Totally off subject!

I was driving around (because that's what I do) and I saw a church. You could tell it was a church that was in use and has a congregation, but there were weeds everywhere and it looked in need of work. And then I felt God impress upon me, "Some people go to church while others ARE the church."

He reminded me how important it is to thank all those that we might take for granted (without malice of course). Those that faithfully serve in the smallest capacity. We get a lot of praise because of where we are positioned, but with out Kurt what would the first impression of our church be? With out Mike and Deb, what would our before service atmosphere be? With out Wanda, what would our bathrooms look like?

Give encouragement this week to the less seen because they are doing the heavy lifting that makes what we do possible!

Horses of Fire

2 Kings 6:15-17 (New International Version)

When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked.

"Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them."

And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

     God's army is ready and all around us. Spiritual warfare is here and we must pray to receive discernment. We must stand with our Pastor and God's vision he's received. We are so good at "DOING" our thing. When is the last time you asked the Pastor, "Oh, my Pastor, what shall we do?" To stand in your God prepared place is to know your Pastors God prepared vision. Then we will see!

Not Alone... I will always love you

Last night Kayla, Stephanie and I had a time of worship at the apartment in Grand Ledge. During one of the songs that Steph was playing, God gave me the following words to sing out. It is a simple melody and even more simple words. But sometimes people just need to hear this simple message. God is bringing breakthrough to some people, but before they will let go - they need to know that they are not alone.


Not Alone (I Will Always Love You)

Do not fear
He is here
Wrapping his loving arms around you

Do not fear
He is here
Wrapping his loving arms around you

He loves you
More than words can say
He loves you
More than words can say

Do not fear
He is here
Wrapping his loving arms around you

and he whispers
gently whispers

Do not fear
I am here
Wrapping my loving arms around you

Do not fear
I am here
Wrapping my loving arms around you

I will always love you
I will always love you
I will always love you
I will always love you

Do not fear
I am here
Wrapping my loving arms around you

Strenth to the powerless....

I can definitely relate to Dallas' post below... this week has been a week of attacks on time, energy, emotions... etc. etc. etc... Areas where i didn't even think possible to attack - they've been attacked! But this morning, my verse of the day from Air1.com hit me right where i needed it to. I have felt so tired and worn down this week. Feeling like i have no strength left in me to keep moving. I haven't wanted to be at work... and everyday it has been worse!!! Then God gently (and by gently... i mean he hit me over the head with a 2x4!) reminded me that my attitude toward what I am doing is decided by me alone. My coworkers cannot control my attitude. My boss cannot control my attitude. Only I can control it. So - today I have made it my goal to really really press in and get past my "self pity" of being tired and worn down... and see what God's plans are today. I may feel like I am weak, but Isaiah says it perfectly...

"He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. "

Isaiah 40:29, NLT

I just came upon a discovery. Every morning since my previous post my feet have hit the ground running. Satan is so good at what he does. My times of solace in the morning have been littered with people, problems, and nuisances this week. My days have been planned from beginning to end and the busy-ness of life has resumed. A stark contrast to last week where work and church was quiet. Last week was a different world... I felt different. It seemed that something poetic could have fallen out of my mouth at any time. My eyes were set upon the goal. This week the only thing that wants to drip from my lips are swear words and the only place my eyes want to focus are the insides of my eyelids! This time of rest thing frustrates me because there are often times I feel as if I can not choose to be still. Much of the time it feels the times I could be "resting" I am doing "church" things. God showed me today that I have to find time to rest in Him... simply for survival. When we become busy we leave Him out. When we leave Him out our minds get busy on the things it shouldn't. Temptations that are typically easy to overcome are mountainous and temptations that are often are biggest struggles become defeating. The war rages on. Today, I am setting aside time to listen to God, and to rely on His strength even in the busy-ness of this day. I will not be defeated.

How big is our God?

I'm reading the book "The Next Generation Leader" and he has a saying that really hit me this morning as I sat drinking my coffee.

"Dream no small dreams, for they stir not the hearts of men."

How simple but how amazing! It started me to thinking how big are dreams for 2nd service, the music ministry, our church......even our city?

Mellencamp said it best:

"Well I was born in a small town
And I live in a small town
Probly die in a small town
Oh, those small communities"

I am all those things and so are many of you, but the one thing we all are guaranteed to have in common is our God isn't a small God!! And what he has planned for this "small town" isn't small. We saw vision some time ago that fires would spring forth from small community churches such as ours. I take that as a "So saith the Lord"!!!
Be ready for God to move when you dream big dreams! He is speaking out:

"Well you may have been born in a small town
You may live in a small town
You may die in a small town
BUT OH THOSE SMALL COMMUNITIES!!"

Yes Lord!!

Isaiah 26:8 (Amplified Bible)

"Yes Lord, in the path of Your judgments, we wait [expectantly] for You; our heartfelt desire is for Your name and for the remembrance of You."

I was hit by the "Yes Lord" bus this past Sunday. I'm starting to look at this fast as a Yes Lord decision. Lip service is so easy to give God because he loves us so much and is so patient. I look at things I've said Yes Lord to and how many other things I have let take their place because of the lack of faith.

This is the scripture that I was given Sunday:

Matthew 9:27-30 (New International Version)

"As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!"

When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?"
"Yes, Lord," they replied.

Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you"; and their sight was restored."

They called out to Him, but it wasn't the calling out that produced the results. It was a start, but it was their faith that was able to receive their healing! It was the "Yes Lord". As we look at the second service congregation, we must come into agreement that what we are asking for CAN and WILL be done in Jesus name!

I remember once saying, "They'll never get there!! It's just because we have a congregation of new believers....." What if the truth is they won't because of me. Faith goes beyond what we see and I know we all know that, but it also goes beyond what we feel too.

So lets stand in agreement and begin to verbally claim God's healings, miracles, signs, and revival for Portland!!!

This past week has been nice... I was able to have a week away from church, which as we all know, is sometimes needed. It just so happened that SWARM was cancelled and I didnt have to be on for Sunday morning in the same week.

With that being said I feel somewhat refreshed and I was able to spend time with my family this past week. Sometimes not being involved in services forces me to be involved in other ways. What I mean is that I often find myself as using worship, SWARM, and small group as a false sense of entitlement to "Christianity." As in "if I do these things I am holy" sort of mentality. When I am stripped of those things I find myself without my "Jesus security blanket" and I am vulnerable, stripped down to what it is I really am which is one disgusting creature. Being without my blanket this week has forced me to find other means of "coping" for lack of a better term. I was forced to find God elsewhere this past week and once I began looking... I can't help but laugh. How often I put God in my "church" box. Like Sarah said in the previous post God is in everything and cares about everything we do. Obviously when I say God is in "everything" I am not talking about some hoky spiritual religion. I mean if we just take off our blinders for a hot second we can see His hand at work in every situation.

I have a story about NASCAR for later but I need to work...

God wants everything...

Wow... this time has been incredible so far. I'm finally starting to grasp what he truly wants from me! I know I shared this with some of you guys Sunday morning... but i also wanted to share it with those that were not there. God has been showing me that he wants everything. He wants to be involved in every decision of your day. Literally. There have been a few times this week that I could not get something figured out and I would be getting frustrated and almost to the point of just giving up. They were practical things like getting my bike seat off of my bike and fixed, and finding an envelope with a credit card in it that needed to be cancelled. I stopped and said, "God help me! Give me the strength to get this seat off, and the wisdom to fix it". Within 30-60 seconds, i found a tool box with the right tools to help me, and it came right off. Looking for my cards, I said, "God, give me the wisdom to know where it is!" Within 30 seconds an envelope fell off of the pile of papers that i had SEARCHED and SEARCHED a ton of times before... and there were my cards.

God just wants to be a part of everything that you do. EVERYTHING. Nothing is too silly, to simple, to dumb to ask God for help or direction. Just keep that in mind this week :-D When things start to get tough, when the trials come - ask God for direction.

Let's stay focused this week on the purpose of this fast. As we agree in prayer for these things, they are the very things that will get attacked. We cannot sit back and let it happen. We have the authority to claim these things, and we need to take our position and claim what is ours!

1. Unity of the Team

2. Breakthrough in the Church
1st service: deeper longing for God, not living on the experiences of yesterday's fire.
2nd service: an understanding of who God is and what His presence is all about. That they would have an intimate experience with God that changes them from the inside out and births that fire and passion deep within them.

3. Our Personal goals. Be praying for these daily! If you want breakthrough in these areas, you need to press in and go after it! You can't win the prize for a race you haven't run!

Be blessed this week! Make sure you get some of the blessing cards to be blessing others this week!

Be still in my presence......

Psalm 131

My heart is not proud, O LORD,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.

But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child with its mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within me.

O Israel, put your hope in the LORD
both now and forevermore.

How much I want to experience this. How often do we come to God in times like this and fret and worry about needing to know every detail. "God! If you could just show me why....how.....when....where..."

Sometimes my daughter comes to me and wants to know the why in everything and all I want as a father is just having her there with me. I don't look down to her for all the questions and worry about this or that. I love her for who she is right in that moment. But I would be a lair to say I don't also love her for who I see she is going to become. With time she will gain a calmness, focus, and passion for things ahead of her. An ability to question when nessacary, but also a maturity to know when to just sit and enjoy being with me.

My prayer for us is that God will show us a new level of questioning and desiring His plans, but also the ability to say,"I don't understand, but God has this planned for our prosperity!" The ability to sit still before Him and just enjoy His sweet presence as we worship Him. That through patience AND persistence, we will find in His Presence that sweet anointing that will break the yolk.

Amplified says it best:

"Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with his mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me [ceased from fretting]."

It's time God weans us that we would put away the foolish, put down the milk, and eat meat to be filled with His thoughts, heart, and Word!

hide away...

God is really pressing on my heart today to hide away in him... This week I have been meeting with him and reading his word, and spending time in prayer - but i still feel like i haven't dug in deep enough. I'm learning i can't let the distractions that surround me, take my time away from focusing on the purpose of this fast! Set aside some time specifically to spend digging in and going deeper. The fast hasn't been easy, by any means... but I know it is something God has called us to do. Stay focused through all distractions, trials and tribulation - he will pour out his spirit on you! I heard this verse on 99.7 yesterday and it has stayed with me. God is sooo good! And all he wants is our attention!

James 1:12 says:

"God will bless you, if you don't give up when your faith is being tested. He will reward you with a glorious life, just as he rewards everyone who loves him." James 1:12 (Contemporary English Version)

Don't Forget...

God was just reminding me today that when we face opposition, especially during a fast, don't forget to reach out to people. It's easy to throw a pity party when we should be reaching out. It's a good medicine. :-D

have an awesome day!

If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times...

Morning...

I find humor in how I often think that "if I could just do that" or "if I could just do this" than I would get my life just right. I think to myself how if I just changed this or that aspect of my life everything would be fine and in fact life would be better. Problem is I so commonly find; I do not have the discipline or self-control to change the things that need to be changed. Paul always strikes a chord with me when he writes about not doing the things he wants to and doing the things he doesn't. Unfortunately that resonates deep in my soul. I've been encouraged in the three days that I have fasted because in fasting I'm giving up those things that I "can not" change and allowing God to take control. There's something about a fast that FORCES you to give God control. I'm finding I should fast much more often and I am starting to understand why J.C. did it so often. The beauty in all this is that when I wrote above that life would be "just right" if we could make the change... I wasn't entirely off the mark. We know life will never be just right as evidenced by living in a fallen world BUT, I'm finding God hastens to strengthen us when we need it most. The promise that we wont be tempted above what we can bear is true but it stretches so far beyond that. God isn't going to tempt us and leave us to dry. In fact when we honor him and give up what it is that we "can not change" he quickly meets our "needs" in other ways. Ways we never thought imaginable. I can't help but laugh at how many times I have heard what I've written today. God give me the strength to grasp the simple. I'm reminded of that old D.C. Talk tune...

Some people gotta learn the hard way.
I guess Im the kinda man who has to find out for myself.
I had to learn the hard way Father.
I'm on my knees and I'm crying for help.

Story of my life... God let my pride and stubborness be lost in the sea!!

Prayer Reminders

1. CPS: Pastor Joe is flying today to Florida - he will be teaching on Friday morning! Joni is down there all week for worship as well as team-teaching the worship class with Amanda!

2. Uries are on Vacation - keep them lifted up! Protection as they are out and about, protection for their children at their various grandparents, rest and relaxation!

3. Breakthrough for our personal lists and the things that are holding our congregation back!

4. Blood covering over each member of the team as we join together during this time! That we would have intimate times with God, and God encounters like never before.

5. More musicians with the heart of worship!!! Drummers, guitar players, keyboardists, vocalists... whatever God wants to bring... Let us pray them in!

1 John 5:14-15 (New Living Translation)

And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.

It is well....

I noticed recently that the busyness of my life had made me anxious and constantly moving 100 mph. With Pastor's vision of a "rest" summer, i didn't know how I was going to do it, but I was trusting that God was going to help me. I looked up the definition to busyness... one of the definitions was "lively but meaningless activity". WOW! How true it is. Even if it is all good activity, I need to make sure I am only doing that which God has called me to do, otherwise it is meaningless. God began to reveal the the plans of this rest time this week. All he really wants is us to spend more time with Him. Stop doing the meaningless activities and "Rest in the Lord" as Psalm 37:7 begins... "wait patiently on Him"... When we spend time with him his peace pours out. I went on a bike ride last night (on my brand new bike!) and was reminded of God's beauty as the sun set in the trees in Portland. Growing up, i never thought i would say this, but I love Portland! And when you see God's handy work so well in a city, it makes you love it even more. The beauty of the things that God has created is so amazing to me. The stars at night - the sunsets - the trees and the flowers. God's presence is literally all around us at all times! His peace is so powerful. I literally felt like i was riding a bike with God. It was awesome! It brought to my attention the words of It is Well with my Soul. When things seem crazy, it is well with my soul.

Remember to rest in Him daily! Even if it is a walk with him in his glorious surrounding, or a bike ride, or sitting next to the Robbe's pool (lol)... wherever it may be... make sure you do it!

"When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul. "

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea...

Creativity... I was just reading Sarah's comment from yesterday. I think about what it means for me to feel creative and how it pales in comparison to the Great Creator. Nonetheless, God must love it when His children try to create something to please Him! I was really happy with the arrangement we came up with for "How He Loves" on Sunday. I love the feeling you have when you take something old and make it new (just as God does I am sure). That's part of the reason I love doing old hymns so much. There's also a freedom in being creative. God gave us such an amazing gift in music. It has the power to bring you to the highest emotional mountains and at other times allows you to experience the valley. Thanks for that bit about Ian, Sarah. I love feeling "artistic" and its when we get to sit down and truly utilize the talents and blessings God has given us that comes to fruition. I am truly excited for what God has for our team... in practical matters, i.e. "x's and o's" but also spiritually.

I often have the strangest songs come to recollection... I wish that I could recall Scripture like I can music. Someone has to put the Bible into a song format. Anyways... when I was younger my parents listened to tons of rotten Christian music as you all well know. Looking back, even though the musical quality was lackluster at best, the songs were true and sound. As I got up this morning an old song by Steve Green just started playing in my head called "Refiner's Fire."

"The Refiner's fire has now become my soul's desire,
purged and cleansed and purified
that the Lord be glorified.
He is consuming my soul, refining me, making me whole,
no matter what I may lose, I choose the refiner's fire."

Usually when a song like this plays in my head I try to switch the station but the words rang true for what it is here that we are trying to accomplish and I thought it was more than fitting.

A New Day

Morning friends,

The day is Tuesday, May 9th. I may be a little late but I have begun my fast today. I had been wrestling over what it was that I needed to give to God and I felt like He confirmed those things yesterday, making today my first full day. God's been speaking to me about a couple of things that have become "idols" in my life and I am excited to see where the next 3 weeks takes me. It's going to be rough I think but I know God has something more in store... He always does.

Let's remember to keep the Urie's in prayer this week as they are on vacay as well as Joni and the rest of the folks down in Florida for CPS. Also, P.J. will be there Friday morning and he asked those who are available to intercede for him from 10a-11a I believe it was.

Lastly, if any of you get an opportunity this week check out Ian Mcintosh. Our old buddy Aaron Woods was listening to him on Myspace and told me to check him out. I did, and actually purchased one of his albums on iTunes. It's pretty cool stuff and a little "un-ordinary." It's a beautiful blend of Muse, Sigur Ros, and the Postal Service (if any of those ring a bell) and the best part is that it's pure saturated worship! Check it out...

Isaiah 58

God is continually confirming this time we are taking to set ourselves apart. In my reading the other night, he took me to Isaiah 58:1-6 which, I believe, outlines the whole purpose of us doing this fast! This is what it says!

“Cry aloud, spare not;
Lift up your voice like a trumpet;
Tell My people their transgression,
And the house of Jacob their sins.
² Yet they seek Me daily,
And delight to know My ways,
As a nation that did righteousness,
And did not forsake the ordinance of their God.
They ask of Me the ordinances of justice;
They take delight in approaching God.
³ ‘ Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen?
Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’


“ In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure,
And exploit all your laborers.
⁴ Indeed you fast for strife and debate,
And to strike with the fist of wickedness.
You will not fast as you do this day,
To make your voice heard on high.
⁵ Is it a fast that I have chosen,
A day for a man to afflict his soul?
Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush,
And to spread out sackcloth and ashes?
Would you call this a fast,
And an acceptable day to the LORD?
⁶ “ Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke?"

Keep pressing in!!! God is going to take us to new levels in him!!

Matthew 17:14-21

And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.”

Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.

Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”

So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”a

Let's get this started!

I am so excited for this summer of rest we are going in to at the church! I believe God is calling each of us to go deeper, to grow closer to him, and have a more intimate relationship with Him! :-D So let's get this started!

Here is our blog to post the things God is doing! Get ready! We're just getting started! :-D

Be Blessed!