Reflections From Sunday

Sunday was a tough day for me. This week in our community, we witnessed a Pastor of a local church arrested on charges of being connected to child porn. As I got up in from of the church to read the opening scripture, I could not help but think about all the lives that this occurrence devastated. It also reminded me of the many lives that we have witnessed over the past few years in our church plant that just simply threw their hands up when things in their life become tough. The idea that if things are difficult ~ surely this God thing is not really worth it or even real. My heart was very heavy and it still is today. I am praying specifically for our community. I am praying that the community will not shut out the idea of Jesus because another spiritual leader has fallen. I am praying for the Pastor and his family and the church that he led for the past two years. I know that God is in control of all things and I know he can even use a difficult thing such as this to draw people closer to Himself. That is our prayer. That is our desire. It is the thing that drives us. We must continue in the call He has placed on our lives and on His church. We must preach a Gospel of grace and we must point those around us to the cross. It is the very place we find redemption. I love those that the Lord has gathered together on Sunday mornings to worship Him in the fullness of who He is. I love the staff that the Lord has called to lead these people. I love the community of Royse City and pray that we would have the honor of introducing many lives to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ!

Sunday Reflections

Wow, what a week. It has been way too busy. So busy, that I even neglected to blog. Here it is a week later and I am in awe of what the Lord continues to do in my life, the life of our church and in the lives of those involved in our church. I am totally stocked about watching the transformation of lives around us. People finding their passion and purpose in life through Jesus Christ.
- worship was awesome
- started a series this morning on Ephesians (I am pumped about)
- continue to have people come and check us out week after week
- have an awesome group of guys that surround me in ministry
- have an amazing God that leads me through the very things He calls me to speak about
- love watching people respond to the revelation of Jesus Christ in their life
- stepping in obedience as a church so that HE can come in and do what only He can do
- working and praying through writing a book about our experience in planting
- I love our church
- I love our people
- I love what He is doing in and through us
- I love doing life together

Sunday Reflections

This week is a big week in the life of our church. Three years ago, Gateway Fellowship began holding sunday morning services. The church first worshipped on Sunday, September 11, 2005 in The Barn in Caddo Mills, Texas. Gateway Fellowship moved to a storefront building in downtown Royse City in February of 2006 and launched in April. The Lord has done an amazing work in us over the past three years and we continue to be amazed at what He is doing today. We have reached the point to where our funding from the SBTC is up and we are off on our own, so to speak. We had a great service this morning, as we reflected over the past three years and heard challenges from the elders of the church about what we feel like the Lord is dong in us and where He is taking us. It is hard to believe what the past few years have held for us and we look forward to what He has in store for us.

I love our church and it's people
I love our staff and their willingness to do "whatever it takes"
I love seeing lives changed and transformed
I love what He has done in us

Dangerous?

While reading Mark Batterson's new book called "Wild Goose Chase", I came across this and wanted to share it with you. Mark Batterson is also the Lead Pastor of National Community Church in Washington DC. I read his blog daily

"I wonder if churches do to people what zoos do to animals. I love the church. I bleed the church. And I am not saying that the way the church cages people is intentional. in fact, it may be well intentioned. But too often we take people out of their natural habitat and try to tame them in the name of Christ. We try to remove the risk. We try to remove the danger. we try to remove the struggle. and what we end up with is a caged Christian.

Deep down inside, all of us long for more. Sure, the tamed part of us grows accustomed to the safety of the cage. But the untamed part longs for some danger, some challenge, some adventure. And at some point in our spiritual journey, the safety and predictability of the cage no longer satisfies. We have a primal longing to be uncaged. and the cage opens when we recognize that Jesus didn't die on the cross to keep us safe. Jesus died to make us dangerous.

Praying for protection is fine. I pray for a hedge of protection around my three children all the time. You probably pray that kind of prayer too. But when was the last time you asked God to make you dangerous?

I would like to think that when i pronounce the benediction at the end of our church services, I am sending dangerous people back into their natural habitat to wreak havoc on the Enemy"

**** I love the thoughts that are presented here in the above writing. It causes me to ask questions about how and what we are doing as the church. My prayer is that we will become a dangerous group of people who will be sent out weekly to wreak havoc!

sunday reflections

- I love our Church
- I love the fact that we are not bound by a program
- I love that I have the freedom to speak what the lord has laid on my heart
- I love the worship team and their willingness to grow every week
- I love that the Lord is allowing us to see real community taking place
- I love that my wife is by my side every Sunday morning in service praying for me
- I love that we have a heart for young families
- I love that we are continually striving to enhance our children and youth ministries
- I love that we have a heart for singles

pray with us that:
- The Lord would give us favor in the lives of children, students, singles, young adults and college students in the community of Royse City and surrounding areas.
- The Lord would continue to send people our direction who need to be loved with the "love of Jesus"
- The Lord would continue to teach us what it means to "Do Life together"

prayer

Our Father, who aren't in heaven
Hallowed be Thy name
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done
On earth as it is is heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us, our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil
For Thine in the Kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever
Amen

Sunday Refelctions

- I love our church
- I love the fact that the Lord continues to amaze us
- I love that lives are being transformed
- I love that HE allows us to have a platform in all of this
- I love our staff and the wonderful effort they put forth
- I love that we are willing to share the stage with others

Please pray with me for the following things:
- The Lord would give us favor with the children of Royse City
- The Lord would give us favor with the students of Royse City
- The Lord would give us favor with the young families in Royse City
- The Lord would give us favor with the schools in Royse City
- The Lord would continue to amaze us with His handiwork

Did I say that "I love our church"