This is the final part of a 3-part interview series about church planting. It ties in with much of what I’ll be sharing in October at the Calvary Church Planting Network’s ReEngage Conference in California. I’ve already talked about The Call to plant a church and The Flood that we endured just 8 months in.
Today’s video is about vision for the future…
Back in May, I reposted a blog I had posted 2 years prior about the flood we endured in 2010. Pastor Chuck Musselwhite, from The Village Chapel in California saw the video and wanted to hear more. We’ve since been in contact and are partnering together to help plant more Calvary Chapels. He asked me to film some interview-style videos that would help people understand what was going through my mind as I was called to plant a church and endured all that came with that.
If you missed yesterday’s interview, you can watch it here.
Today’s interview is about the flood that happened in 2010…
In October I have the privilege of running a break-out session at the Calvary Church Planting Network’s ReEngage conference. It’s at the Twin Peaks Conference Center in California, and if you’re looking to plant a Calvary Chapel or are interested in mentoring those who want to, you should go!
I was recently asked by CCPN to put together a few interview-style videos of what it was like to plant Awaken, so I figured I’d share them on my blog as well.
Here is Part 1 of 3 of the interview. This one is about the calling to plant a church…
There will never be another Tuesday, June 26, 2012. Ever. Let that sink in for a moment. We’re already half-way done with it, then we’ll lock it away in the vault as a part of history. However, unlike Disney, we’ll never be able to pull it out of the vault again!
That should be a sobering thought because what happens today is vital. You will cross paths with unique people, have unique opportunities to be part of what God is doing, and have huge opportunities for obedience. You’ll also face many temptations and have lots of chances to compromise. So how will you spend these 24 hours?
Here’s how NOT to spend them: WORRYING.
Matthew 6:34 - Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Worrying sends the message that you don’t think God has things under control. The amount of worry in your life is directly proportionate to the amount of faith in God that is present in your life. Plus, it’s sinful and leads nowhere.
Here’s one idea of how TO spend them: ENCOURAGING.
Hebrews 3:12-13 - Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
I love this verse because it never gives you a day off. Whenever you read this verse, check your calendar: it’s still “TODAY” isn’t it? So, since it’s still “today,” one of the main things you should be doing is exhorting others (spurring them on to obedience).
So how are you doing so far? If you failed in the first 12 hours, you still have 12 hours to redeem Tuesday, June 26, 2012.
And by the way, the clock starts over tomorrow. June 27 is a unique day as well! You have 86,400 seconds to invest wisely.
When the church first began, I built our website in iWeb because I had (and still have) no idea how to build a real website. Thankfully, through the beauty of the body of Christ, God has added the incredible skills of my good friend, Isaac Del Toro, to the team. Over the last few months, we’ve been working with him and contributing ideas as he built a new website from the ground up.
If you haven’t gone to check it out, make sure to swing by at awakenchurch.org.
Here are a few of my favorite features…
It’s now easier than ever to access the latest teachings from Awaken. There’s a banner image right on the front page that will take you straight to the latest teaching.
The teaching pages are now more comprehensive than ever before. You can watch, listen to, and download each teaching right from the teaching page, instead of having to follow links elsewhere.
We’re also working on a sharing option for social media. I’ll keep you posted on that.
It’s now easier than ever to find out about the ministries at Awaken and get involved! Find out descriptions and requirements for each ministry, then fill out the Get Plugged In form to commit to or test drive a ministry!
The events page is also better than ever. It’s more informative, with venues, times, dates, and everything. You can even click the picture to see the artwork in all of its beauty. If you click the title of the event, you can leave a comment or ask a question.
I hope you’ll take some time and click through the site. As I said, there will be more features (and teachings) rolling out in the coming weeks. Enjoy!
Right after 9/11 happened, I remember seeing bumper stickers pop up everywhere with a simple phrase:
“WE WILL NEVER FORGET.”
At first, it seemed so obvious. How could anyone forget the horrible events of that day? Almost 11 years later, I can remember being in my truck hearing about it on the news, the crisp, cold air of the morning on my way to school, and so many other details. How could I ever forget?!
The sad truth, however, is that time can be the enemy of memory. The longer we have to move past it, heal, and experience new things, the easier it is to forget.
God knows that about His people. It’s no wonder that throughout the Bible, you’ll find Him telling people to set up memorials and altars and signs to remind future generations of His faithfulness. Although many of the people who marched through the dried up Jordan River would never forget the events of that day, others could very easily. The memorial of stones outside the river bed was for that generation as well as future generations. It served as a visual sermon when doubt began to creep in.
Memorials aren’t only for Old Testament people though – Jesus set up a few of them for us as well. He gave us Communion so that we could have an all-senses reminder of His sacrificial death. He also gave us baptism so that we could demonstrate the internal change God has made in us. They’re both very important.
Last Sunday, I got to baptize 5 people at Awaken. 1 guy gave his life to Jesus at the 10:15 service, then came back to get baptized that afternoon. Another girl recently came to Christ just a few months ago and got baptized. I also got to baptize a brother and sister as well as their dad (they were the last 3 of a family of 6 that I got to baptize)! It was such a joy to be a part of such a special day in their lives!
At Awaken, we’ve also added a gallery of pictures in the entryway of the church building. When you walk in, you’ll see pictures of The Uprising, people giving their lives to Jesus, baptisms, the flood, our first church service, and more. That’s another way that we remember God’s faithfulness and purpose in our hearts to never forget.
What are some ways you remind yourself of God’s faithfulness?
