Pastor Bill's Blog

John 10:9-10(NLT)  ⁹ Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. ¹⁰ The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

 1.             Prepare future generations

Church is always one generation from extinction

In United States – 22% frequently attended church in 1992 – 18% in 2002 – projections – 15% by 2025 – 11 or 12% by 2050

85% of teens between ages of 16 & 22 raised in evangelical churches stop attending church

Last Sunday – 172 children – last Wednesday/Warehouse – 30 students – over 200 birth thru 12^th grade last week – 30% increase in children’s ministry last year

Preparing kids with a Biblical foundation – importance of prayer – focus on worship – this summer at CnD – Back to School Night

 2.             Function as a missional community

A missional community is a group of believers who passionately believe Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow – believe that He lived the perfect example on earth – paid the ultimate price for redemption – and are determined to live from His life to change the world

Walk through the door on Sunday to Ruwandan coffee – Land of a Thousand Hills – Upcoming missions weekend – Friday night – Dominican Republic emphasis – India for children – Saturday work projects – 8:30 at FWSUM – Sunday morning Commitment Service

Living with purpose – prepared for divine appointments – destined to make a difference

3.             Produce lives that are changed

This past Sunday – girls from Wings of Hope

Last year over 300 1^st time visitors – 189 3^rd time visitors

Salvations last year – 292 – Kids Blitz 127 – CnD 62 – Sun mornings 103

9 of last 11 weeks over 600 in attendance – last week 727

LBC Basics – 7 videos/new life in Christ/Holy Spirit/Baptism & Communion – 1^st week devotionals – platform for 7 week Community Group

Together we can experience and share a rich and satisfying life as we – prepare future generations – function as a missional community – produce lives that are changed

Praying – that together we will – that resources and provision will be released

Giving – everyone plug in to God’s economy – $20 or at least something – embrace Biblical principle of tithing – challenge to missions giving

Serving – ushers/greeters/childrens area/musicians – community – missions trips

1 Corinthians 9:22(NLT)  When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some.

Judges 13:24(NLT)  When her son was born, she named him Samson. And the Lord blessed him as he grew up.

 Samson – nazarite vow – called of God – planned by God for him to fall in love with Philistine woman – Delilah – story of love and deception – betrayal of trust

1.             Spiritually driven adrenalin

Judges 14:5-6(NLT)  ⁵ As Samson and his parents were going down to Timnah, a young lion suddenly attacked Samson near the vineyards of Timnah. ⁶ At that moment the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him, and he ripped the lion’s jaws apart with his bare hands. He did it as easily as if it were a young goat. But he didn’t tell his father or mother about it.

In 2006 in Tucson, Ariz., Tim Boyle watched as a Chevrolet Camaro hit 18-year-old Kyle Holtrust. The car pinned Holtrust, still alive, underneath. Boyle ran to the scene of the accident and lifted the Camaro off the teenager, while the driver of the car pulled him to safety.

Adrenalin – When in the bloodstream, it rapidly prepares the body for action in emergency situations. The hormone boosts the supply of oxygen and glucose to the brain and muscles, while suppressing other non-emergency bodily processes

On the routine journey

Attack from no where

At that moment – God’s amazing power

2.             Unavoidable risky attraction

Judges 16:18-20(NLT)  ¹⁸ Delilah realized he had finally told her the truth, so she sent for the Philistine rulers. “Come back one more time,” she said, “for he has finally told me his secret.” So the Philistine rulers returned with the money in their hands. ¹⁹ Delilah lulled Samson to sleep with his head in her lap, and then she called in a man to shave off the seven locks of his hair. In this way she began to bring him down, and his strength left him. ²⁰ Then she cried out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!”  When he woke up, he thought, “I will do as before and shake myself free.” But he didn’t realize the Lord had left him.

Bonnie Parker met Clyde Barrow in January 1930 at a friend’s house. Parker was out of work and was staying in West Dallas to assist a girlfriend with a broken arm. Barrow dropped by the girl’s house while Parker was supposedly in the kitchen making hot chocolate. Barrow was imprisoned shortly after they met and when he was released in 1932 they began the crime spree that lasted until their deaths in an ambush – May 23, 1934.  She remained a loyal companion to him as they carried out their crime spree and awaited the violent deaths they viewed as inevitable.

Healthy desires – unhealthy expression

The thrill of the moment

The danger of the web

I will shake myself free – didn’t realize the Lord had left him

3.             Ultimate triumph

Judges 16:28-30(NLT)  ²⁸ Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me again. O God, please strengthen me just one more time. With one blow let me pay back the Philistines for the loss of my two eyes.” ²⁹ Then Samson put his hands on the two center pillars that held up the temple. Pushing against them with both hands, ³⁰ he prayed, “Let me die with the Philistines.” And the temple crashed down on the Philistine rulers and all the people. So he killed more people when he died than he had during his entire lifetime.

A devastated – broken life

God remember me – strengthen me

Don’t die with the Philistines

Ultimate triumph – from triumph to triumph – what triumph are you currently living for

Saul first king of Israel – displeased God – David chosen to be his successor years before Saul actually displaced physically even though God had removed His favor years before

 1 Samuel 16:11-13(NLT)  ¹¹ Then Samuel asked, “Are these all the sons you have?”  “There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied. “But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.”  “Send for him at once,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.”  ¹² So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes.  And the Lord said, “This is the one; anoint him.”

 The human heart pumps and circulates oxygenated blood throughout the body and provides nutrition to all the cells of the body – average heart beats 72 beats per minute – in average life of 66 years beats 2.5 billion times – heart is at the center of our ability to live physically – our spiritual heart reflects the heartbeat of God – is central to our spiritual life – key to understanding David is understanding his heart

1.             A brave heart

1 Samuel 17:50-51(NLT)  ⁵⁰ So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword. ⁵¹ Then David ran over and pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath. David used it to kill him and cut off his head.

A spiritual understanding of weapons – Saul’s armor or sling and stone

Dealing with intimidation

A giant of a man/ a Giant God

2.             A loyal heart

1 Samuel 20:41-42(NLT)  ⁴¹ As soon as the boy was gone, David came out from where he had been hiding near the stone pile.  Then David bowed three times to Jonathan with his face to the ground. Both of them were in tears as they embraced each other and said good-bye, especially David.  ⁴² At last Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn loyalty to each other in the Lord’s name. The Lord is the witness of a bond between us and our children forever.” Then David left, and Jonathan returned to the town.

God given friendship

The power of committed relationship

3.             A broken heart

Psalm 51:1-4(NLT)  ¹ Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love.  Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.  ² Wash me clean from my guilt.  Purify me from my sin.  ³ For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.  ⁴ Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight.  You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.

The propensity to miss the mark

Actions and motivations

Regret vs. repentance

4.             An aligned heart

Acts 13:22(NLT)  But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’

The pursuit of God

Understanding God’s actions and ways

Everything God wants you to do

Oskar Schindler – Schindler’s List – enamel wares and ammunition factories in Poland and Czech Republic – credited with saving almost 1200 Jews from the Holocaust – became a Nazi – lived extravagant lifestyle – in 1943 witnessed a raid on the Krakow Ghetto – saws Jews murdered – began to intervene for Jews – complex man revealed what his heart really was – was not successful in business after war – a heart raised for divine purpose – if God could use a seemingly corrupt man so powerfully – what can happen if a heart is truly aligned with God for His purposes

Picture of Jericho on screen – Kathleen Kenyen – archeologist – 1952-1958 – died in 1978 – concluded destruction happened 150 years before Joshua – Bryant G. Wood – archeologist – studies in 1980s confirms Joshua conquest – also excavations in 1907-1909 found a place where the walls had not fallen and a house remained – also evidence of fire in the destruction – grain remained which had not been destroyed – evidence of possible earthquake

 Who was the man who led this battle?  What shaped him?

 Numbers 27:15-19(NLT)   ¹⁵ Then Moses said to the Lord, ¹⁶ “O Lord, you are the God who gives breath to all creatures. Please appoint a new man as leader for the community. ¹⁷ Give them someone who will guide them wherever they go and will lead them into battle, so the community of the Lord will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”  ¹⁸ The Lord replied, “Take Joshua son of Nun, who has the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him. ¹⁹ Present him to Eleazar the priest before the whole community, and publicly commission him to lead the people.

 1.             A good report

 Numbers 14:6-9(NLT)  ⁶ Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing. ⁷ They said to all the people of Israel, “The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land! ⁸ And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. ⁹ Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!”

 Reality and greater reality – giants and God

Perception – grasshopper – conqueror

Negative report – faith report

2.             Relentless commitment

Joshua 24:14-16(NLT)  ¹⁴ “So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. ¹⁵ But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”  ¹⁶ The people replied, “We would never abandon the Lord and serve other gods.

Your whole heart

Put away all idols

Determine to serve God

Take authority over your family

3.             Staying the course

Joshua 6:1-5(NLT)  ¹ Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in. ² But the Lord said to Joshua, “I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors. ³ You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. ⁴ Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. ⁵ When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.”

The city(strongholds) – the king(powers) – the warriors(battlefield)

The march(faith) – the priests(intercession) – the Ark(promise) – the ram’s horn(triumph)

The precision of God’s timing

Abuna Chacour – permit for gym & classrooms – James and Susan Baker – dinner with Prime Minister

Hebrews 11:23(NLT)  It was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s command.

 1.             Take off your shoes – Encounter

 Exodus 3:1-5(NLT)  ¹ One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. ² There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up. ³ “This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it.”  ⁴ When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!”  “Here I am!” Moses replied.  ⁵ “Do not come any closer,” the Lord warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground.

 Distinction – From the natural into the supernatural

Protection – from the world – vulnerable to God

Direction – able to sense where you are stepping spiritually

2.             Miracle in your hand – Opportunity

Exodus 4:1-5(NLT)  ¹ But Moses protested again, “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord never appeared to you’?”  ² Then the Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?”  “A shepherd’s staff,” Moses replied.  ³ “Throw it down on the ground,” the Lord told him. So Moses threw down the staff, and it turned into a snake! Moses jumped back.  ⁴ Then the Lord told him, “Reach out and grab its tail.” So Moses reached out and grabbed it, and it turned back into a shepherd’s staff in his hand.  ⁵ “Perform this sign,” the Lord told him. “Then they will believe that the Lord, the God of their ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—really has appeared to you.”

Tool or ornament

Your hand in God’s hand

The power of faith released

Linda Kluczinske – took a woman from prison into her home with a baby – began taking others – in time house sold and the house on Fairfield purchased

3.               Stretch out your arms – Action

 Exodus 17:10-13(NLT)   10 So Joshua did what Moses had commanded and fought the army of Amalek. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of a nearby hill. 11 As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. 12 Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. 13 As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle.

 Simultaneous surrender to God and defiance toward the enemy

Full utilization of resources

The significance of team response

Family struggles – Joseph great-grandson of Abraham – his father Jacob desired to marry Rachel – Leah than Rachel – 7 sons by Leah/2 by her personal servant – 2 sons by Rachel/2 by her personal servant – Joseph first born of Rachel – favorite boy

 Genesis 37:3-5(NLT)  ³ Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph—a beautiful robe.  ⁴ But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn’t say a kind word to him.  ⁵ One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever.

1.             Intriguing snares

Genesis 39:2(NLT)  The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master.

Favor to succeed – the Lord was with Joseph

The traps of the good life

The danger of settling for less than the best

Recognizing the dream is bigger than the moment

2.             The desolate pit

Genesis 39:21(NLT)  But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden.

Favor with man – the Lord was with Joseph

Consolation in discomfort

Grace to endure

Unlikely connections – prison to the palace – butler restored/baker killed

3.             A position of significance

Genesis 41:38-41(NLT)  ³⁸ So Pharaoh asked his officials, “Can we find anyone else like this man so obviously filled with the spirit of God?” ³⁹ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, clearly no one else is as intelligent or wise as you are. ⁴⁰ You will be in charge of my court, and all my people will take orders from you. Only I, sitting on my throne, will have a rank higher than yours.”  ⁴¹ Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt.”

Favor to lead – so obviously filled with the spirit of God

Opportunity to revenge

Choice to redeem – living from a redemptive perspective

Redemption for self – family – the world

Oswald J. Smith – When Oswald J. Smith died in his late 90’s, Billy Graham preached his funeral and told the large, assembled crowd, “We are here to honor the greatest missionary mind of the 20th century.” Yet, when Smith, in his early 20’s, applied to his denomination for missions appointment, that committee rejected him out-of-hand, reporting, “Sorry, you are not missions material!” – held missions convention for Pastor Betzer – changed his life for the world – changed my life – Life Bridge affected by Oswald Smith

Attempt great things for God, expect great things from God. – Why should anyone hear the Gospel twice before every- one has heard it once?

Oswald Smith – Redirection – did not become missionary in traditional sense – became pastor that affected the entire world