Get Service

Yesterday the majority of the churches in the Raleigh area canceled their morning worship services due to the reports of icy conditions on the roadways. At North Raleigh Church of the Nazarene we decided to have an 11:00am Worship Service. God blessed us with His presence and a wonderful service.

In my message I shared the following: In today’s fast-changing world, churches are faced with the daunting challenge of changing their methods in order to reach the world with the unchanging message of the Gospel. It’s no wonder more than 80% of all churches in North America are plateaued or in decline.

I believe it’s time for North Raleigh to move beyond our past and make 2008 a year of refocus and changed lives. We want God to SUPER SIZE US TO BE EAGER TO SERVE…..to see the world in a new and different perspective. I long for every person to truly experience ministry satisfaction.

Then I showed a clip entitled "Get Service". If you wish to view this clip click HERE.

To hear the message - Click HERE

The disappointing lost

Tar Heel cheerleaders stand and sing at half court after the disappointing loss to Maryland, 82 to 80. Saturday Janaury 19, 2008

Photo by Nathan Clendenin
Copyright 2008 WRAL.com

Don't be so quick to take...but do be quick to give

Sharron and I were blessed by a short visit by Stephanie and Alyse over the past three days. I was so glad to see them. It brought joy to my heart to hold my grand daughter again. You may notice she has two small teeth and others ready to be seen soon. This picture was taken in the evening before bed time as we played. She is only 10 1/2 months old and almost ready to take her first steps. She stands really well but then tends to wobble and then fall down.


I really appreciated the short daddy/daughter time I had with Stephanie. She always has goodinsights for me. Her perspectives help me grasp and understand current reality in my life. I also received an email from Danielle which challenged me with some thoughts. I look forward to seeing Danielle next week.

As I have been praying and working on my series of messages about stewardship I am asking God for new truths to share. In my preparation for this week I read the following story which was posted on the AP site just yesterday:

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - A $469,000 payroll error at a New Jersey company has earned an Illinois man a date with police. Anthony Armatys of Palatine, Ill., was arrested Wednesday on theft charges after allegedly receiving electronic payroll bank deposits from a New Jersey company he never worked for, authorities said. Officials at Avaya Inc., a telecommunications provider located in Basking Ridge, discovered checks had been mistakenly direct deposited into his account for nearly five years, according to the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office.

Armatys, 34, had accepted a position with Avaya years ago, authorities said, but he rescinded the acceptance before he ever started working. However, a system error resulted in checks being deposited into Armatys' bank account from the fall of 2002 to March of 2007, when the company discovered the error, officials said. During that time, Armatys collected more than $469,000 in pay and even withdrew approximately $1,900 from his company retirement account administered by Fidelity Investments, authorities said." (end of article) Thanks to my friend Tom Kinnan for the insights.

Wow! Nice part-time job...well...no-time job, I guess. Apparently this man never heard the phrase..."there's no such thing as a free lunch." I'm quite sure he knew the money popping up in his bank account wasn't his...and yet he kept it. And even withdrew money from a retirement account! Good grief.

Obviously we would never do such a thing, I'm sure. Ok...well...maybe we wouldn't mention that $20 bill we found in the store. Ah...well...then there's that compliment we received, and we took the credit even though we knew someone else did the work. Oh yeah...and we did keep the extra change the store clerk inadvertently gave us. Come to think of it... doesn't the Bible say something about "would a person rob God?"

You see...it's easy to dip into areas where we shouldn't and take what we shouldn't...and no one notices. But it does catch up to us. Maybe you're stealing someone's thunder...or taking another person's dignity because of how you're treating them. Maybe you're robbing someone of an opportunity because you won't trust them. Or perhaps you're taking too much credit for what is being done around you.

Don't be so quick to take...but do be quick to give. You'll find that when you do, God is filling your soul with more than you can contain. And when you're giving...you don't need to be looking over your shoulder as if you're committing a crime.

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Luke 6:38

These my friends are, you guessed it, trustworthy statements.....

LIVING LARGE - A life of generosity

On Sunday January 6,2008 I began a new series of messages entitled: The Apprentice: Learning the business of stewardship.

As I began to speak this is what I said:

Today we begin a new series about stewardship. I recently read from a Lily Foundation Report that 85% of pastors feel unequipped and uncomfortable teaching on finances and giving. Another stat I read said that 90% of the churches in North America do not have an active plan for teaching Biblical principals about finances. In the Bible, there are 40 verses on "baptism", 275 verses on "prayer", 350 verses on "faith", 650 verses on "love" -- and 2,350 verses that relate specifically to finances and material possessions. My goal for this series is to challenge you to change fundamentally the way you think about living and how you live your life.

A major point in my message was that true generosity changes the way we live. The clip I used as an example is called Monopoly Gone Wrong. Enjoy:

If you would like to hear my message, simply click HERE.

If you made the decision to LIVE LARGE - a life of generosity and God has given you opportunity to step out in faith to live large this week - please post a comment and share with me about God used you this week.

I like what Winston Churchill said: We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. This, I believe, is a trustworthy statement.

New Year Resolutions

The year 2007 has come to a close and we welcome 2008 to be GREAT! The parties and the holiday get togethers have ended.


Last Sunday I spoke at North Raleigh Church of the Nazarene about A Worthy New Year’s Resolution.


My text for this message reads as follows: “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.”
Philippians 3:12-16 NIV

You can hear this message by clicking HERE



Sharron and I ushered in the New Year at the home of our daughter Stephanie and son in law Josh. As the midnight hour approached Josh and Steph returned home from a date night to pour 4 glasses of sparkling grape juice as we toasted in the New Year. We celebrated the first day of 2008 with family time.



As you think about the first days of 2008 you may be making some resolutions. I recently found a list for very meaningful things to be resolved about in 2008. These resolutions were penned by Jonathan Edwards. The list began as the year 1722 was coming to a close and continued for the next nine months. You can read these resolutions HERE



These resolutions begin with the words: BEING SENSIBLE THAT I AM UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING WITHOUT GOD' S HELP, I DO HUMBLY ENTREAT HIM BY HIS GRACE TO ENABLE ME TO KEEP THESE RESOLUTIONS, SO FAR AS THEY ARE AGREEABLE TO HIS WILL, FOR CHRIST' S SAKE.



I believe these are trustworthy sayings!



Have YOU made any resolutions for the new year? Let me know you stopped by - take a moment to comment. Each comment encourages me to continue to update this blog! Thanks and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Christms is expensive

Time is drawing near for the lighting of the final candles on the Advent wreath for 2007. It is a time for personal reflection and pondering the meaning of Christmas. As I viewed the TV morning shows today I heard no mention of the Christ Child or the meaning of Christmas. I did hear that if you purchase a gift on line it will be delivered before Christmas - but you must order by 3:00pm EST.

These are the last few hours of wrapping presents and preparing for the family gatherings. One thing I absolutely despise is wrapping the gifts. My wife and daughters are very talented at this however, I need help. In my mind I envision a machine to make it easier for challenged individuals like me.

As if you didn’t already know, here’s a news flash:

Christmas is getting more expensive.

That increase is reflected in the annual PNC Christmas Price Index compiled by PNC Wealth Management. According to a Nov. 26,2007 Associated Press report: It would cost $78,100 to buy the 364 items, from a single partridge in a pear tree to the 12 drummers drumming, repeatedly on each day as the song suggests. The cost is up 4 percent from $75,122 last year.

Buying each item in the song just once would cost $19,507, up 3.1 percent from last year’s $18,921. And shopping online would be costlier, with the total for the 364 items costing $128,886, up 2.5 percent from last year’s $125,767. You would spend $31,249 online for each item just once this year. Helping push the cost up this year is the minimum wage hike, which bumped the cost of eight maids a-milking from about $41 to nearly $47.“They have not had an increase since 1997,” said Jim Dunigan, managing executive of investment for PNC Wealth Management. “The good news is, if you’re a maids a-milking, they will also see an increase in 2008 and 2009.”Higher food costs pushed the six geese a-laying from $300 to $360. And reflecting higher gold prices, those five gold rings will cost $395, up 21.5 percent from last year’s $325.

Not everything is more costly. The price of a partridge ($15), two turtle doves ($40) and three French hens ($40) remained the same, as did seven swans a-swimming, at $4,200, and nine ladies dancing, at $4,759. (Click here for BREAKING NEWS and to learn more about the price report.)

I look forward to Sunday morning at NRN as we continue in our Celebration of Christmas. Monday - Christmas Eve will be a great time for the family in our Christmas Eve service at 6:00pm We will be reminded of the real meaning of Christmas. An early Church father Augustine put it this way:

Our Lord came down from life to suffer death;the Bread came down, to hunger; the Way came down, on the way to weariness; the Fount came down, to thirst. —Augustine, Sermon 78

He so loved us that, for our sake, He was made man in time, although through him all times were made. He was made man, who made man.He was created of a mother whom he created.

He was carried by hands that he formed. He cried in the manger in wordless infancy, he the Word,without whom all human eloquence is mute. —Augustine, Sermon 188, 2

THESE MY FRIENDS, ARE TRUSTWORTHY SAYINGS

What do you think? Post a comment. PR

The W in Christmas

As the Sunday before Christmas approaches I am so excited to be in pastoral ministry once again. I love the people at North Raleigh Church of the Nazarene New friends and wonderful experiences are coming our way.

Below is something of interest sent to me recently. I thought you would enjoy:

The "W" in Christmas

Each December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience. I had cut back on nonessential obligations - extensive card writing, endless baking, decorating, and even overspending. Yet still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the precious family moments, and of course, the true meaning of Christmas.

My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season for a six year old. For weeks, he'd been memorizing songs for his school's "Winter Pageant." I didn't have the heart to tell him I'd be working the night of the production. Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher. She assured me there'd be a dress rehearsal the morning of the presentation. All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then. Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise.

So, the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in ten minutes early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down. Around the room, I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats. As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then, each group, one by one, rose to perform their song.

Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as "Christmas," I didn't expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes and good cheer. So, when my son's class rose to sing, "Christmas Love," I was slightly taken aback by its bold title. Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters, and bright snowcaps upon their heads. Those in the front row- center stage - held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song.

As the class would sing "C is for Christmas," a child would hold up the letter C. Then, "H is for Happy," and on and on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message, "Christmas Love." The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her; a small, quiet, girl in the front row holding the letter "M" upside down - totally unaware her letter "M" appeared as a "W". The audience of 1st through 6th graders snickered at this little one’s mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, proudly holding her "W". Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it together. A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen.

In that instant, we understood the reason we were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos, there was a purpose for our festivities. For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear: "C H R I S T W A S L O V E"

And, I believe, He still is.
Amazed in His presence...humbled by His love.

Sent to me by: Michelle V. Gray

In Jesus was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. May the light of God shine in your heart this Christmas season! This is a trustworthy statement. PR