Christ is Risen...Now What?

Sunday morning retuning:  He is Risen!  He is Risen indeed!  What a celebration of the resurrection!!  Thank you to each of you who participated and helped to make I’ve Seen Jesus happen Sunday.   I was honored to help lead you.

Because I had issued a bold call for expectant prayer with the 1800 Challenge, I was waiting to get the final attendance numbers for our Easter services before I sent this my next Tunings out to you.  I received those numbers late yesterday but did not want to wait until next Tuesday to get them and some accompanying thoughts to you.  I will explain why later.

The official count was 1649.  I was initially a little disappointed that we had not reached 1800, but immediately it occurred to me that God may have been drawing 1800 but some resisted.  I do not know this of course, but that thought eased my disappointment a bit.

The really is not the important number.  The number that really matters is the one that gives us some sense of how God was moving.  At least 20 people responded for the first-time saying they wanted to follow Jesus.  That is exciting, but I must admit again that what I want to see is evidence that people are walking with Jesus, not just turning to Him.  In addition to those decisions, over one hundred books were given out, and even though many to were people who were planning to pass them along, I believe that some are pondering the reality of Jesus.Only time will tell if that is happening.

The first part of that “time” will be this Sunday.  Will they come back and give us a chance to help them take the next step with Jesus?  Only He knows that answer, but I want to encourage you to pray with me that many will return, get connected, grow, serve and love.  I wanted to get this note to you to ask you to do that and even though you will only have Saturday, please pray.  Let’s together trust God to do what only He can do, but let’s do our part as well.

How about a little reflection?  It is difficult for me to take time to reflect sometimes.  I am already aggressively making plans for our upcoming Worship Workshop in 3 weeks, but I am growing in my belief that evaluation is an important part of constant improvement.  So, I welcome your feedback, especially as it may help us celebrate Easter even better next year.  Bring it on!

One anecdote.  For those of you who were with us for Good Friday, you will remember the cards we nailed to the wooden beams representing situations where we needed to see the Resuurection power of Christ turn our Fridays into Sundays.  I heard of an incredible one on Wednesday regarding a short sale on a home that the realtor commented was “nothing short of a miracle”.  What’s even more amazing is that this was answered even before the close of the day Friday.  Sometimes God works very quickly.

Jesus, help us to see Your resurrection power at work in our lives.  All of us have some difficult situation where we are desperate to see You make a change.  Do it Lord!  Even if most of what You change is us!  We long for more of Your glory and power!  In Jesus name.  Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Timothy

Son of God: Who Is He?

Sunday morning retuning:  What sight adjustments are you making having heard Sundays message from Luke 16:10-18.  Did you miss it?  Listen to it here.  Remember it is not enough to walk away with a good idea.  You must find a way to allow that idea to motivate you to take the next step in following Jesus.

This Sunday as we celebrate the resurrection, we will be answering this question.  utilizing the main image from the recent major motion picture, we will do so by examining five encounters with the Resurrected Christ:  Mary Magdalene, the disciples on the road to Emmaus, the disciples in the upper room, Thomas, and Peter.  It seems odd that they either did not recognize him at first or had trouble believing it was him or why he was there.

Before we become too critical of those disciples, we need to ask ourselves a simple question.  Why do even we who know Him not always recognize HIs presence with us?  We struggle to find the ability to believe even though we know him and that he is always with us.

These words will give us perspective on Sunday morning as we consider our need to encounter Christ in our days.  They are taken directly from the musical.  I want to ask you to pray for those who will be hearing them for the first time Sunday.

Perhaps, like Mary Magdalene, we may be blinded by personal pain, unable to see Him clearly through our tears – until He calls us by name.

Perhaps, like the two travelers on the road to Emmaus, we can become so consumed in daily worries, we don’t realize He is always walking beside us, desiring our fellowship.

Perhaps, like the disciples, we have hidden ourselves behind locked doors, hesitant to proclaim His name to a hostile world – until He is suddenly there among us, saying “Peace be with you.”

Perhaps, like Thomas, we can easily become hardened skeptics, demanding physical evidence of Christ’s claims – forgetting that Jesus offers spiritual assurance beyond any temporal proof.  When we believe without seeing, we are indeed, blessed.

And perhaps, like Peter, we let our past failings rob us of the conviction that we can still serve Christ until we face the Cross and know we are forgiven, forever.

If they who knew Him, and we who know Him, have such reasons for not seeing Jesus clearly, how much more those who have yet decided to follow him.  How this should encourage us all the more to pray for those who do not yet profess to know Him?  Will you pray Sunday?

Will you pray today?  Will you take the 1800 prayer challenge.  Join me in asking God to double our normal Sunday attendance, then to reveal His glory and His power everyone of us.  Pray Ephesians 1:16-21.

Jesus, open our eyes to see You for Who You really are as we worship You this Sunday.  And not just us, but hundreds who will worship with us, and millions who will worship in churches all around the world.  Revive Your Church.  Awaken the masses.  Show us Your glory!  Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Timothy

Standing in the Shadows

Sunday morning retuning: Are you willing to make eternal investments?  What risk do you need to take this week that could pay off eternally?  Are you willing to take it?

That last bit of snowfall we had, notice I said last, left just a dusting on the ground.  I happened to look out the window of my study and notice this interesting sight.  As the sun was moving across the sky, it was melting away the snow.  Only the snow in the shadows remained.  I snapped this picture and pondered the implications of standing in the shadows…

It is cold in the shadows.  You can really feel that this time of year.  Stepping into the sun can change the temperature from cold to comfortable.  So why would we not want to?

It is safe in the shadows.  Some things are hidden, or at least not as exposed. People simply do not know us as well if we stay in the dark.

The choir is singing a song by that contains the phrase “Been standing in the shadows”, describing the disciples in the Upper Room after the resurrection, before they took their stand.  It continues, “Drifting out to sea.  Denying that I know You, denying You know me.  Before the battles started I’m running in defeat, O Lord.”  How often might we be able to say this, mirroring that fear of the disciples?

I think this fear it comes immediately before us when we consider inviting someone to a church event.  I want to ask you to do something bold.  Actually, most of you have already been asked.  Easter is 12 days away.  We have prepared invitation cards to give to people welcoming them to be your guest at our Easter services.  We will boldly and beautifully answer the question “Son of God: Who Is He?”

But that is not the bold thing I am asking you to do.  I have begun to pray that God will double our church on Easter Sunday morning.  Our average attendance on Sundays in March was 898.  Will you pray with me for 1800 people on Easter?  1800 souls, undoubtedly many who can not say they are following Jesus, confronted with the reality of His resurrected glory.

If you are willing to join me, please let me know by replying to this email simply saying “I will pray.”

Will you step into the light?

Do you see that gorgeous blue sky?  I want to the clouds to part and the sun to shine down on some unsuspecting souls next Sunday.  Join me in the light, praying.

Jesus help us to lift You up.  You said if we will lift You up You will draw people to Yourself. [John 12:32] Show Your faithfulness and draw them Lord.  We are asking for you to double our church next Sunday as we celebrate Your resurrection.  Bring 1800 people into that sanctuary. In Jesus name.  Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Timothy

Sunday’s Coming

Sunday morning retuning: We were each lost and dead in sin, then Jesus rescued us!  What a great reminder these last two Sundays.  When you think of rescue, is there someone who comes to mind.  Have you taken the opportunity to introduce them to the Rescuer?  You know Easter is right around the corner...

Of course, we all know this, but no one better that preachers, including those who lead worship.  Every Sunday is a reminder of a sorts of the most important one, that Resurrection Morn we will celebrate in a couple weeks.  I have felt inclined to approach it in a slightly different way this year.  Let me explain.

I believe that to appreciate the height of the ectasy of Easter, we have to descend to the depths of despair of Good Friday.  This generally leads me to plan a solemn remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice.  While we will remember that again this Good Friday, I want to look ahead to the difference that Sunday’s coming makes even on our bad Friday’s, that is our darkest days of disappointment and failure.

We will watch this video featuring S.M. Lockridge’s classic sermon.  Then I will give us time to ponder what “Friday” each of us is living currently.  We will write that on one side of a piece of paper.  On the other side we will write what we are hoping our “Sunday” will look like one day, believing it can be because of what Christ has done.  We will then nail these to a block of wood at the foot of the cross in faith that what is, is not what will be.

You see, it’s Friday, but Sunday's a'comin.

It always has been, and nothing has changed, but I am sensing a need to change the way I am going about it.  It has occurred to me recently that the more planning we are able to do further out from Sunday, the more creative we can be.  If we can find a way to involve more people in this process, the creativity could be effected exponentially.  What might that look like?  I am not sure.  

While this was all percolating in my soul, I had a conversation recently with someone about a show at Disney called Fantasmic.  It is a water fireworks light show extravaganza.  They were sharing with me how it really got their creative juices flowing as they marveled at what was required to pull off this techincal, artistic, logistical marvel.  That got me thinking.

What kind of a team of people must be required to pull off such a feat?  How would you even begin to conceive of such a monumental task?  How long would you have to prepare and plan to make it a reality?  In short, it would take a lot of creative, disciplined people a long time get it done.

Though I have no intent on creating our our version of this, Christasmic, it did advance my previous thinking a little further.  I want to involve others in the creative process.  I am not certain what that will look like but I want to explore it.  When you read above what we will do on Good Friday did it stir your creativity?  Do you sometimes have creative ideas to express our worship corporately?  

Will you consider what your role might be in that?  Maybe it is just am imagineer?  But maybe it is a bit more.  Maybe you have been standing in the shadows and you need to step into the light...more on that next week.

Jesus give us eyes to see You all around us.  You are there and we need to see You.  Then give us eyes to see You as we prepare to say goodbye to all this life holds, and hello to what the next does.  Grant us peace, and open eyes.  In Jesus name.  Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Timothy