Care vrs. Limited Resources

From time to time we will receive requests for our church to donate to certain causes, to support other non-profit organizations and their efforts, to pay for someone’s power bill, to support a foreign missionary, to fund a new ministry, or to take up a special offering for a community drive.  The only problem with so many requests is that PCC has a limited amount of resources (both financial and manpower) to offer.  Therefore our own mission receives first priority.  In other words, we fund our own initiatives first and the ministries that we have deemed essential to our mission.

“You just don’t care” some might object. 

Sheesh!

It’s not that we don’t care.  It’s just that there is a limit to how many times we can say yes.  We take our financial commitments very seriously.  Your request is not greater than anyone else’s and we make no “spur of the moment” decisions, no matter how compelling they are.  Nor do we allow an emotional response to drive our funding decisions.  Every need is legitimate, but there are not enough resources for every need.

That’s why we will always ensure that PCC is able to support itself before we support another non-profit organization.  We will pay our own utility bill before we pay someone else’s.  We will not siphon money away from our essential ministries to fund another project.  And we will spend money on local missions before foreign ones. 

This Blog Has Been Down for Two Days

My blog server (Blogger) has been preforming maintenance on their system, which has prevented me from making any posts.  Additonally, they have deleted or lost my last three entries.

Lake Talquin, Near Tallahassee FL

Renae took this photo of Robert & Joyce Hughes who were in front of us in the middle of Lake Talquin.  It was about 7:30 PM and we were headed to the other side for some last minute fishing.  My sister said she needs some time away at a place like this just to detangle her mind.  I think everyone needs a moment like this. 

Why Was Joseph so Great?

Why does the Holy Spirit hover over the life of Joseph more than all others in the book of Genesis, including Abraham? 

Joseph certainly was not perfect.  He was not free from trouble.  With God’s help he interpreted a few dreams, but made no awesome prophecies.  He was not a preacher, a priest, or a prophet.  As far as we know he wrote no scripture.  So what made him so great?

It was his solid faith in God that made him so great.  His faith manifested itself in gracious compassion towards others, even those who had harmed him, and it also manifested itself in a splendid attitude in overcoming life’s hardships.

Joseph was a regular guy who came from a troubled home, a dysfunctional family, faced temptations, and suffered a lot throughout life, just like so many of us today.  Yet he overcame every bit of it through faith and conviction.  Whether in poverty or prosperity, the dungeon or the palace, Joseph was consistent.  Although emotional at times, he never wavered.    

 What an example for all of us.

You don’t have to wait for your circumstances to get better before you get a good attitude.  Bloom where you are planted.

Sunday Mind Dump - May 8th - Mother's Day

Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers.

As an adult I now realize all the torment I put my parents through.  I think my mother is one of the greatest people in the world.

My wife is also an amazing person.  She has raised and shaped two fine sons.

Today was a solid day at PCC.  Attendance was back up after the after-Easter slump.  The first service was packed and the second service was better than normal.

The band did an excellent job.  This particular worship team is coming into their own and sounding pretty good nowadays.

The musicians are also nailing it.  A special shout out to Mike Collins and Gary Moe, two of our guitarists, who are nailing it!

Jodi Burgess and the kids did an exceptional job on the offertory today.  The music was good (almost boogie-woogie) as the kids recited all the books of the Old Testament in song.

I think learning should be fun.  Don’t you?

And Mike Collins had some good guitar riffs going on, in the second service, during the children’s offertory.

No, I did not do a Mother’s Day sermon today.  I continued in the Joseph series for a couple of reasons.  Most of all, I didn’t want to short-change our regular attenders and dedicated members who have been with us all this time for the sake of casual attenders who show up only on special days.

No, the Joseph series did NOT end today.  There will be one or two more messages in this series before it ends, and for good reason.  Trust me, it’s worth it.  If it’s in God’s Word, it’s there for a reason.

I might even share a personal family story next week, with my Mother’s permission, that’s closely related to Joseph’s story.

After this series ends, we will receive Communion.

It’s time to plan a Baptism service.

My next message series might be on the Parables of Jesus.  It’s time for us to get back to the New Testament.

I’m also thinking about a series on Ester and Job (from the OT) this year.

Another topic I’m having a strong impression about is “after life” issues.  i.e., What happens to a person when they die?  What does the Bible say about heaven?  What does the Bible say about hell?  What does the Bible say about Judgment Day?

Would you be interested in a series on a topic like this?  Let me know.

Today for the offering I talked about financial bondage.  Yes, that is a deeply spiritual issue for the Christian.  God’s will is that we have dominion over all things and that nothing have dominion over us.

If you will voluntarily make yourself the slave of God, nothing else will have the power to enslave you.

After the first service today I was very pleased to see how many people continued to linger in the atrium after the second service began.  Get the picture:  these people have already attended the first service, the song service is going strong in the second service, and here these people are hanging out in the atrium visiting and fellowshipping with one another.  It was like they preferred to be here than anywhere else!  As a pastor, you just gotta love it.

Who has God laid on your heart with a spirit of burden?  Pray for them, regardless of what others think.  In fact, risk your reputation to get close to them.  Who knows, people might call you the same thing they called Jesus – “the friend of sinners.”  Wear that name as a badge of honor.

Fill my cup Lord.  I lift it up Lord.  Come and quench this thirsting in my soul; Bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more.  Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole!

How to Lose 20 Pounds of Fat in 30 Days

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I found this eating plan that sounds pretty interesting.  Basically it means eating the same meals over and over again, (of course, that means the right kinds of food), for thirty days.  You can find it HERE.

Is anyone interested in forming an ad-hoc group and giving it a try together? Call it accountability.  Leave me a comment and let me know.

I think exercise is essential and will include it myself.

All skinny people need not apply.

Pensacola Pass - Saturday

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I just ove this picture... and I think the water and background is pretty too.

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Friday Five

1.  THIS SUNDAY is Mother’s Day and a good opportunity to worship together as a family.

2.  The MESSAGE this Sunday is NOT a Mother’s Day message.  I will continue the current series.  Our congregation is enjoying the Joseph series so much that I didn’t want to lose momentum.  The message title this Sunday is, “Forgiving Others – The Ultimate Test.”  This is the moment that Joseph finally reveals himself to his brothers.  It is deeply moving.

3.  TELL US YOUR STORY.  If you would like to write us a testimony of good things happening in your life, you can use our new website to do so. Go to PaceCommunity.com and click the SHARE YOUR STORY tab, then click the LAUNCH SHARE FORM to write your testimony.  Your story will be sent to Gene Tharp before being published.  We’d like to hear from you!

4.  I’m going to be extremely busy next week.  I’m already swamped and it hasn’t even gotten here yet.

5.  WHEN PEOPLE LEAVE YOU.  When people walk away form you, let them go.  You must let them walk.  Your destiny is never tied to anybody who left.  Your happiness should not be either.  The Bible says, “They went out from us that it might be made known that they were not of us, because if they had been of us, they would have continued with us” (I John 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.  You’ve got to know when it’s over.  You’ve got to know when their part in your story is finished.  You’ve got to know when it’s dead.  Develop the gift of goodbye.  You have a new chapter in your life that needs to be written.  Let God bring new people, the right people, into your life.  Move your tent pegs outward and enlarge your borders – God has more for you, something better.

Thursday Edition Mind Dump

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·     After being offline for a few days and living in a van down by the river, I woke up to discover that Osama Bin Laden was dead, killed by a team of U.S. Navy Seals.  Maybe I should unplug more often.

·     Last Sunday was a good day at PCC.  Attendance was off, but still strong.  It was a successful day because we worshipped God, gave sacrificially, learned from the Word, fellowshipped together, and served the Lord.

·     When we started PCC thirteen years ago we broke all the rules that church planting books and gurus say you’re supposed to do.  Yet we see God doing some amazing things.

·     It truly amazes me to see the diverse group of people that God has drawn together in the PCC family.

·     If the grace we are willing to show does not risk our reputations, we’re not showing much grace.  We’re too religious.

·     When I started out as a church planter, the people I thought would always be there didn’t stay.  However, people I did not even know were the ones who God has sent to us for the long term.

·     Outlast your critics.  It will drive them crazy.

·     After I get through preaching/teaching on Sunday, I always pray that what I meant to say, what I said, and what people heard are reasonably similar.

·     When skill combines with love (agape) it creates beauty and God honoring ministry.  Skill without love is just religious noise (I Corinthians 13)

·     Words that can HELP come from the mind, but words that can HEAL come from the heart.

·     “Music is God’s gift.  I place it next to theology.  Satan hates music.  He knows how it drives evil spirits out of us” (Martin Luther, the German monk).

·     Music is spiritual.  The music business is not.

·     Church is not a “gig.”
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·     Raising teenagers is one of the ways that God teaches you patience and unselfishness.

·     "Do not forget the things I have done throughout history. For I am God, I alone, There is no one else like me" (Isaiah 46:9)

·     Renae and I went on a fishing trip with Robert & Joyce Hughes for a couple of days near Tallahassee at Lake Talquin.  We left Sunday afternoon and returned Wednesday.  We caught a lot of fish too.  Lot’s of fun.

·     During that time I had no internet, was offline, and very little contact with the outside world.  It was very nice to be unplugged for a few days. 

·     I also gained one hundred pounds while on this trip.

·     Gas prices rose 15-20 cents during that time too.  Dang!

·     Coffee prices are up 27%.  When is this going to end?

·     The only sure way to double your money right now is to fold it in half and put in back in your wallet.

·     I opened my email when I got home and all I can say is that it was full!  It was like jumping back into the frying pan.

·     On the drive back home Renae and I did a lot of talking about the ministry, the future, and what we want the next chapter of our lives to look like.

·     Looking forward to this Sunday.  I’m expecting a good day.

·     But for now it’s back to work.

Hiatus Over

I've been on a five-day break from blogging just to see if I could do it.  My hiatus is now over.  Will resume blogging tomorrow.