| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| « May | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
May 20, 2009 by Pastor Jon.
Praise and Worship had started and was going great. The people were beginning to enter in. Then it began, my mind was going over the sermon I would preach in a few minutes. My notes and outline had been prepared and set in order. But God would not leave it alone. He started messing with it. Look I have to preach in less than 20 minutes, don’t change it up now! But as usual, God will not leave well enough alone. The same basic topic was the same, “In Pursuit of Purpose” but in just a matter of minutes (perhaps seconds) God worked a total paradigm shift in my thinking. Fresh revelation flooded in.
A couple of weeks ago I spoke in detail about the vision and purpose of Redeemer’s Way, so this past Sunday I was going to speak about finding your own vision and/or calling. That is our church’s mission, “Finding your place in God’s plan.” God does have a purpose and calling for everyone, but I discovered that we can wrap our self up in bondage when we focus so hard on trying to find that sometime elusive “ultimate” call.
We serve a God who gives dreams and visions for our future, but we must never forget He cares about this moment, right here right now.
Take a look at Jeremiah 29:4-14 (click here)
Everyone loves to quote verse 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
But you really need to read the verses before and after. The children of
God wants us to prosper and excel where we are right now. Perhaps you do not like your current job and you have been praying for a new one. While you wait for the answer from God, work to be the best worker at the job you have now. Pray for the prosperity of your boss so that you will prosper. The same thing can apply to your school, your church etc. Seek to excel and prosper where you are now. You just never know what doors God will open for you to be a witness or a minister to those around you.
Your purpose and your calling are where God has you right here right now. Do not focus so much on the future that you lose sight of what He has for you to do now.
For years I struggled to find my ultimate calling. As a church planter I believe I have found it, but what have I missed by missing the current moment? Never again will I see calling and purpose the same again. – To Be Continued…
Posted in Reflections, Messages | Print | No Comments »
April 23, 2009 by Pastor Jon.
When I received my copy of, Ten Stupid Things that Keep Churches from Growing: How Leaders Can Overcome Costly Mistakes by Geoff Surratt, I was not sure what to think. However, as a brand new church planter I soon found a book that will be a key resource over the years to come. This is not a book of theory, but a guide full of practical “how to” advice. It is advice that covers everything from the role of the senior pastor’s family to how to handle discipline in the congregation or with staff.
Each chapter ends with the key insight of a pastor that has successfully lived out the experience of that particular chapter and then followed by the “IQ Test”. The “IQ Test” questions allow the book to become a workbook to provide a platform for discussion and discovery between the pastor and leadership team.
Surratt keeps a balance throughout the book by often reminding the reader that ministry is more than completing steps 1,2,3 etc, but it is a call that must have the anointing and direction of God. His sense of humor is an added bonus.
This book can be a useful resource for all pastors no matter what stage they are in ministry. But for a new or future church planter, it should be required reading.
Ten Stupid Things that Keep Churches from Growing: How Leaders Can Overcome Costly Mistakes by Geoff Surratt, Zondervan, Copyright 2009 for more info click here
Posted in Books | Print | No Comments »
April 9, 2009 by Pastor Jon.
We held our first “Night of Prayer” last night. It was an incredible time in prayer for our community. Janice did a short teaching on intercession and she feels we need to set up “Watchmen” or “Gatekeepers” so that we have continuous intercession for our community. During the prayer time, God led me to the following verses in Isaiah:
Isaiah 42:5-9 = This is what God the LORD says— he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: “I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. “I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.”
Isaiah 52:7-9 = How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy. When the LORD returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes. Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of
We do not have another prayer night scheduled until May, but we feel strongly that we will quickly move to doing this every week. This is not a typical Wednesday evening service, but a time of worship, short teaching (10 min or less) and the rest of the time is spent with everyone in both individual and corporate prayer. We have a lot to do to truly impact our community and prayer must be at the foundation.
Posted in Reflections, Church Log | Print | No Comments »
March 26, 2009 by Pastor Jon.
To the men of and friends of Redeemer’s Way Church:
Hi Guys,
I just wanted to send out a quick note about our Men’s Ministry Kick off on Saturday May 16th. I know that may seem like a long time off, but it will be here sooner than you think. We will get the grills fired up around 11 AM, so you need to come fired up.
The ministry will be called “The Forge” and our purpose will be “Building Men for God’s Cause.”
“The Forge” will be more than just Bible Studies (we will do those) and pancake breakfasts (Probably do a few of these too). The men will be involved in all the ministries at Redeemer’s Way. We will always be looking for opportunities for outreach to help those in need. We could be involved in helping fix up the house of a local widow or single mom, reaching out to teen boys without dads, supporting the youth and children’s ministries. Of course this is just a short list. Another key point is “The Forge” will not be made up of just those men that come to our special events, but all the men of Redeemer’s Way no matter where they are in their journey with Jesus. There will also be men that are involved that do not attend Redeemer’s Way.
On the 16th we will announce an initial Bible study to last 6 weeks.
God has called Redeemer’s Way Church to be a ministry built on a mentoring principal, one on one relationships and lots of small groups. I believe that the Forge will set the standard for all of our other ministries. The goal is to help people continually grow closer to Jesus and find their place in His plan.
To make this ministry a success I need your help. So here are some things to focus on:
–Mark your calendar for May 16
–Let me know if you can bring a grill, camp chairs, portable canopies etc
– Bring someone with you - Pray for God to show you who to invite. We really want to invite men that are not currently tied into a church.
–Pray about ideas for our initial 6 week study. Some suggestions are the books,
Man in the Mirror or Wild at Heart – What do you suggest?
–What are outreach ideas we can do NOW!!! – Pray that God will reveal these to you.
–Pray for “The Forge.” Pray that we will all have the wisdom to build this into a
premiere ministry for God’s glory.
–Pray specifically for our event on the 16th. I believe that at this simple cookout,
mentoring relationships will start, salvations, healings and restorations will take place.
I am excited about what God is getting ready to start. “The Forge” will be a powerful ministry, and I am excited about how God is going to use you in a powerful way!!
Be Strong and Courageous
(Joshua 1:9)
Pastor Jon
P.S. If you are a wife that read this, be sure the man in your life reads it too. And we sure can use your prayers.
Posted in The Forge, Leadership Foundations | Print | No Comments »
March 16, 2009 by Pastor Jon.
This past Sunday I finished the series on “The 12 Stones” When the Children of Israel crossed the Jordan River, God commanded them to take 12 stones one for each tribe to build a memorial.
If you look at the meaning of the name of each tribe, the blessing spoken over them by their father Jacob (also known as Israel) and the prophesy spoken over the tribe by Moses you learn an attribute or God and or how we relate to Him.
Here is a brief overview of the 12:
Reuben – A son that restores the husband to his wife, a foreshadow of Jesus that would restore God to His bride His Church.
Simeon – That hears and obeys, that is heard. We have the promise that God will speak to us. Our role is to obey and live out His word. We also have the promise that God will hear our prayers and bring salvation.
Levi – associated with him, adhesion – We are now able to truly connect with God. Jesus has washed away our sins so that we can go before God with confidence. Once again we can walk with God in the cool of the day.
Judah – the praise of the Lord; confession. This is how we connect. We are called to praise our mighty God. Praise and Worship is also the main weapon in spiritual warfare. The worshipers always went first in battle. It is in praise and worship that healing, restoration and redemption occur.
Issachar – Reward, recompense – Jesus paid our debt of sin for us, He paid the price we could not. In that we find the reward of eternal life.
Zebulun – Dwelling – We have become a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit. And we in turn are able to dwell in the safety of His guidance, and counsel.
Joseph – Increase, remover or increaser – We are called to live a life that is always increasing in our relationship with the father and in ministry. Christ removed our guilt of sin and we are called to show grace to others so they can find the grace of Christ.
Benjamin – Son of the right hand, fortunate. Right hand is a sign of honor and a sign of authority. As we honor God He in turn honors us and grants us authority to rule and reign in this lifetime. God almost always chooses to act out His will through people.
Dan – Judgment, he that judges. God judges to the sentence of life or death. That is his role. We are tasked with judging our selves with what is right and wrong. God judges us with grace and patience, so we must be sure that we treat everyone with grace and patience.
Naphtali – That struggles or fights – We often have struggles in this life, but if we choose to rise up and endure we live a life that is free and a calling to reproduce disciples of Christ.
Gad – a band; a troop – We are called to be part of a community (church, others in Christ) that is engaged in spiritual warfare, protecting and supporting one another. We must live on the offense to turn the enemy on his heel. We are called to live a life that is always expanding and a life that is called by God, fortunate.
Asher - Happiness – In a way the destination. This is what God has called us to. Not happiness as defined by the world, but happiness birthed by God that shines through our circumstances no matter what they are. As we truly let go of what we want, and grow closer to the Father, we will find ourselves living in true happiness.
Posted in Reflections, Messages | Print | No Comments »
February 17, 2009 by Pastor Jon.
Throughout this church plant process, I have eagerly sought out those that have gone before. I have found a lot of great information from a number of sources. However, I have found some common themes that seem to bother me.
Whenever I read why pastors are planting churches, or coaches teaching planters I rarely here them talk about hearing from God. I visited a church planter’s website just last week that is planting in a large city. On the site they posed the question “Why plant in city xyz?” They then began to quote statistics of the cities population, racial makeup, growth rate and the low percentage of residents that attend church. Not once did they mention that they had heard from God, or even that they felt God was leading them to this city. (I admit it is quite possible and even probable that they have been lead by God to this city, they just did not mention that leading)
I visited a website of an organization that helps plant churches. They are glad to help you if you can build a team of 35 people and you have $35K in the bank. So how much faith does it take to plant a church if you have 35 people and $35K in the bank?
Last fall Janice and I attended a one day Church Planting seminar. They provided a lot of practical steps. Complete step 1 then step 2 then move onto step 3. We learned some good practical information, but once again there was no mention of spending time in prayer to hear the heart of God.
I have really learned a lot of great and useful information from all of these resources. There is a need to know the basics of planting a church, but to be successful we must be sure we are tied into the agenda that God has for us. We serve a God that is not logical so why do we try and judge how we run our ministries and churches by using the logic of statics and steps to perform?
I believe that we are to live a life of faith. (Something I am trying to learn to do) Yes we can learn all the steps and statistics. Those can be helpful to know. But the choices we make need to be based on the leading of the Holy Spirit and not on logic or circumstances. It comes down to have we heard from God?
Posted in Leadership Foundations, Reflections | Print | No Comments »
February 9, 2009 by Pastor Jon.
Well it is really hard to know where to start. Just over three years after the vision for Redeemer’s Way began we had our public launch. We had several friends from Living Way celebrate with us. We had a total of 47 in attendance.
In December of 2005 I had no clue we would be in Jenkinsburg (I was hoping for North Georgia). I had no clue who would be on our team. Just a few weeks ago we did not even have a worship leader, but now we have a team of three. God has been faithful, and His word is true. With all the stress of getting the building ready, I did not take the time to try and plan something extraordinary for our launch. But perhaps that is what God had intended. He wanted me to stay out of the way, and He keeps reminding me to keep it simple. So nothing fancy, but 47 people showed up. We had one couple that was a first time visitor come and fellowship with us. The husband drives by our building each day on the way to work, and he noticed our sign. Worship was incredible. We have been blessed with the greatest worship leaders. Lanell, Kayse and Rechiel really know how to be sensitive to the move of the spirit. I am humbled by all of our team members. For the past 10+ weeks they have shown up each Saturday to get the building ready. It is a joy to see their energy and passion for what God is creating. It is amazing to see the joy of someone when they realize what God has called them too, and they have the freedom to live it out. I am appreciative to Mike and Dee Klett and Dwight and Judy Bone. They have stood by Janice and me for close to two years. They stuck it out when it was just us. At times it looked like we would have to lay it all down, but God shows up when we stay out of the way. It is His vision, His plan and His timing. We just get to be a part of it. Of course God moved on the hearts of the Lipsey’s who take enthusiasm to a whole new level, and the Held’s who bring wisdom and guidance and most of all a powerful prayer covering. Thank you to Don Lumsden and Pastor Joseph McCanne for sharing your wives with us to help lead worship. Please forgive me if I have left anyone out. Janice and I are just facilitators. Redeemer’s Way would not exist without a foundation of a great team. Thank you to Jerry Still, even though he is not on our team he has been a great asset to Redeemer’s Way. Thank you for your help on the building, but most of all thank you for being my friend. Thank you Cheryl Still for being there for Janice and thank for hearing from God, and not holding back from speaking into our lives. We love you both more than you will ever know. I also want to thank Jimmy and Donna McKenzie for the help with our sign, but also for being our friends over the years. Thank you for speaking into our lives and having confidence in us as we go along this journey. Finally, thank you to Pastor Scott and Veronica. You have been pastors, friends and mentors. Your impact on our lives is without measure. Thank you for believing in us that we could do this. Janice and I look forward to our continued friendship and serving you in the district. God is taking Redeemer’s Way on a journey that we have never been on before. We will only know which way to go as we follow the Spirit of God. We can follow all the steps and plans that seem logical, but we will only be a success when stay true to the move of God and the vision that He has given us. The building is pretty much up to par and the launch is now behind us. Now I can spend my time with my team creating the ministries of Redeemer’s Way. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for us next.
The Journey will be continued…
Posted in Reflections, Church Log | Print | No Comments »
February 3, 2009 by Pastor Jon.
It is hard to believe that it has been just over 3 years since I acknowledged the call to plant a church. (God was trying to tell me before that, but I did not want to hear it). I had always felt called to the ministry since I was in high school, but I never had a desire to be a senior pastor. I was always happy to be somebody’s assistant, or a simple volunteer. But God had other plans. The last ½ of 2005 brought a real restlessness in my spirit. On December the 27th of 2005 I drove out to the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers to find my way out. Janice was feeling strong to plant a church but I was trying to resist. I sat down under a tree and began to reason with God.
I soon put before God that it seemed to me that if I was called to plant a church, I would have a name for it. Within seconds the name Redeemer’s Way came to my mind. From that moment I surrendered my life to the call that I had been created for. My life has never been the same. God has given me a new heart, a heart to reach the lost and hurting. A desire to build a ministry that will show the redeeming love of Christ and transform a community.
Janice and I have been very patient and careful as we have moved forward through this process. We have gone through training with our pastor, and assembled a great team. Actually God built the team. We only have two families with us that we asked. The rest approached us after hearing from God. From a logical stand point it may not make sense for us to plant, but we do not serve a logical God. Each time Janice and I step out on His word, He will reveal a little more of the vision and the plan.
In just six more days we will hold our first public service. It is amazing to watch the word of God come to pass. It truly is more than I can think or imagine. I am excited to finally see Redeemer’s Way become a reality.
God has called us as a Joshua ministry. He gave us three distinct phases. The first was “On the bank of the Jordan. The second was “Crossing the Jordan” and the third which will begin on Sunday is “Possessing the Land” I will begin a message “You have never been this way before” From Joshua 3:4. This will lead into a series on the 12 memorial stones from Joshua chapter 4.
God is faithful, and I pray that like Joshua I can be strong and courageous. (Joshua 1:9). God is truly leading me on a grand adventure. I am humbled that I get to tag along as He reaches out to His children.
More to follow soon…
Be Strong and Courageous,
- Pastor Jon
Posted in Reflections, Church Log | Print | No Comments »
January 13, 2009 by Pastor Jon.
This is an abbreviated version of my message from this past Sunday on the power of God’s word.
Luke 4:35-37 = But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him. Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.
What a word this is. The people were amazed by a word of Jesus.
Jesus spoke, and fisherman laid down their nets and left everything behind and followed Him.
Jesus spoke and the religious leaders of the day that had lost sight of God due to their desire for power and glory grew angry.
Jesus spoke and people gathered by the multitude to listen.
Jesus spoke and sins were forgiven, infirmities were cured, the demon possessed were delivered. –
A word so powerful our natural mind really can not comprehend its scope.
A word so powerful that it created the heavens and the earth.
If you take a moment to read Genesis chapter one you discover two main points about God’s word:
–God spoke it, and it was so
–What was created by God’s word was good
God’s word is available to us to not only transform us but so we can fulfill the purposes that He has called us to.
John 14:12 = I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
So our tasks is to find that place and prepare ourselves to do the same things and even greater than what Jesus did.
We must prepare ourselves to receive the word of God.
Read Luke 8:4-16
vs. 15 = But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and be persevering produce a crop.
–Noble and good heart – translates to a honest heart. Honest with yourself and with
God
–Hear the word – Invest time in God’s word, expect to hear, pray for understanding
–Retain it – This goes beyond simple memorization. It comes from study and constant
exposure.
–Persevering to bare fruit. – Living beyond our circumstances to live by faith. This is a
belief in the word of God, no matter what.
–Fruit: Living out the word
–Shows in my attitude
–Shows in how I treat my wife, children, my boss, co workers etc
–Shows in the words I speak
The main concept to understand that the word of God is truly the most powerful force that there is. All that we have is based on the word of God and how we respond to it. KEY “How we respond to it”
John 1:1-5 = In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
Jesus not only spoke the Word of God, He is the Word of God. He lived what He spoke. He was what He spoke.
So what or whose word am I allowing to enter my life? And just as important: What words am I allowing to roll off my tongue?
Let me close with a few things that I believe that God has ordained for our and His words.
–Praise and Worship — Ephesians 5:19
–Give Thanks — Ephesians 5:20
–Edify, build up ourselves and one another
–Heal and bring deliverance
–Calling
–Give direction
–Salvation
–Confess our sins – not a one time event.
–Pray to God with our needs and the needs of others. Ask of God
–Prophesy–Declare faith over our circumstances and the circumstances of others
–Witness
Treat the word of God as a treasure. Ask God to reveal to you the understanding that His word is powerful and He has given us the ability to share that word with everyone that we come in contact with.
Prepare your soil to be good ground, so that you will always know the word of God over your life.
Posted in Messages | Print | No Comments »
January 5, 2009 by Pastor Jon.
Well 2009 is off to a great start. We had 35 people in attendance at our service.
This included a 3 member worship team with keyboard and guitar. And Janice and I worry worried for months about how we would do worship.
We should have our phone installed on Wednesday and I have placed the order for our sound system. Saturday we will pick up our new chairs.
When God told us to get ready to run, He was not kidding.
- Pastor Jon
Posted in Church Log | Print | No Comments »