His light.

Sunday Thoughts

• I'm real excited about the sacrificial giving attitude I see growing in so many lives. This is huge! Here's the picture from our Servolution Project at James Morden School on Saturday. I'm looking a little fat in this picture...may need to address this problem...the shirt was baggy on me so that might be the problem LOL
• Great teaching today. Does God have the centre of  your life? Is He number in your work, hobbies, finance, relationships, etc. If not one of those areas may be a god in your life. Thanks Craig for bringing it straight up - we needed it. So easy to let something or someone take God's place.
• Great crowd for a holiday weekend. Our Sunday gathering keeps growing. 
• Great job by so many of our volunteers today. Loved seeing the new check in area for Kidmo and Lil'K - Thanks to Debbie for organizing this and Tammy for working with her.
• Learned one more time today that when I'm weak He is strong. I just might learn that one day.
• Excited to see what God does through our Peanut Butter Drive on June 20th. 
• I never get over how blessed I am to be part of such a great church. No place else compares. 
• Amazed that God has allowed us to be part of the LifeChurch.tv Network. 300 people accepted Christ last week through LC. We all have a part of that. 
• These are great days, but greater days are still ahead.
• 
  

Friday Video Update

Serving the Community - Elijah - Breaking the 100 Barrier

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Jesus Loves You, But People Think You Are A Jerk

Ok so the title might be a little in your face. Truth is 1 out 4 people have a negative view of Christianity in Canada and of the 75% who say they don't, that does not mean they embrace your Christianity. Even though in our country an overwhelming majority of people "call themselves" Christians they still look at the Church with some degree of skepticism and indeed some think we are jerks. Some have that opinion of us because we have earned it and others have it out of pure ignorance. Either way we can do something about it.

Your neighbour, co-worker, family member, or friend may hear you talk about your church, see you gather with the church every Sunday (this alone freaks them out), know you give to your church (why would anyone give away their money and time to a church) and likely you have changed your outlook on life as you have grown in your faith (your new outlook may cause them discomfort). These things are all good for you, but to a person who is looking from the outside in, you unintentionally separated yourself from them. They may lump you in with the "Christians" that are against everything - movies, music, anything modern, always speaking out against something -- yes these people exist and do it in the name of Jesus. The best way to battle the "specter of separation" is to serve and love people with no strings attached. The best way to get people engaged with your faith is to live it. The best way to change how they see you is to live like Jesus and that will peak their interest in the faith that has changed your life.

• Serve the waitress on Sunday at the restaurant by leaving a great tip (more that 15%) and a card from CATF. You see if you talk to most waitresses they will tell you the church crowd on Sunday is cheap, demanding and overbearing and then they leave little pamphlets about their church on the table with a cheap tip.
  

• I'm learning about loving the board members at my condominium. They are driving me up the wall, but I can't let this turn me into the jerk Christian in their eyes.
  

• Maybe it's going the extra mile and helping out a co-worker even though it's not your job.
  

• How about cleaning up the community, giving to the poor or helping a friend.
  

• Care for people in traffic by not freaking out at them. (talking to myself here)

You see when we serve people, they notice. When we serve, it also changes us and that has huge impact on how we interact with those around us. Giving makes us less "churchy" and more like Jesus. That is a good thing! We move from being blood suckers to being life givers LOL.

We still hold to the truth of the Bible and we never compromise on that, but we present that truth wrapped in servanthood. Jesus loves you and the world may not like your faith and truth my offend them but let's make it hard for them to call you a jerk. Let's not offend people by how we act or our lack of action.

Change the world or go home...have I said that before. I have given you the truth about what we face and the good news is, we can influence how people perceive our faith and we can improve the favourable views that people have of our faith by serving and caring. The world needs to see Jesus. You are up to the task!

Celebration

Celebration Time! We finally broke through the 100 barrier with 102 gathering with us today at the theatre. So glad that God is increasing our influence in Niagara Falls. Love reaching people for Jesus. Let's reach one more Jesus!

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Purposeful Thoughts

I have a few things on my mind today. So I'm going to try to do them all justice and communicate as succinct as possible.

Thought #1
I have had people ask why we don't make personal announcements about anniversary, funerals or other personal announcements on Sunday morning. It's a fair question that deserve an answer so that we're all on the same page. On Sunday morning we want to be as inclusive as possible and avoid insider communication. We don't make personal announcement because 20 people may know that person and 60 or 70 may not. Even if 89 knew the person and 1 didn't we still don't do the announcement. Jesus told the story about the one lost sheep and how he left the 99 to go find the 1. Same thing at CATF, Sunday is not about you and me. The church is not about us, it's about reaching people. The church is for the world. The church is the light of the world. Let's be that light and put aside our needs for others. My hope and desire is that all of you would be connected to others in the church and that the personal touch would happen with in that group of people.

Thought #2
I have had a few interactions with people lately and it has stunned me at how negativity ruins a person's outlook. At work, if you listen to the negative person long enough you will not only dislike your boss you will begin to hate everything about him or her. If you listen to the negative person at the coffee shop long enough, you will be walking around with a mask on (to avoid swine flu), lining up at unemployement (even though you still have a job) and be wearing a hard hat (because the sky is falling). If you hang around Christians that complain all the time you will lose your joy (JOY SUCKERS). Now with that said their is reality, but get away from the people that spewn negativity becasue they sour your life. The Bible says to speak words that are helpful.

Thought #3
My third thought and I'm done. Forgive! Forgive! Forgive! If you choose to hold a grudge against a person it will hurt you and your relationship with God. It can't break your relationship with God, but it will put walls up in your relationship with God. The Bible teaches that if someone has hurt you, go to them and deal with it. If that person is part of our church and they blow you off then you come to me and we go together to talk with them. That is what the Bible teaches. If the person is unaware of the situation, then maybe all you need to do is forgive them and let it go. Your ether get bitter or better. Getting better is the wise decision. Getting bitter will effect every area of your life.

Thanks for taking the time to learn and grow.

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