I am just in awe at what God has been doing through Forefront. Seriously. Just to be able to see the ways people have been coming to God, sharing their stories, finding healing, becoming whole in who God designed them to be. It’s awesome. But our role as a church is not just to help the immediate community around us. God’s command us to “…go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28)
So, where do we go from there as a church?
Well, Dan Pollard, one of our pastor’s at Forefront is not only over Global Impact- he’s extremely passionate about it. I love his heart for people far from God and the desire to put down “deep roots” in our efforts globally. Here is a snippet from his blog series he’s doing on Forefront’s global impact:
“During the last dinner before heading home from my first trip to Vietnam I was presented with a bit of food that I will never forget. From what I can tell, it was a radish pickled in something. As my team leader looked on, I stuck the whole thing in my pie hole and crunched away. Did it taste good? Not particularly, but I remembered my training and made it look like it was the best thing I ever ate! It didn’t matter what it was really. We had just finished an amazing week in a place I have since fallen in love with.“
You should keep up with Dan and this series here, and think about attending the meeting on Sunday, November 6, 2012 at Ocean Lakes High School, 8:30am to see how God loved you so much that he wants to include you in his story to reach people on the other side of the world. If you’re interested, send him a quick email.
Who has authority?
In today’s culture it’s completely relative.
Whatever works for you is good for you.
Under this line of thinking, it’s completely different for everyone.
If I don’t like that, it’s not true for me, right?
I was doing some reading in Relevant Magazine and came across this info:
28%.
With that, it means 72% of Christians do not believe the Bible is completely true, literal, or God’s inspired word for our guidance and understanding of God/faith. It breaks my heart and spurs me on to help change that. To strive to always place God at the center of Forefront and His Bible as the foundation of teaching/learning.
When you look at the numbers, what does it stir up inside of you?
The theme this year… Be present.
Something you need to hear.
In your family. marriage. work. kids. friendships.
Will you be so busy you miss it?
The texts that keep popping up.
The email that just arrived.
The social networking you just have to stalk.
The engaging with friends thru s screen, but not face to face.
Your presence is requested.
Dear You,
I know you grow weary each day.
While you’re emotionally drained, you still find time to get lost in the distractions this world offers.
It feels good, I know. For you it’s a way to drown out the chaos and begin to mentally unwind.
It blocks the craziness out.
While you’re blocking it out, unwinding, and decompressing. Your presence is void.
Your daughter wants to play, but is scared to ask.
Your son has questions about life, but knows he’ll get brushed aside.
Your spouse… well, it’s more like roommates than lovers these days.
Your presence is requested.
At work, you have that coworker that annoys you.
They just found out their wife was cheating on them.
They need an ear, but you’ve been too busy.
At church, you complain about the kids who always act up in class.
They just don’t get attention at home.
Even if it’s yelling at them, in their mind, at least someone noticed enough to care.
At the grocery store, the woman in front of you was taking too long.
You got frustrated because you had things to do.
“C’mon already!” you muttered under your breath.
You were too focused on your phone to realize she wasn’t able to pay for her groceries.
She needed you.
Your presence matters.
Your neighbors stay up late and things are really loud.
You just want to sleep.
Walking across the lawn in anger you bang on the door.
“We’re trying to sleep, keep it down will ya!?” you yell through the door.
They don’t answer. The yelling is deafening.
The reality… they’ve never known how to get along.
Marriage as they know it is collapsing.
They need help.
Your presence matters.
At the end of the day.
Put down the phone. You’re not that important.
Close the laptop. The work will be there later.
Cancel/downgrade cable. Over half the stuff isn’t worth watching anyway.
Be present…
at your kid’s school. Be a room parent, eat lunch, plan activities.
at home. Work is for work. Home is for family. Make the decision now.
in your marriage. Your spouse deserves your best, not your leftovers.
with Me. Live a life worthy of my name. Let’s talk & share every day.
Yesterday we took a look at Remember the Titans, and walked through how no matter what people might say/do/act like- our goal is always to start, continue, and end with love. It’s not easy. Loving people is hard. Many times we find difficulty in loving others because we haven’t learned to love ourselves (i.e. “love your neighbor as yourself).
A couple of bonus material items from yesterday’s message:
1. We listed a boatload of passages that show our mission is to “love people.” They’re listed for you below.
2. We didn’t have enough time, but I have 10 thoughts on engaging people and loving others. I truly believe if you put these into practice you’ll see your relationships flourish and watch new ones begin to take shape!
3. The video we played in the opening was great! Justin (our creative arts pastor) did a fantastic job on it. It’s located below for you to share on Facebook, Twitter, etc.
1. Passages on Loving People
Leviticus 19:18 Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
Proverbs 10:12
Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.
Proverbs 17:9
Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.
Proverbs 25:21-22 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.
Matthew 22:36-40 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
John 15:12-13 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
Luke 6:27
But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
Romans 12:9-10 Let love be genuine. Hate what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
Romans 13:8
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.
1 Corinthians 16:14 Do everything in love.
Galatians 5:13-14 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
1 Peter 1:22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.
1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.
1 Peter 4:8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
1 John 3:11
For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.
1 John 3:23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.
1 John 4:7-8 Brothers & sisters, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
1 John 4:11 Because God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
2 John 1:5 And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another.
2. Ten Thoughts on Loving People & Connecting in Relationships
1. Speak to people. There is nothing as nice as a cheerful word of greeting.
2. Smile at people. It takes seventy-two muscles to frown, only fourteen to smile.
3. Call people by name. Music to anyone’s ears is the sound of his/her own name.
4. Be friendly and helpful. Even if they’re rude and inconsiderate, you’re not called to be hurtful- you’re called to love.
5. Be cordial. Speak and act as if everything you do is genuinely a pleasure, and if it isn’t, learn to make it so.
6. Be genuinely interested in people. You can like almost everybody if you try.
7. Be generous with compliments, cautious with criticism. For a single hurtful thing you say, it takes 8 encouraging things to off set it.
8. Be considerate of people’s feelings. There are usually three sides to a controversy: yours, the other person’s, and the right one.
9. Be alert to serve. People remember when you are present & helping.
10. Embrace humor, practice patience, and be humble. Enough said.
**11. BONUS: Learn to party well. Jesus was constantly invited and going to parties. Christians (for the most part) don’t know how to party well these days. Let loose and enjoy the company of others.
Today is the 3 Year Anniversary of being the Lead Pastor of Forefront Church. I cannot think of a more fitting place to be doing ministry. God has placed our family in a place where you all are amazing, open with your flaws, and every day counting on the grace only God can give. It’s inspiring to serve alongside you. We’ve followed God through some challenges that looked impossible, and He has brought us through on the other side- greater and stronger than before. I love you guys.
October is Pastor Appreciation Month. I’m encouraged by it, because it’s a moment to reflect on how humbling it is to serve God full-time through vocational ministry. Unfortunately, the drop out rate in ministry is one of the highest among all occupations. It saddens me because that is a reality for the people I know, with only 3-4 people out of my entire graduating class still in ministry. If you go to a church, take a moment to thank the people who serve you 24-7 in the local church. If you go to Forefront, the best way to show appreciation is to honor the people I get the privilege to work with. They are amazing! Take some time to write a note to Dan, Becky, James, Justin, Barbara, and Lisa. Even if it’s simply to say “Thank you and you rock!”
Finally in the “Triple A’s”– I want to say I am in AWE of what God has on the horizon for Forefront! Seriously. It’s blowing my mind how God is working through this church. This week, I’ve written down some of the stories of what’s been happening. We’ll be posting them next week since our staff will be at Catalyst all week.
Side Note: Speaking of Catalyst, please pray for God to refresh, stregnthen and speak to the hearts of your staff here at Forefront. He always moves us while attending this conference, and having the church praying for us would be fantastic.
Carrie and I love you all so much. We’re thankful to be a family with you.
See you guys this Sunday!
We had a little fun around the office last week.
In Shawshank Redemption, Andy escapes from prison and enjoys freedom.
It’s a magical escape he pulls off.
I’m a pastor, but I also moonlight as an amateur magician/illusionist.
We hired a camera crew to come film the amazingness…
I love buffets.
There are so many different choices.
I never utilize them to their full potential (usually only getting two plates max).
But, it’s nice to pick what I want.
It’s even better to bypass the items I dislike.
Brussel sprouts? Pass.
Liverwurst? Pass.
Lima beans? Pass.
Mama isn’t there to force me to eat collard greens and squash. So I zip right on by for more appetizing endeavors like steak, grilled chicken, potatoes, green beans, steamed broccoli, and more! It’s everything I want, that brings me joy, on one plate. MMmmmmm! But, that approach to the Bible is deadly and can have dreadful results.
The Bible is God’s heart revealed to us, in it’s completeness.
It shows us what love and grace are.
We explore themes of redemption, forgiveness, and reconciliation. There are plenty of hard topics in the text as well.
Turning the other cheek.
Releasing people from the pain of their debt.
Letting go of behaviors that don’t aim us towards holiness.
Submitting to God, authorities, church leadership, etc.
Following God isn’t a walk in the park.
Our human nature fights against the very precepts of the Bible.
It’s easier to ignore your neighbor, than it is to love them and be friends.
It can be a more natural thing to complain, instead of looking for the joy in things.
The world inundates us to live for numero uno, but God tells us to be servants to everyone and live humbly.
Our human nature is to skim through the Bible and take what we want, toss out the rest. My prayer for you is that you take God at His word, pray over what He’s telling you through the life of the pages, and begin to put it into practice- one day at a time.
I was not expecting this question in my inbox a few weeks ago.
Opened up my Gmail, and sure enough- there it was:
“Can I celebrate halloween & love Jesus too?”
Let me say first, this is something you have to decide as a family. There are plenty of people who love God and completely disagree on this issue. But, before I give you my thoughts, let’s just look at a couple things on Halloween…
Halloween, has roots, as a prominent witchcraft holiday.
Witchcraft and Wicca are real religions people follow.
There are a handful of holidays celebrated in these religions, Halloween is the most widely celebrated.
The history goes back to a celebration known as Samhain. This festival marked the end of a season. The shift of this to incorporating the dead happened rapidly in pagan culture. Rituals like pumpkins to scare off spirits or remember the dead and dressing up to not be noticed by the dead walking among us are just a couple of those rituals that were brought into common practice.
The main point of Samhain was to find protection from the evil spirits of the dead roaming the earth.
Halloween, at it’s core- celebrates death (i.e. ghosts, skeletons, graveyards, ghouls, zombies, etc)
That isn’t a definitive list, but a glimpse into some of the Halloween highlights. So, back to the question, “Can I celebrate Halloween & love Jesus too?”I would say yes, and thank you for asking this question. It made us think a bit more as a family before we jumped into this. Here is where we are at:
As Christians, first off- Carrie and I need to recognize that Halloween has roots in a dark, anti-Christian realm that looks to glorify death. The Bible explains that death is the enemy. It wasn’t something God wanted for us. So, to treat it lightly is a misnomer and we need to understand where it’s roots are found.
Second, we need to be aware that just because halloween has it’s roots in this, it does not mean the modern “candy and parties” are celebrating Satan. This practice has morphed into something much different for a majority of society. Just like the use of a piano in a church service was viewed as “unholy” simply because it got it’s start in saloons. Now it’s widely accepted as an instrument to bring attention to God in a good way. Things can be redeemed or rejected. Your family needs to choose where that line is concerning the celebration of Halloween.
Third, we need to be smart in how we move forward with our family in light of Halloween and it’s roots. Here are some boundaries we’ve set as a family to help guide our time during Halloween:
You can dress up, just not as anything dead or evil.
Halloween parties are fair game. If the theme of the party is celebrating death, we’ll find a different one to go to.
We can go trick or treating. Candy is great! But, we talk about the “trick” side of the trick or treating. We let our girls know we don’t do mean things to people. This is a night for us to meet our neighbors and have fun.
As our kids get older, we will talk about Halloween’s history. We want them to know so they can begin to understand and make choices about it. It is serious, and our goal is for them to be informed.
If the girls don’t like our stance on something Halloween related, we will hear their side, discuss it, and consider their point of view. As they get older, we want to be open to possibly being wrong. If they can sell us on a side we haven’t considered, we are open to discussion. But Mom & Dad have the final say.
Ultimately, we want to honor God with our lives as a family. If something surrounding Halloween draws that into question, we will always side with honoring God.
We choose to let our girls be a part of the Halloween celebration, but with boundaries. It’s part of parenting for us. We could ban them from Halloween. We could just let them trick or treat and never have these talks. But, we want an open dialogue to talk about faith, love, grace, and our surrounding world. It’s a tough spot. But we believe as a family we can love Jesus and celebrate Halloween within these boundaries. We don’t judge people who think otherwise. It’s an area where it’s alright to agree to disagree. We have a freedom in Jesus to make these choices.
I suggest sitting down as a family and talking it out. Looking at the history and making a decision. For the Bedell’s, we’ve researched and talked, and we’ve chosen to celebrate. You may come to a different conclusion. And that’s okay.
A skin issue.
I actually keep my beard most of the time because of it now.
The skin damage is getting progressively worse as I get older.
I shaved for this week’s sermon, to fit the story I’m telling.
Before I shaved, my prayer was, “God, don’t let it be worse. Please let it have healed.”
Nope. No healing. It was worse. A lot worse.
I asked my wife,
“Would be awkward to wear my shirt up over my face in public?”
She rolled her eyes at me.
I deserved that response.
You see, in the 3 years where it’s become an issue, I’ve never gone to the Dr.
I’ve researched it on the web.
At home remedies.
Even tried different make-up. Yeah… makeup.
I actually used a tiny bit the last few days because how bad it was.
Yes fellas, during Monday Night Football at Bdub’s… I had makeup on. *sigh* Embarrassed. Self-conscious. Ashamed.
The glaring issue my wife had with me was, I never sought help.
I did everything I could, including growing a beard to cover it up.
The beard became a beacon for a deeper underlying issue.
My skin issue wasn’t being addressed.
The thing that hurts the most- I don’t just have a skin issue.
I have lots of issues. The biggest one being a sin issue.
I sin. Everyday.
If you were to be honest with yourself, you have them too.
We try to cover them up.
Research for some kind of “quick fix” hoping to dismiss it.
Praying it will go away.
“If I just do this, and this, and this- I can handle it on my own.” NEWS FLASH: No you can’t.
“Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed, lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:12-14
Can you stand against your sin issue alone? No, you will fall.
Can God’s power & spirit help you in your sin issue? Absolutely.
When should you surrender to God’s Spirit so he can work on your heart? Right now.
I am so thankful God weighed on me, broke my pride, and began this work in my life.
Am I perfect? No.
Will I make mistakes? Yes.
Am I forgiven & experiencing the grace & love of God? I firmly believe it.
No more hiding the skin sin issue.
Come out of the darkness, and let God do the work only He can do.
Casey Anthony. Many people still hating on her for the trial.
Even though she was found innocent. Darth Vader. One of the most iconic villains of our day.
He just encompasses evil, right? Mike Tyson. A boxing machine who wrecked people.
He also hurt many people in his personal life. Klan Member. Yeah, it’s weird even typing it.
Seeing the hood and those eyes stir up emotions in me.
But, day to day- you get hurt. People let you down.
They speak harmful things in to being, towards you.
Your self-esteem gets wounded.
You’re offended by a hateful act.
Actually, sometimes people just suck and forget how to live life. I’m one of those people. If you’re being honest, so are you.
We all hurt people, cause pain, do stupid things, and mess up. We all are in need of second chances.
We all have the opportunity to grant second chances.
We have a moment to extend grace and love like Jesus.
So, in the midst of pain…
Are you going to move through your pain and take the step to give a second chance to someone this week? It’s time to drop the grudge.
