iShare Testimonies give God the Glory

The church gathered this past Wednesday night for business and 1st Wed/1st Priority … a night of decisions, reports, and prayer.  We continue to see God’s hand in the life of our fellowship and for that we are grateful and careful.  Grateful to be so blessed and CAREFUL not to take that for granted.  In these difficult days with so many out of jobs and so many concerns about our countries direction and decisions, God is still in control.  We can trust Him … if God is for us then who can be against us?

We took a step towards land purchase for the Mt. Juliet campus.  It is a step of faith.  It is a step of trust.  It is a step that takes great courage.  A letter of understanding for a piece of property is being drafted as I write this week’s blog.  This letter does not commit the church to anything but allow the owners to know of our intentions and to see if there is some common ground financially before making any serious financial commitment that will be needed, such as; soil testing and other due diligence that need to take place before purchasing property.

Some say why would we consider making such a purchase in times like these?  Great question.  Let us agree together that the timing is in God’s hands.  The multi-site ministry team has been prayerfully seeking God’s hand in every step.  As a family we charged them with the responsibility to take the next steps of land purchase.  They are doing what we’ve asked them to do and we must trust God to lead them and us as far as the timing of this purchase.  Let us also remember that in times like we’re experiencing there is no better time to purchase land.  For years land in Wilson County has been increasing at dramatic rates and presently prices have been dropping …. no better time to purchase than now.

So, let’s continue to pray, seek God’s hand, trust in His timing, and continue to press on in Jesus name.  Should we be wise … absolutely.  Should we be careful … absolutely.  Should we dot every i and cross every t … absolutely.  But in doing so may we never remove, ignore, or step away from FAITH.  Because with the faith of a mustard seed God can move mountains.

A great thanks goes out to many who shared personal stories about iShare last night.  To hear your words that were connected with such tenderness and compassion moved our hearts.  As you shared about getting out of your comfort zone … comfortable pews … comfortable lifestyles … and intentionally become more MISSIONAL with your life it is a thrill for me as your  pastor and for us as a church.  You can make a difference at work – iShare.  You can make a difference in your community – iShare.  You can make a difference in people’s lives – iShare.  Keep loving … keep sharing … keep trusting … keep telling Your Story!

iShare – Missional Living becoming a Lifestyle and not a Phrase

This coming Lord’s Day will tell much about our heart towards Missional Living.  We have been searching the scriptures and discovering God’s heart towards His people making a difference.  Prayerfully you have been inviting and building relationships with people who you desire to see come to Christ this Sunday.  Keep praying.  Keep inviting.  Keep trusting.  Keep relying of God to do only what He can do.  Some plant … some water … BUT God gives the growth.

This Sunday will not be for believers. The whole worship experience on all three campuses will be designed to accomplish one thing … present a clear and compelling presentation of the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We are going to take a journey down the Roman Road (all verses come from the book of Romans).  It will be a ministry to believers but more than that, it will be an opportunity for the church to BE the church to someone they love or care for … a classmate … a co-worker … a family member … a wife … a husband … a neighbor … a _(you fill in the blank)_. The point is this: What if every believer committed this weekend to investing in someone who needs to hear the Gospel? I believe the results and harvest could be great and the angels will rejoice with you when one sinner repents.

So, you have Friday and Saturday to finalize your plans for Sunday. Usually if you will go the extra mile by not only inviting but asking the individual(s) to have lunch or brunch with you, many times that will be the path to openness.  I love meeting with people after worship. So have lunch and share about life, ministry, and God’s grace.  I know you’ll love this as well.  Go the extra mile today and invite someone to spend some quality time with you … invest … lay up treasures in heaven this weekend.

iShare – Missional Living makes an Impact with a Simple Invite

Getting the Monster Out of the Closet has been jogging our memories.  Impacting a life for Christ is nothing to fear but has every reason to bring joy and excitement into our lives.  In the movie Monsters, Inc. we discover that there is great power in laughter and joy that can  never be found in fear.   The “ we scare because we care” theme becomes the downfall of monster-land.  If only they could have known about the power of laughter and joy sooner. All their work and labor to bring fear into the world was of no avail.  Boo teaches them to allow joy to be their source of power.

Jesus is Joy. Can we allow Him to impact our lives so that we begin to see the power of sharing create great joy in our lives?   In fact, a simple invite can make all the difference in the world for someone seeking or searching for love, acceptance, and most of all to be completed.  Only Christ can do that for a person.

In fact a simple invite can completely change a person’s perspective of Christ and His church.  Read the email I received this week from a person that has been changed by the joy, laughter, and care of a friend who simply said “hey come be with me this Sunday.”

“I met Kristen Triplett in a bowling league last year.  We began getting to know one another, and in a short time became best friends.  We discussed everything as best friends do, except religion.  While talking one day, Kristen asked if I attended church anywhere. I replied, no.  She then explained how she was a member of Hermitage Hills and asked if I would join her Sunday morning for service.  I wanted so much to say no, but looking into her eyes and seeing how passionately she spoke of Hermitage Hills I said yes.  We met here Sunday morning and she said she would meet me in the balcony after performing.  When I entered the balcony I was overwhelmed and nervous, having not attended church in a very long time.  I chose a seat all the way in the back hoping no one would notice me.  It was a lot to take in for the first time, but I was willing.  After service she asked me what I thought and if I would come back next week.  I have been attending now on a regular basis and have come to love being here. Every week guests are asked to fill out some information.  I have been reluctant to do so until now.  Last week all the men were asked to join the pastor down front in prayer.  As I walked toward the front I began feeling nervous, then I bowed my head and closed my eyes and I felt a hand lay upon my shoulder as if to say it’s ok I am right here beside you.  I now know where my family and I belong. Thank God and Hermitage Hills for members like Kristen without her I would not be here.  Thank you Kristen for simply asking. I am blessed to have such a remarkable person in my life.”

So, this week … maybe even today – look around and see who can you impact or invest some time to say “Hey, I don’t know what you’re doing this weekend – but I’d love to have you be my friend this Sunday at my church”.  You never know what might happen … but I promise it won’t be scary or fearful … it will be joyful and exciting.  Just Invite !

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The Missional Life Compels Us to have Balance:

Missional living is a Christian term that describes a missionary lifestyle; adopting the posture, thinking, behaviors, and practices of a missionary in order to engage others with the gospel message … with the understanding that all Christians should be involved in the Great Commission of Jesus Christ.

But, the weakness can flow from an over abundance of missional living where proper organizational processes have been overlooked, therefore creating a confusing and sometime ineffective ministry.  We’ve all seen the person who loves to love people and off they go.  We applaud that type of heart but if we just take off without any kind of preparation, plan, or strategy then if we are not careful we might be making a bigger mess in the long run.

Likewise, the weakness of organization is the danger of meeting, meeting, and meeting, but never really getting involved in the mission.  It’s as if the meeting becomes the mission.  I’ve seen well intended believers really sense a satisfaction that they have been missional because they attend some kind of organizational meeting but often fall way short of truly engaging their own life with people far from God.  It’s as if I’ve done the meeting therefore I’ve been missional.

So, that’s where balance comes in … there must be balance in our missional living that keeps us involved in lives but with purpose and direction.  We don’t want to aimlessly go through life.  I know there are times where the people of God need to be available and to take action on the spur of the moment without any preparation … we want the freedom to follow the Spirit’s activity, but at the same time do our best to discern some activity and direction.

Allow Christ to place this balance in your life and in the church you serve.  Be missional with your life and ministry.  Seek to be less bureaucratic and more missional.  Allow believers the freedom to serve Christ as He leads them … which sometimes may be outside of our organizational structures but never outside of Biblical boundaries.

Get on mission … Be on mission … let His last command be our first concern!

iShare … some concern about missional living

It’s hot off the spiritual verbal press … Live Missionally.  Dozens of books have already been written about this topic.  I’m having more and more discussions with the younger generation about their understanding of this movement.  Missional living is not really new.  People have been leaving their comforts for years as they head out into new neighborhoods, communities, and countries in order to spread the Gospel.  But recently as I have had some discussions, it appears to me that possibly some are making a concrete connection between “Missional” and “Financial”.

What do I mean by that … well it seems that if a person doesn’t leave the comforts of the suburb for the more difficult lifestyles of urban/intercity neighborhoods then they are being discounted as people who can really count for the Kingdom.  It’s as if the mission field has been limited to only lower economic communities and if you minister in a wealthier neighborhood then you can’t really consider yourself a “missional” follower of Christ.  It seems that this definition of missional goes as far as judging churches or fellowship. They can’t really count for missional causes if they are not located in the inner city.  That simply is not true. Is the Gospel and missional living only for the poor and needy?  I don’t think so.  It’s as if, the pendulum has shifted and it has moved across the spiritual plane of balance … as many times in history it has. So to count for the Kingdom or to be truly considered serious about missional living the only way to do this is by moving to the inner city.

I believe that Christ wants the Gospel to be spread to all communities and to all people.  Missional living cannot be reduced to Financial positions. It has nothing to do with how much a person has financially.  It has everything to do with taking the Gospel to the highways and byways of life … no matter where you live.  I applaud those who pick up their suburban lifestyles and move into the less fortunate neighborhoods to be closer to those they feel called to love, care for, and share the Gospel with.  AMEN to that … but please don’t criticize those who do not … please don’t narrow the Gospel and Missional living to a financial position … please be prayerful and supportive of any person who desires to take advantage of where God has placed them and to be used of His Spirit to love, listen, and care for people who are far from God — it could be a person with much or nothing — but that’s not the main concern. The main concern should be to discover the hearts that have not discovered God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness through His son, Jesus.

Loving God will always return in loving people … all people … and praise God for many who are living missional lives on Wall Street as well as Down the Street in the less fortunate neighborhoods.

May we press on in Jesus name to live missional lives in every neighborhood … at every job … in every school … all for God’s Glory!

iShare … let’s begin the journey

As a child you probably experienced times growing up where you believed there was a Monster in your closet.  You would lay quietly in your bed staring at the closet door … all the time thinking there was a monster in there.  You would pull your covers ever so close to your head hoping that it would somehow make you safe.  As your imagination grew at times you could even hear noises coming from the closet … the more you stared … the more you heard … the more scared you became.

Now the truth of the matter is that there was no Monster in the closet. The noises you heard were probably coming from other parts of the house.  But the result was the same, you were paralyzed with fear.  You would not or you could not even move.  Fear had put such a grip on you that going to sleep was an impossible task in the moment.

We all laugh now … how silly … how childish, but could there be a spiritual parallel?  Do believers sometimes look at the call to evangelize in the same way? Do we see it as the “Monster” in our spiritual lives?  We pull up the comforts of staying still and quiet spiritually … believing that we will find safety.  But the sad truth is the more we give the Adversary credit for the Monster, the more we believe that only “living out our faith” is acceptable.  The fact is, living out our faith is commendable and the best place to begin as we consider allowing Christ to produce Life Change in our thoughts, actions, and daily choices.  But our faith cannot be allowed to stop there.

Let’s be honest … Evangelism is a scary word to most believers.  What would I say?  How will I say it?  What if I mess it up? Take a look at those statements again.  WOW! Each one is self dependent … maybe that’s why we become afraid.  We know we can’t do it and fear grips us like the childhood “Monster in the Closet”.

So, let’s get the Monster Out of the Closet! Let’s face the Monster together.  Let’s allow the scriptures to bring to us the correct perspective of evangelism … because in all reality evangelism is not something to be feared.  In fact, the greatest joy in a believer’s life is to have everyday discussions and times of sharing concerning God’s love, care, and forgiveness.  Did you realize that 95% of believers have never shared their faith … WOW! … we have the greatest news to communicate but because of the “Monster in the Closet” we continue to remain silent.

Join with me on a journey. “The Unexpected Adventure” (Book available at HHBC’s resource center) Let’s allow the Holy Spirit to pull back the covers of comfort and safety.  Let’s face the “Monster in the Closet” together.  Let’s see what God can and will do with His people who are free from fear and full of Him to the point our mouths open with gracious words and lives that gently and lovingly share the good news about Jesus.

Next weeks blog:  Getting the Monster Out of the Closet:  ”It Takes Courage”