Why We Have Offering Talks Each Sunday

This is a new component that we have added to our services this year, and have now been doing them for three months.  “Offering Talks” are 3 minute blocks of time in the regular Sunday service specifically devoted to the topic of giving and generosity.  It is a time in which we explain the “what” and “why” behind receiving an offering.

Here’s are few reasons why we have them:

1.  Giving and generosity is basic discipleship. It is Christianity 101.  This is not some deep theological issue.  Nor is it a taboo subject to be avoided in church.  It is as basic to Christianity as prayer is, and God’s people need to learn what God has to say about money and Jesus’ Lordship over it.  These three-minute talks each week give us a steady diet, albeit a snapshot, of what the Bible actually has to say about our money and our responsibility to be generous.

2.  For too many years at PCC we treated the offering as a tack-on at the end of the service instead of incorporating it as a vital part of our worship.  This was a big mistake, mostly on my part, and we made a deliberate decision to fix it.  To be sure, as a new church plant dedicated to targeting irreligious people, it was important for us to minimize the emphasis on money.  It was an effective strategy in our early years. But we did it too long.  Over time it conditioned a lot of people to coast along for free while others carried the load.  Besides, it also resulted in the stunted spiritual growth for a lot of people. 

3.  It means I don’t have to do a sermon series on finances out of desperation.  Think about it.  When we de-emphasize money and giving all year long it results in a financial shortfall for your church.  So what does the pastor have to do?  He has to get up there and preach a desperate message series on giving just so the church can survive!   That’s not good.  It’s not good for discipleship, and it’s not good for business.  Everyone feels like they are being yanked around – both the pulpit and the pew.  In contrast, by having offering talks each week our finances remain consistently strong.  Furthermore, when or if I ever do a message series on finances, it will not be out of desperation – it will simply be another message series on “discipleship.”  Additionally, it will feel ‘normal’ because everyone will have already been pre-conditioned to this subject.

4.  The three minute offering talks on giving are easier to swallow than an intense message series.  Anyone can listen to a three-to-five minute talk on giving each week; even those who don't want to hear it.  Besides, there is a cumulative effect:   three minutes each Sunday multiplied by 52 Sundays is equivalent to a five-week sermon series on the subject.

5.  It’s important to be taught that God owns it all.  Yes, God owns you and all your stuff...... The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the LORD Almighty (Haggai 2:8)...... The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it (Psalm 24:1).  For more evidence of God's claim of ownership, also see Deuteronomy 10:14;  Psalms 50:10;  Psalms 50:12; I Chronicles 29:11, Colossians 1:16.

6.  Stewardship is essential to spiritual growth.  Since God owns everything to begin with, that makes us “stewards” of His stuff.  We are ‘managers’ not the real owners.  Until a person understands Biblical Stewardship and changes their attitude about money and material possessions, they will never manage their earthly possessions in a Biblical manner.

7.  We believe that people are bombarded with incorrect messages everyday telling them how to view money.  For instance, T.V. commercials, businesses, charities, civic organizations, and the music industry all make appeals for money.  But if the church remains silent, we are allowing people to hear a one-sided view of what money is and how it should be used.  The world is not afraid to ask for financial commitments, but for some reason the church has been.  For example, has your power company ever apologized for asking you to make a payment?  Of course not.  At PCC, we have overcome that fear.  We use our offering talks as an opportunity to be clear about what the scriptures teach concerning God’s standard of giving from His people.  We don’t apologize for this.  We didn’t’ write the Bible, God did.

8.  We talk about money because the BIBLE talks about money.  The Bible talks about money too much for us to simply ignore or avoid the subject.  There are around 500 verses on prayer in the Scriptures, less than 500 on faith…but over 2,000 on money and possessions.  Sixteen out of the thirty eight parables Jesus told had to do with money!  To make it plain and simple:  Jesus taught on money and so will we.

9.  Jesus said that money was the number one competitor for our hearts.  If there is one area of our lives, above all else, that holds us back from being fully devoted to Jesus Christ, it is the area of our finances.  This often becomes a stronghold, or a hold-out spot.  (Read Matthew 6:21 and 6:24).  The weekly offering talks systematically chip away at these strongholds, teaching the Christian that obedience in finances is something God demands.

10.  We cannot live with the assumption that everything is for our consumption.  Instead, we are admonished in the scriptures to live in moderation, restraining ourselves from over-indulgence.  In Luke 21:34 Jesus warns us to not live a life of over-indulgence, especially in food & drink and the cares of this life.  Read it closely and you will discover that the glutton is placed in the same category as the drunkard.  These are strong words from our Lord.  Here’s the point:  Anyone who is over-indulging themselves is consuming too much.  Instead of indulging ourselves in excess, we should be generous and sharing from our excess.



Sunday Mind Dump - April 10, 2011

Let me start by saying the band was very good today!  The singers and musicians knocked it out of the ball park.  As I was sitting in the audience watching and listening to them, I thought to myself “these people are really good.”

The children’s ensemble also did an outstanding job for the offertory.  Loved hearing the kids sing.

PCC has got some awesome music.  Not bragging.  Just saying.

The message series on Joseph is still resonating very well with a lot of people.  I’m getting a lot of positive feedback each week, today included.  Since the story of Joseph involves family dynamics, I think everyone finds something they identify with.

I’ll take a break from this series on Easter Sunday.

Attendance in the second service has been up for the last two Sunday’s.

I’m really liking the new service times.

After church today Renae and I made three visits to the sick & dying.  There is always a lot of suffering.  Always.

Always remember:  There’s someone in the hospital begging to have the chance you have right now. Don’t miss your moment or waste your life.

This is a picture of one of my favorite bonsai plants.  It's a Boganvilla vine shaped into a minature tree, and is now showing.  It takes a lot of TLC to make this happen each year.  After flowering, I will trim it a bit to further expose the trunk.  Click the picture for an enlarged view.

My wife fielded a phone call for me at the office this week.  The man she was talking to had some pretty choice things to say about me and pastors in general.  Big mistake.  She handled it.

I always think it’s kind of funny when someone thinks their opinion about me really matters… or that I even care.  Besides, this guy doesn’t even attend our church.

I’m very glad that God has planted and firmly established PCC in this community.  We have been here thirteen years now and together we have accomplished a lot of good things.  Hundreds of people have made this possible.  The impact of this church reaches far and wide beyond the walls of our building.

I’ve been in the ministry and church work for most of my life.  I’ve been around some of the greatest churches in America.  One thing I have learned is that growing churches has nothing to do with musical style, what type of clothes you wear, or how much cool factor you’ve got.  Churches that are growing and effective at making disciples are those that are made up of fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.  PCC is full of such people.

The message today was about having a remorseful conscience.  We learned a lot.

I’m playing guitar in the band next Sunday.  I will not be playing Easter Sunday.

My son and daughter in-law (Jonathan & Jamie) are expecting a baby.  She’s pregnant and due about November.  This means Renae and I will be grandparents.  Dang!  I don’t feel that old.

I’m sure the baby will get the good looks of Jonathan, Jamie, and Reane… and hopefully get my awesomeness!   :)

I’m pretty jacked up about Easter.

I can always tell when we about to experience a breakthrough and God is about to do something big.

The weather is great.  This is why we live in NW Florida.

Renae and I had lunch today at the Hilton Garden Inn on Airport Blvd.in Pensacola.  It’s across the street from Barnes & Noble.  It was a pure pleasure.  The food was excellent, good presentation, good price ($20 each), all prepared by a first class chef.  Plus there was live music – Jazz!

We’re going back next Sunday too.

Going to have very busy week.  Hope to get some fishing done.

Okay, my mind is dumped.  Peace, out.

Friday Five - April 8, 2011

1.  Is it Sunday yet?  Can’t wait.  I really look forward to Sunday services at PCC.  This Sunday we are singing “Will You Ride?” and the message title is, “A Remorseful Conscience.”  Joseph’s story continues and the plot thickens as his treacherous brothers re-enter the picture.

2.  Don’t forget the new service times that took effect last week – 9:00 & 10:30 a.m.  If the 9:00 a.m. service is too early for you, just attend the second service; it’s a good time slot and you still get out of church early enough to beat the Baptists to the local restaurant.

3.  Speaking of restaurants, I'm craving me some PF Chang’s right now and I don't even care that it always results in a swollen stomach.  Some pleasures are worth the pain.  If I have to, I'm driving to Mobile AL or Destin FL to get hooked up!

4.  We need to have a Baptism Service soon.  A lot of people are ready.  We will plan it to take place after Easter.

5.  Today is work day at the church.  A large group of volunteers will be there getting it ready for Sunday services.  We have breakfast together around 9:45 a.m. – a big buffet style breakfast.  If you would like to join us, just show up.  We’d love to have you.

Only 12 Notes

Sometimes when I am trying to prepare a message for Sunday or write something for my blog, writers block sets in.  I have times in which the well is so empty that I am convinced that I have absolutely nothing to say that anybody needs to hear. Another thought that I often have in times like that is the realization that anything I could possibly say has already been said before. What’s worse, somebody else has already said it better than me. That can kill creativity.

Then I somehow bounce back and think, “So what if it has been said before? That’s just proof that it’s worth saying again!”

Think of it this way: technically, there are only 12 notes in the musical scale. That’s it. Every song you’ll ever hear is some combination of those 12 notes. When songwriters sit down to compose, they’re not out to create new notes.  Their goal is to put those same 12 notes – that have already been played millions and millions of times before – together in a way that will move people in a new way.  In fact, some people would even say that the best songs are the simplest ones; those that use the most familiar chord progressions.

So the next time you sit down to create and you start to suffocate because you have nothing new to say, put it in perspective. Your job is not to create new notes, or conceive of new concepts. Just put the stuff that’s already out there together in a way that moves you.

Chances are it’s going to move someone else too.

A Lot of New Churches in Santa Rosa County

It seems like new churches are popping up all over the place in Santa Rosa County.  I’m all in favor of new churches, especially churches that are “planted” by a call of God upon the leader, or that were birthed by a mother church, or some other noble beginning.  What gets me, though, is the number of churches around here that get started as the result of a split, unresolved conflict, angry church members, pilfering the pews of another church, and by sheep stealing.

I was driving around the area recently and seen yet another "new" church that has popped up in the last few weeks.  They even have a new church sign out front showcasing themselves.  Knowing some of their history, I realized that it was not a new church after all – it was a split from another church.  Same song, same dance.  A group of people got mad with their fellow members in their home church and decided to pull out and start their own.  “We’ll show ‘em.  We’ll just start our own church and put the piano on the left side of the stage!”

Same sheep, different corral.

Instead of being happy to see this new church in the community, I was embarrassed.  I was embarrassed for Christianity, for pastors, for good Christian people, and for the cause of Christ.  It’s just one more church in this area started under bad circumstances.  There are ten gazillion churches around here with most of them running about 35-40 people, and everyone in the community knows why many of these little churches get started – conflict.  Somebody got a boxer bunch up over there at church A so they drove down the street and started church B.

Churches begun under these circumstances are monuments to a lack of unity.  They are monuments to petty bickering, childish squabbles, and immaturity.  They have less than an honorable beginning.  Sadly, the landscape is dotted with them!  It’s little wonder that very few people are attracted to these churches – their reputation repels people!  Everyone knows the history behind these churches and most people choose to have nothing to do with them!  Can you blame them?  As a consequence, these churches usually remain small, impotent, and ineffective for kingdom advancement.  It's just too hard to overcome a tarnished reputation. 

Just another black eye for Christianity.

Perhaps this is why 1 Timothy 3:7 says that church leaders.... "must have a good reputation with with outsiders... to avoid disgrace.."

Pastor D. Zastor

REPAIR

Okay, here’s the result of my sod cutting project. Not only did I cut the coaxial cable to my house, as well as the electrical wire to my sprinkler system, but I also busted the water pipe in two different locations. Total number of repairs: FOUR!

Today after work I repaired the electrical connections to my sprinkler system. I was feeling real good about myself when I turned on the power and the sprinklers came on. But much to my chagrin, I discovered two busted pipes. They were easy to spot; the water was shooting 30 feet into the air. A picture is worth a thousand words, huh?



NEWLY DISCOVERED DAMAGE



Jesus Owns Sunday - It is the Lord's Day

On Sundays, Christians go to church. Everybody knows that. It’s what we do. It’s part of the routine. And I suppose that’s the problem. It’s routine.

Sunday’s like that don’t deliver much of a spiritual punch, do they? We gain so much more from our church services if we prepare ourselves for that day. For the Christian, Sunday is our best day of the week. It's meant to be packed with promise, full of surprise, pulsating with life, discovery from the Word, and awe of God.

In the book of Genesis, during creation, we see God Himself taking a day of rest after six days of labor. He then made Sabbath-keeping one of the Ten Commandments under the Law of Moses.  While we are free from the Law, this does establish a very important precedent for New Testament Christians – a day of rest and worship is essential.

Keep in mind Sunday is not like any other day. The early church called it the "Lord’s day.” It is a special day.  It's not the Sabbath Day, it is the "Lord's Day."  It’s a day for us to gather in corporate worship, fellowship with other believers, receive instruction from God’s Word, and spend the day with our families.

We should see Sunday with new eyes. When your heart begins to beat for God’s glory and honor, then Sunday changes. It becomes something extraordinary. Something sacred. Something essential. It is HIS DAY.

Of course, every day belongs to God. But Sunday is the Lord’s day in a special way. JESUS OWNS SUNDAY and He OWNED IT when rose from the grave on the first Easter Sunday. Think of it. On that morning, for the first time, He conquered death! He atoned for our sin. He made a way for us to come boldly to the presence of the Father. And every Sunday since that very first Easter Sunday has been an anniversary of that amazing morning.  Now, the crucified and risen Jesus has promised to be present in a special way when His people gather together to worship Him.

Please don’t take Sunday for granted. Do whatever it takes to rediscover the wonder of it all. Next Sunday, during the morning service, look around the room and remind yourself: These are my blood-bought brothers and sisters in Christ. We are His church, His people. We are here this morning to proclaim His work in our lives. We are here to give witness of His great love, power, and glory.

“I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD!’” (Psalms 122:1)

Christmas falls on a Sunday this year, and since it is already the Lord's Day, my family and I will be in church together.

Sunday Mind Dump - April 3, 2011

Saturday was a good day me and Renae.  We went to Spanish Ft to pick up our boat which was having a little work done on it.  After we got home I spent the rest of the day rigging the boat and getting it ready for water.

I have started the project of re-sodding my lawn.  On Friday I rented a sod cutter and cut up the front yard.  Then I began pulling up the old sod which is very labor-intensive.  As I looked at the enormity of this job, it was overwhelming.  Originally I was going to hire a landscaping company, but after making contact with two companies and growing frustrated with their slow response, I have decided to do it myself.  Besides, I’m low on money.  We had our taxes prepared last week and discovered that we have to pay in this year – a lot more than we were prepared for!  It was a shocker.  That’s what happens when your kids grow up and you can no longer claim them as an exemption.

I cut the coaxial cable to my TV with the sod cutter.

I cut the electrical cable to my sprinkler system with the sod cutter.

Renae says I’m an accident waiting to happen.

I’m too old for this level of labor-intensive work.  The upside is that I’m going to lose weight before this project is over.

After this sodding project is completed, we are having new carpet put in the house.  After that a “for sale” sign goes up in the front yard.

Renae cooked an amazing meal Saturday; BBQ baby back ribs, corn on the cob, steamed cabbage, potato salad, BBQ beans, and a fruit salad.  She made enough for two days… which is what we are having for lunch today after church.  It’s a lot of fun to hang around the house on our day off and do that kind of thing.

My father died seven years ago, last Thursday.  I miss him.

I preformed a wedding-vow-renewal ceremony Friday night for a couple in our church – Steve & Cheryl S.  It was a backyard-garden event and very, very nice.  Renae and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  There were about fifteen people attending, which made the experience very intimate.  We met some interesting people that night too!  One man, who was from Kenya, told me about his work of developing Unmanned Ariel Vehicles (UAV) for use in Iraq and Afghanistan.  I was fascinated.  He works at Eglin Air Force Base.

Also present that night was an old friend of mine who I have not seen in seven or eight years.  It was great bumping into him, and quite a surprise.  His name is Howard, and he just retired from the Army as a Lt. Colonel.  He’s a great guy and a very good Christian too.  I used to small group with him.

One couple from our church said to me, “It’s great to see you and Renae away from church and to be able to spend time with you in a social setting.”  That kinda got my attention.  We used to do a lot of that – when we were a much smaller church – but it has become increasingly difficult as our church has grown.  I’m going to be more deliberate about doing more of this kind of thing.

My Jack Russell Terrier who suffered an eye injury several weeks ago is doing very well right now.  Although the eye is still intact, I think he is blind in that eye, or has very limited vision.  Yet, in spite of it all, the dog has not slowed down a bit.  His personality is still the same; aggressive and full of energy.  Love that dog.

My female Jack Russell (still a puppy) may not be pregnant after all.  Still have my fingers crossed.  If she is pregnant and does have puppies, I am thinking about giving them away…. but only to Jack Russell Terrier OWNERS.  It takes a dedicated pet owner to handle this breed of dog.  They are NOT apartment dogs.  They are hunters, aggressive, and hyper-active.  The best part:  they are eager to please their owners.

A pastor I know admitted to an affair last week. I wrote about it last Sunday night in lieu of the Mind Dump.  It has been on-going for 28 months, involving a female staff member in the same church.  I hate it for him, his wife, his children, as well as the other woman, her husband, their children, the church, and for the cause of Christ.  He has been removed.  She has been removed.  The church is reeling.  The devil is having a heyday.  The internet is lit up like a Christmas tree.  DANG!

Pastor Brian Bloye has stepped in to administer discipline & grace, and has taken supervision of the church.

Almost every week I hear of someone who falls into this trap.  In fact, just this week alone, no fewer than three incidents like this came to my attention.  What the heck are people thinking!

Over and over again I am confronted with people who get tangled up in these kinds of situations.  What astonishes me most is how EASILY some people cross this line. 

I would encourage you to read PROVERBS chapter 5 and 6 and soak in the warnings against lust and illicit sex.  “Can a man take fire into his bosom and not be burned?” (6:27).  THE ANSWER IS NO – you can’t.  You WILL be burned!

Here are a few of my personal Integrity Convictions:  (1) Never be alone with members of the opposite sex, especially behind closed doors. (2) Never travel alone with members of the opposite sex. (3) Don’t confide in members of the opposite sex. (4) Guard your eyes.

I have lived by these self-imposed rules all of my married life – for almost 30 years – and it’s been good for me. This may sound rigid to most people, (especially worldly-minded people), but Integrity Convictions will protect you.

At the end of the day all the safeguards in the world mean nothing unless you truly fear God and have a working plan to nourish your soul.

I received a couple of e-mails last week that would blow your mind. 

Sometimes I am reluctant to open my e-mail mailbox.  I never know what’s waiting on me.

People could avoid so much trouble if they would only live right.

Love = your wife waking you from a dead sleep because she wants breakfast and you do what you are told.

I’m going to start bike riding as part of my workout routine.  There’s something about rocking in spandex that makes stress go away.

For the last year or so I have been thinking a lot about “Succession Planning.”  That is:  Who takes my place when I’m gone, and who takes the place of other key leaders?  What happens if any one of us suddenly becomes incapacitated?  I will be writing about it soon.  This is very important.

Today’s church service was perfect.  The new times were a big hit – they created a whole new feel and the feeling was good.

Attendance was solid (423).  The best part was that the second service actually increased in attendance.  We think this was a very good move for us to make.

We also received a lot of positive feedback from the children’s ministry environments.  Parents are very happy right now!  This is a big, big win for us.

Giving was good too.  We are gradually getting back to the trend line where we need to be.  Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who is making this happen.

Leading a church is such a roller coaster at times.  There are seasons when nothing feels right, and there are seasons when you are firing on all eight cylinders.

The worship band HIT IT OUT OF THE PARK TODAY!  I especially enjoyed the new song – Christ is Risen.  It was the 3^rd song in the worship set.

A couple of men cut the grass Friday.  The campus grounds looked real good today.  I love it when people take ownership of their ministry and their church.  The pride they take in their work really shows too.  The hospitality & housekeeping team is a first-class group of people too.  I notice the work they do even when they don't realize they are being watched.  PCC has some of the most amazing people I've ever seen - they are untiring in the extreme.

The Joseph series has been a big hit with a lot of people.  I’m getting consistent positive feedback every week.

Next Sunday Joseph’s brothers (who betrayed him) re-enter the picture.  This is the meat of the matter.

The part about Manasseh and Ephraim really spoke to.  i.e., God has made me to forget all my troubles in my father’s household  AND God has made me twice fruitful in the land of my suffering. 

I really felt a God-moment.

Renae and I went out in the boat today after church.  We spent the afternoon on Blackwater River.  Lot’s and lot’s of people in boats today, parked on sandbars, pontoon boats, picnics, etc. 

We bumped into several church members from PCC on the river too.

Can you believe the price of gas?  I filled up yesterday at 3.65 per gallon and the prices are still rising!

It was good to see Daniel and Paige Q. walk into service today.  They are a military couple; he is an aviator in the Marine Corps.   They used to attend PCC until they were transferred to Camp Pendleton CA.  Now he is under orders to be deployed to Afghanistan.  They came home on leave and dropped into service with us.  It was a pure delight to see them both.  Offer your prayers for them.

Good things are ahead for PCC.

Sunday Mind Dump ON THE WAY soon

New Service Times

Reminder:  the new service times begin this weekend.

9:00 &10:30 a.m.