Benji Kelley

Step It Up...

2010-03-10T10:19:00.004-05:00

Many have requested the Stand/Step Up part from my message on Sunday. I can't quite remember where I first heard a version of this. Some female speaker gave me the idea and of course, I tweaked it and "newhope'ized" for Sunday. :-)

Enjoy...

It’s time for Christians to Step Up

If you see injustice, STAND UP
If something needs to be said, SPEAK UP
If you make an appointment, SHOW UP
If you make a mistake, FESS UP
If you’re overstepping, BACK UP
If you get behind, CATCH UP
If they knock you down, GET UP…and do away with timidity!
If you’re out of line, STRAIGHTEN UP
When your boss instructs, KEEP UP
When the elderly speak, LISTEN UP
When your preacher preaches, WAKE UP (I threw that one in there for fun ☺)
When your country calls, MAN UP
Ladies too... WOMAN UP
When the fight is over, MAKE UP
If you’re being hard, EASE UP
If your heart is closed, OPEN UP
If you want to buy something, SAVE UP
It’s not an entitlement, so SHUT UP!
If you make a mess, CLEAN IT UP
If you drop trash, PICK IT UP
If a car is waiting for you to walk cross the street, dagumit SPEED IT UP!
If you’re cold busted, GIVE IT UP
If people fall down, HELP THEM UP
Not the government, YOU STEP UP …and do away with timidity!
If you have a concern, BRING IT UP
If idiots start fighting, BREAK IT UP
If the music is good and wholesome, TURN IT UP
If the message is poisonous, THROW IT UP
If your words are vulgar, CLAM IT UP
If your words encourage, KEEP IT UP
If your pants are baggy, PULL THEM UP (Pants on the ground – pants on the ground – looking like a fool with your pants on the ground ☺)
If you’re dressed half naked, COVER IT UP
If you can’t afford it, PASS IT UP
No “bailouts” folks, PONY UP
If you make a promise, BACK IT UP
When life is good, SOAK IT UP
When life’s unfair, SUCK IT UP
When life is sad, just LOOK STRAIGHT UP
And life’s too short people, so LIVE IT UP!

And Paul would say live it up NOT with timidity, but power, love, and self discipline! (I Timothy 1:7)

The Heart of a Pastor - Part 1

2010-03-08T10:19:00.001-05:00

Monday Morning Reflections...

2010-03-08T08:37:00.003-05:00

By far, one of the best Sundays we have experienced at newhope in quite some time! The transition to three services was/is exactly what we needed. It just fills good to have space again.
We have some of the best volunteers in the world! In my opinion, the people in the blue/red/black shirts rock for God!
I don't know if I can quite communicate this but God was all over the Word yesterday. I don't mean "me." I mean, despite what I was saying or trying to do with the text, God's Spirit was doing His own thing in, through, and among the people. It was a jaw dropping day for me as people kept approaching me letting me know how God spoke and moved directly in their lives/circumstances. I guess that is why Paul told Timothy, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man/woman of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (II Timothy 3:16 - 17)
Lots and lots of guests these days - WELCOME.
We desperately need more diversity in our Worship Arts Ministry. Truthfully, I can't stand it when I look on the stage and everyone is white and I look in the congregation and I see the beautiful diversity of God's creation. Plain and simple -- our stage should represent our congregation/community. Curtis and I, and all the other WAM members for that matter, would love to see this change. Some of our teams have diversity but ALL of our teams need diversity!
Pulse, our senior high student ministry, was off the chain yesterday. In the last three weeks, that number of students has quadrupled! It was definitely the right move to bring the Pulse down from 4:30 pm to 10:10 am.
I cannot seem to shake this head cold/congestion. It's going on two weeks now -- enough already.
"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline." (II Timothy 1:7) Put that one to memory!
If you go by the church office today it will be very quiet. I invited everyone on the senior staff team to take the day off. We have been running very very hard and with the travel last week, needed a break. Please remember to pray for your pastors/staff.
I am finding it very hard to talk or move this morning. :-)
It's time to start bass fishing!
Please pray for the search team reviewing resumes and interviewing candidates for pastor/staff positions at newhope. There are lots of resumes and some excellent candidates! Pray for wisdom, discernment, guidance, and providence/favor.
I need to stop this post and rest. :-)
Thank you Jesus for Sunday and another week!

The Heart of a Pastor, Pt. 1

2010-03-06T18:39:00.002-05:00

We launch into a new series in the morning called, "The Heart of a Pastor!" I looking forward to hunkering down and just plowing through II Timothy over the course of the next three weeks. This is a great book in which Paul is speaking his heart to young Timothy and yet, the Word is relevant and applicable for us two thousand years later!

In preparation, go ahead and read II Timothy 1:1 - 2:7. When done, say a prayer for yourself. Pray for me. And pray for our church! Then, get up ready to lean in and Worship Jesus on a beautiful Sunday morning!

Celebrations are at 8:30, 10:10, and 11:45 am.

Peace and much love...

Unleash Download

2010-03-05T11:37:00.003-05:00

Unleash 2010 was really strong this year. Everything seemed extra relevant and just what our team needed to hear. I love this church and their amazing volunteers. They really know how to serve and create amazing environments for pastors and leaders to grow. Thanks Pastor Perry and the Unleash gang!

Here are my notes from session #1. They are raw and jut as I took them. You might find a typo or two and incomplete sentences but I am A-OK with that... :-)

Joshua 5 - four factors that help leaders lead boldly and jump into leadership with risky faith:

1. Desperation Factor –

Joshua 5 - ¹ Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the LORD had dried up the Jordan before the Israelites until we had crossed over, their hearts melted and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites.

² At that time the LORD said to Joshua, "Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again." ³ So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Haaraloth. ^[^a^]

Leadership is hard! Joshua was called to circumcise 600 K men b/w the ages of 20 – 60.Can you say, "OUCH."

In Genesis 34 – 2 men killed a whole village with spears b/c of the pain of this dealio.

God had them circumcised b/f they entered the promise land. That would have been safe, predictable, and organized but NO – God was teaching them how to be desperate and reliable, and broken b/f they entered. God wanted to MARK them and make them desperate for God!

QUESTION – when was the last time we were desperate for God? God wants us in uncomfortable circumstances so we are desperate!

If you are following God, your back will always be against the wall financially! Lead with faith!

Without faith, it is impossible to please God!

2. The Sacrifice Factor –

² At that time the LORD said to Joshua, "Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again." ³ So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Haaraloth.

Can you imagine what the men felt like when he came and shared this vision/word from God? Have you ever preached a message when no one said amen? He was a great leader to be able to get this painful vision across.

Everyone LOVES progress in the church but few people like sacrifice. If we want to get where God wants us to go, we have to be willing to sacrifice. In particular, we have to be willing to sacrifice:

1. Our comforts – God uses comfort to make us complacent. Are we more concerned with attendance than repentance?

We should not be so concerned with people “Enjoying our services” – maybe God wants to make them mad or angry! It is OK with people being VERY uncomfortable! This church has to be OK with lost people acting lost! They can have as many tats as they want, pierce whatever they want pierced, talk like they want etc…JUST BE THANKFUL THEY ARE IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD!

ILLUSTRATION: Man praying to receive Christ, said, “Jesus I am not worth a damn. If you can save me, I want you in my life!” That is a salvation prayer and yet, many of us need to stop worrying about the word he said and praise God for his salvation and Jesus in his life!

2. Our Conformity – they are far too many churches trying to conform to denominational headquarters. Most denominations are dying. Why do you want to conform to something that is dying.

Don't say you are missional – of course you are – you are the freaking church. Of course we are attractional – if not no one would be here!

3. The Recognition Factor – I love the Jesus in Revelation – the ultimate fighter Jesus who kicks butt and takes names.

Joshua would have never talked to Jesus if he had recognized Jesus. When Joshua recognized Jesus, it was face plant time b/f the King of Kings in Worship. The problem is we have to many leaders who don't recognize Jesus. In Matthew 16:18 – it is His church! Don't let powerful people intimidate you. Jesus is the most powerful man in the church! PERIOD!

When was the last time our team just go away and focused on Jesus!?

¹³ Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are you for us or for our enemies?"

¹⁴ "Neither," he replied, "but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." Then Joshua fell face down to the ground in reverence, and asked him, "What message does my Lord have for his servant?"

4. The Strategy Factor – A big lie in the world is that one size fits all. Do NOT buy into what experts say we should do. Listen, but then run it through our own filters. Here is the best strategy – LISTEN TO GOD – DO WHAT HE SAYS!

See Joshua 6:1 - 5

In the church world, we should be far more concerned with the supernatural over strategy. As the leader, seek and find God’s vision first and then deliver and depend the supernatural. God has the corner on the market of supernatural. Seek Him first! (Virgin birth, fish and chips, death and life…”

“If numbers are not important don't count your offering anymore.” NUMBERS ARE ALWAYS IMPORTANT! Never stop going after lost people and NEVER start believing small is better. It is a lie straight from the pit of hell!"

Do NOT depend on strategy – DEPEND ON HIM! We want God to do things so out of this world that we don't know how and the only explanation is GOD!

If you can fully explain what is going on in your church God is probably not doing much. The standard answer should be, “We don't know…” :-)

We should always be able to say, "There is more where that came from…we have not seen anything yet!"

He never said I want something – He wants EVERYTHING!

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN OUR CHURCH IF EVERYONE WHO SAID THEY BELIEVED DECLARED, "GOD, YOU CAN HAVE EVERYTHING – LET’S ROLL GOD!"

It would shake the foundations of the world people! Let's roll God!

Leadership Summit

2010-03-02T07:34:00.003-05:00

What do the following speakers/authors/pastors have in common?

Jim Collins – Author
Tony Dungy - Prior coach for the Indianapolis Colts
Terry Kelly – Author
Andy Stanley - author and Pastor of Northpoint Church
Jeff Manion - Pastor in Michigan
Blake Mycoskie – Tom’s shoes
Dr. Chau – Chinese Speaker
Dan Pink – Past White House Speaker
Christine Caine – From Hillsong Australia
Adam Hamilton – Pastor in Kansas
Jack Welch – Interview with Jack Welch
TD Jakes – Closing message

ANSWER - they are all speaking at the Leadership Summit August 5 - 6 and newhope church will be a satellite location for this event! Mark your calendars - it will be INCREDIBLE!

An 8 year Picture/Video Montage

2010-02-25T20:13:00.001-05:00

Here's a picture/video montage we showed in Worship Sunday for Vision Day VIII. Thanks to everyone who submitted pics. AND THANK YOU JESUS FOR EIGHT YEARS!

The Power of Influence and the Desire of Wannabes...

2010-02-24T08:01:00.005-05:00

So, my family has taken to the Shaun White phenom, AKA as "The Flying Tomato." If you don't know this dude, I wonder what planet you live on but that is a different post altogether. :-)

Shaun White has taken the sport of snowboarding to "A Whole Nutha Level." The man is amazing. He is the trailblazer/pace-setter for this sport. He is creating ridiculous and sick "tricks" and other athletes are following suit and the sport is becoming more and more admired and popular throughout the world. (Unlike Curling - that too is a different post altogether but I have to say good people, Curling is NOT a sport :-))

At any rate, my three big kids and I "Got the heck out of dodge" the other day and we are skiing at Snow Shoe Ski Resort in West Virginia. The slopes and weather have been perfect and the get away is just what I needed!

The first day, as we were getting our ski rentals, a dude came walking through the room and I yelled, "Hey...look guys...there's Shaun White." Needless to say, it was NOT Shaun White. But I could tell it absolutely made his day. Later that afternoon, as we were cruising the blues and tackling the black diamonds, a man comes by me on a snowboard and my first thought was, "Dude, The Flying Tomato is here!" At the bottom of the mountain, down at the lifts, I realized this was not the Shaun White.

By this point, I am starting to notice a trend that I did not expect. I started looking around and there were long haired snowboard dudes everywhere! And so I asked a Snow Shoe Resort worker about this phenomenon and he proceeds to tell me that they had never seen anything like like it before. He said thousands and thousands of Shaun White "Wannabes" are hitting the slopes this year!

Here's the point - Shaun White is so BIG right now that young men all over our country are taking up the sport of snowboarding, growing their hair out, coloring it red if they don't already have red hair, and hitting the slopes. He is raising up a generation of young men who want to look like him, do what he does, talk like he talks, and be known for what he is known. That, my friends, is the power of influence!

As Christians, we too have someone that should so capture our attention and admiration that we too want to look like He looked, do what He did, and be known for He was known. His name is Jesus!

We don't need to model our lives after some athlete, but Jesus Himself. As believers, we study the Word, find Jesus therein, and model our entire lives after the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus! In fact, when people see us walking through, they should exclaim, "Hey, that man/women looks like Jesus...he/she walks like Jesus, talks like Jesus, and does what Jesus did when He walked planet earth 2,000 years ago." How cool would that be and how would our influence for the Kingdom of God increase if this were the case!?

Is there any resemblance in your life? Do people ever encounter Jesus when they encounter you? Are you a Jesus wannabe? I know it is typically not cool to be a wannabe, but He is One God/Man I want to unapologetically spend the rest of my life emulating and trying my best to look exactly like...

¹If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ²then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. ³Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. ⁴Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

⁵Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
⁶Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
⁷but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
⁸And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
⁹Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

¹²Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. (Philippians 2:1 - 13)

Unleash the Dream - Vision Day VIII

2010-02-22T06:42:00.003-05:00

Sunday, instead of a typical message, I walked us through 8 years of newhope! I accomplished this by using canvas pictures of newhope members from Canvas on Demand, a great company in the Research Triangle Park that produces AMAZING canvases from person pictures of loved ones. You can check 'em out here. Amy Lynn and I use these canvases in our home to capture our favorite family shots!

A special thanks to the following people for letting me use their stories to inspire other newhopers and praise God in the process:David and Cindy Miller Family

Pastor Kyle and Petra Ray
Tamar and Ethan Mikhail
Joe and Cheryl Schmidt
Teresa and Stedman Johnson
Jennifer Rice
Scott and Noel Plesha Family
Bryan and Danielle Brander

Vision Day VIII This Sunday - Feb 21, 2010!

2010-02-18T23:33:00.002-05:00

This Sunday, we celebrate Vision Day VIII and bring closure to Unleash the Dream. Since some continue to ask to see this vision video, here it is one more time.

If you hit that little square button at the bottom right hand side, it will convert this video into full screen format. (Much easier to watch :-) If you are not from around here, enjoy and please pray for us on Sunday. If you are a newhoper, get ready for Sunday - it will be a day to remember!

My Modern Day Paul...

2010-02-17T10:40:00.002-05:00

A quick reading of the New Testament epistles reveals a beautiful relationship between the apostle Paul and Timothy. This is a relationship of support, encouragement, and influence as Paul readily invests in the life of Timothy.

In several of the letters like Corinthians, Philippians, Thessalonians, and Colossians one finds the first few verses talking about this partnership between Paul and Timothy. In other letters, like I and II Timothy, we find Paul directly teaching and influencing Timothy in the ministry of the church. For example:

"But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness." (I Timothy 6:11)
You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance... (II Timothy 3:10)
But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. (II Timothy 4:5)

I have been blessed in my life to have multiple mentors. I will go to my grave thankful for the innumerable leaders who have invested and passed down to me their libraries, time, wisdom, and expertise in the ministry field. I have truly been blessed in 22 years of ministry.

As I survey the landscape of leaders/mentors who have believed in me, loved me, and supported me in ministry - Dr. Craig Dunn rises to the top! In the last eight years of my life, no one has supported and encouraged me more than this man. His ministry to me and enthusiastic encouragement has coincided with the vision, birth, launch, and life of newhope church! I do not consider that a coincidence. In fact, I believe the man in the picture above is nothing less than a gracious gift from God to and for the movement of newhope! During Worship on Sunday, I tried to say it like this, "newhope church would not be where we are today if it were not for the power of God working in and through the support of Craig Dunn."

Thank you, Craig. I consider you nothing less than a modern-day Paul blessing, encouraging, supporting, and loving this young pastor.

If I were Timothy, you would be my Paul and that, my friend, means more than words can say...

Note: Dr. Craig Dunn is the CEO of The Wesleyan Investment Foundation, a savings and loan organization in which our church and my family strongly believe. They can be contacted here.

New Members of newhope!

2010-02-16T09:36:00.002-05:00

One of the things that fires me up the most these days is the large groups of new members joining our church! It is my joy to extend a warm welcome to all those in the picture above!

It is hard for me to wrap my mind around a fresh batch of fired up members joining the ranks of newhope on a regular basis and committing to the 5 G's of membership:

Growing in the GRACE of God...
Joining a small GROUP...
Serving according to your spirit shall GIFTS...
GIVING the biblical tithe...
GOING into the world to make disciples...

Imagine a church reaching, teaching, and releasing this kind of membership class into the world 10 to 12 times a year! Imagine the Kingdom advancing potential! Imagine the future!

Imagine, as Dr. Craig Dunn said on Sunday, "We are just beginning to experience a trickle around the the floodgates of heaven and that we haven't seen anything yet because God is about to fling open those floodgates and the best is yet to come!"

THANK YOU JESUS!

Unleash the Dream - Part 4

2010-02-15T06:48:00.001-05:00

Unleash the Dream Vision Video

2010-02-12T10:08:00.004-05:00

Here is the vision video for Unleash the Dream. It includes when and where I accepted Christ and many other newhopers talking about Saving the Lost, Serving the Least, and Securing the Leadership needed to carry newhope into a bright future of REACH, TEACH, AND RELEASE!

If you hit that little square screen at the bottom right hand side, it will convert this video into full screen format. (Much easier to watch :-) Enjoy and if led, be a player and help us Unleash God's Dream in central, NC, and beyond!

Tim Tebow and the Super Bowl Commercial

2010-02-08T13:00:00.007-05:00

Let me make this disclaimer - I really like Tim Tebow. I like his passion. I love the way he is not ashamed of the Gospel. (See Romans 1:16) I like the way he carries himself. I appreciate the way he serves God on and off the field, often hitting the mission field in the off season. He is just a great guy who loves God and happens to be incredible at playing quarterback.

So, naturally, I was curious when the critics started ranting and raving over the Super Bowl commercial Tim and his mom did as a way of telling their story. If you have not seen it, you can check it out here.

It was such a short, innocent and non-offensive ad. It doesn't even mention abortion or spell out their decision to embrace his life.

Last week, there was an article in the Washington Post by a person who is NOT Pro Life. This person outwardly disagrees with those of us who support life. However, this article was one of the best, non biased, and intelligent articles on the subject at hand to-date. She tells it like it is and it is well worth your time. Do yourself a favor and read it carefully. You can check it out here.

I thank God for Tim Tebow - we would all live in a better world if more people lived out their faith in Jesus Christ like he does...

Unleash the Dream - Part 3 - Serving the Least

2010-02-07T21:14:00.001-05:00

Museum or Mission?

2010-02-06T15:09:00.002-05:00

I can hardly wait for church tomorrow! Due to the weather last weekend, it has been two weeks since we last gathered together for Sunday worship. And to be honest, I REALLY miss the smiles, hugs, music, Word, and the power and presence of the Holy Spirit among us!

This Sunday, we embark upon Unleash the Dream, Pt. III. I have been looking over the message all morning. I am quite eager and anxious to share this particular message on Sunday. I shall say no more - you will just have to be in the house to fully understand what I mean. :-)

I will tell a brief story, though, that will help set the stage for our time together this Sunday. It's a true story and one that I believe speaks to the call of Christ upon His church!

I know of an inner city church that was forced to a make a difficult decision. The church was located in an area of the downtown city where there were very few residents. Like a lot of urban churches, they had been hit by the suburban sprawl and found themselves only remembering the good ole days. A large corporation was offering them a great deal of money for their site, on which the corporation wanted to put a parking lot. The money would enable the church to move to another part of the inner city where they would find many more people to serve. Even though this was exciting to some in the congregation, other members were resistant to the idea. They pointed out that the church was the guardian of a building whose history and architecture reached back into the early part of the nineteenth century. Denominational history had been made in that building, and some grand figures in the faith had passed its portals.

Eventually the congregation decided to sell the site and make the move to a new building in a thriving inner-city neighborhood. The pastor who was with this congregation through all this upheaval said, "We had to decide whether we wanted to be in a museum or in mission."

You see, newhope, they couldn't have it both ways. It meant either staying on their site, glorying in their past history and serving a few people, or giving up their past and gearing themselves to a significant ministry among the city's people. They opted for mission status over museum status.

In many ways, almost every day, the church has to decide whether or not she will be a mission or museum. And while it is hard for us to imagine this tension in a brand-new church facility, the truth is we will be faced with this same dilemma/decision with every passing year. Will we as a church slip into the museum mindset or we will remain missional? I am certain you know what the answer should be. However, knowing the right answer and doing the right answer is where all of this gets most difficult. I believe we are up for the challenge and I can't wait to discuss it more with you this Sunday.

Unleash the Dream Vision Video

2010-02-03T17:48:00.003-05:00

By now, if you are a regular attendee or member of newhope church, you should have received the vision video compliments of the United States Postal Service! :-) We dropped over 1,000 DVDs at the Post Office last Friday. If we have your correct contact information, you should have received this by now. If not, keep your eyes open for the package!

This DVD will take you back to the jail cell where I accepted Christ nearly 22 years ago! It was the first time I had been back since I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. It walks you through my salvation experience and the way in which, in a very real sense, the birth and dream of newhope started right there in a cold, dark, dingy jail cell in Sumter, South Carolina.

After my testimony, you will experience multiple newhopers and others from local outreach ministries in central North Carolina sharing the power and potential of Unleash the Dream! The video will walk you through the biblical vision/initiatives of Saving the Lost, Serving the Least, Securing the Leadership, and Supplying the Resources. We are very pleased with the final product and I want to thank everyone who participated. You guys did a fantastic job casting vision for the future impact of newhope. I have watched it multiple times and I keep walking away stink'in stoked about the future of our church!

The video concludes with me taking a few moments to walk everyone through the Unleash the Dream pledge card. This is a simple tool that will allow you, if led, to make a 1-year pledge to Unleash the Dream. As you receive this video, I encouraged you to sit down with your significant other, your spouse, your family, friends, Small Group, or by yourself and watch it just as soon as possible. It will take you approximately 30 minutes to watch the entire DVD. The first time I watched it I had to do so alone - it was just too raw and emotional for me.

If you do not receive your copy of the DVD, you will be able to grab a one at church this Sunday. If you are a newhoper, please know I praying for you and our church family. Please pray for me, my family, and the movement of newhope.

The best, beloved, is yet to come!

This Week and Beyond...

2010-02-02T22:42:00.002-05:00

As you know, we canceled our Worship Celebrations this past weekend due to inclement weather. As such, I want to bring you up to speed with regards to Unleash the Dream. Here’s the latest:

A Night of Worship for Haiti is THIS Wednesday at 7:00 pm. We will Worship with song, Word, Holy Communion and 100 % of the offering will go to rebuild Haiti in the name of Christ! Child-care will be provided for birth through 3 years of age.
Unleash the Dream Vision Chat will now be Sunday, February 14th, immediately following the second Worship Celebration. Dr. Craig Dunn will be with us. The Vision Chat will give you and others an opportunity to ask questions and discuss this campaign! (We did have one planned for this Saturday but since we are a week behind, we have rescheduled that to the Feb 14)
Vision Day VIII will now be Sunday, February 21st instead of Sunday, February 14th. Due to the weather, we simply moved everything back one week. Mark those calendars for February 21st!

That about covers it for now. Hope you will join us this Wednesday, February 3rd at 7 pm for Worship!

Biblical Fasting, Faith, and Self Control...

2010-02-02T09:06:00.004-05:00

I am learning more and more every day that there are a lot of people engaged in the Daniels Fast! I do not have an exact number but it seems that everywhere I go these days someone is grabbing me and telling me about their spiritual journey of fasting. For those of you on the journey, way to go! For those of you not yet in the game but considering, it is not too late to join.

I'm hearing humorous stories as well as stories of struggle. One man told me about sitting down to eat his vegetables while his wife plopped down in front of him with piping hot fast food from Arby's, including those crispy curly fries. (Lord, help the ole boy :-)) He wanted to strangle her and then eat the curly fries. On a serious note, I am also hearing of fatigue and lack of energy. Remember, the beauty of the Daniels Fast is that you don't have to fast food completely. So, as when needed, throw back those vegetables, fruit, and water.

In his book, Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough, Elmer Towns, says this:

"One of the first steps in the Daniels Fast is to recognize the external power of our bondages. This does not necessarily mean we have demons, but it does mean we are controlled externally, not internally. Some believe they are alcoholics because their fathers were alcoholics... Although the causes of these problems are external, these people suffer internal depression. "I'm worthless," they inwardly confess, and give up -- when in fact, if they regained control of their bodies through fasting they could reach into their spirits to take control of their inner humanities. Recognizing that an internal power has made us weak is the first step in recovering control of ourselves." (Pg. 32)

In my experience with fasting, Dr. Townes is spot on. One of the key benefits/blessing of fasting is being able to control ourselves. I'm reminded that one of the fruit of the Spirit is self-control. (Galatians 5:23) I would go so far as to say one look at our culture and it is clear we have lost all forms of self control. As 21st-century American Christians, we don't come off much better. The truth is we often struggle with self control.

Fasting, in a real sense, is a statement of faith that recognizes what God can do in and through us. Likewise, it is also a statement of faith to recognize what a person cannot do. Faith is recognizing God's power and strategy for giving us self-control and then submitting to that power/strategy. Fasting taps into both His power and His biblical strategy for gaining self control!

Jesus said to the disciples, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.'" (Matthew 17:20)

Faith is never completely blind faith, such as walking to the end of the diving board and jumping into a pool, hoping there will be water in it. Faith is confidence. When you say, "I believe," you are saying, "I know." When Jesus said, "If you have faith," He was saying, "If you know you can break the bondage, it will happen to you." I know that is slicing it pretty thin and some of you will quote Hebrews 11:1 about faith "Being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." I get that. But notice the first part of that verse - "Being sure of what we hope for." There is a blindness to faith but don't neglect the certainty of faith either! So much of our victory as Christians depends upon our identity in Christ and our faith/knowledge/trust of His power permeating in our lives. When I start to tap into that kind of faith, that the Christian life starts to take on victory and power!

The old farmer once said to me, "Faith is believing what you know ain't so." Beloved, that is not New Testament faith. New Testament faith is believing what you know is so! So, press own dear fasters! I am praying for you -- for self-control, solid biblical faith, and God's power manifested in your life!

Christmas of Hope!

2010-02-01T09:30:00.003-05:00

I know it feels incredibly late, but I came across this picture of our church Christmas tree from one Sunday in December! The gifts are from newhopers who graciously gave items to needy families in central NC! Way to go, newhope! You are some of the most gracious believers I have ever experienced. Thanks for giving to the Lord!

A week's worth of recipes

2010-01-30T04:04:00.002-05:00

Sorry this is a little late this week. It has been one insane week...all good...but insane budy nonetheless. I will make up for it not with one recipe but a week's worth! Hope you enjoy.

Vegetable Soup with Soy Crumbles

12 oz. soy crumbles (found in the “vegetarian” frozen section)

2 – 14 oz. cans of vegetable broth

14 oz. can of diced tomatoes

16 oz. of frozen mixed vegetables

1/2 tsp. of salt

1/2 tsp. of pepper

Spray a pot with cooking spray. Heat soy crumbles over medium heat. Pour broth over crumbles. Add tomatoes, veggies, salt, & pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Makes about 6 – 1 1/2 cup servings.

Texas Caviar Dip

1 can of black eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 can of whole kernal corn, drained

1 can of Rotel, Mexican style

3-4 ribs of celery, chopped

1 packet of Good Seasons Zesty Italian Dressing (prepared with 1/2 the oil called for in the recipe)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Let dip sit for at least an hour to blend. You can also add a can of rinsed, drained black beans if desired.

Peanut Butter Balls

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. vanilla

2 cups puffed brown rice or any “fast friendly” cereal (See instructions below.)

Combine all ingredients. Scoop balls of mixture by a tablespoon and place in a food storage container. Enjoy!

Roasted Garlic Hummus

1 – 15 oz. can of chickpeas/garbanzo beans

2 tablespoons of minced garlic

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1/2 teaspoon of oregano

Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Process until dip is smooth and creamy. If hummus is too thick, add extra olive oil 1/2 teaspoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

Roasted Potatoes, Carrots, & Onions

Potatoes, washed and cut into bite-sized pieces

Baby carrots or large carrots washed, peeled, and cut into bite-sized pieces

Onions, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 or 3 tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil

Garlic salt

Salt & pepper

Mrs. Dash Table Blend or any additional seasonings that you like (optional)

In a 13×9 inch dish, combine potatoes, carrots, and onions. Add oil and toss veggies to coat. Add seasoning and toss again. Cover with foil and bake on 400 degrees for 1 hour or until veggies are tender. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

Spanish Lima Beans

2 cans of lima beans, drained and rinsed

2 medium onions, chopped

2 tablespoons of canola oil (or vegetable oil)

1 can of diced tomatoes, undrained

salt & pepper to taste

In a large skillet, saute onions in oil until tender. Stir in tomatoes, salt, pepper, and beans. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until heated through.

Fruit Smoothies

1 large whole banana

1 cup of frozen blueberries

15 medium strawberries (fresh or frozen)

2 cups of orange juice

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until the smoothie is the desired consistency. Makes 2 large smooties.

Taco Soup

2 – 14.5 oz. cans of diced tomatoes, undrained

2 – 15.5 oz. cans of kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 – 15.5 oz. cans of whole kernal corn, undrained

2 – 15 oz. cans of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 – 16 oz. can of chick peas, undrained

1 – 16 oz. can of pinto beans, undrained

2 packets of taco seasoning

12 oz. soy crumbles (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a large crock pot. Add water to make a thinner soup. Cook on Low for 8+ hours. Serve alone or with corn tortilla chips. Makes about 16 – 1 cup servings.

Spurgeon on the Sermon

2010-01-28T21:25:00.003-05:00

Hey Pastor, with Sunday coming, we would do well to recall how C.H. Spurgeon summarized what he believed the matter of a sermon should be:

Of all I wish to say this is the sum; my brethren, preach Christ, always and evermore. He is the whole gospel. His person, offices, and work must be our one great, all-comprehending theme. The world needs still to be told of its Saviour, and of the way to reach him. Justification by faith should be far more than it is the daily testimony of Protestant pulpits; and if with this master-truth there should be more generally associated the other great doctrines of grace, the better for our churches and our age.

From Spurgeon’s Lectures to My Students (Chapter 5: “Sermons — Their Matter”).

My point - preach Christ and Christ alone. Sunday's coming - let's preach Jesus - crucified, dead, buried, and risen!

Sabbath Study of Deitrich Bonhoeffer

2010-01-27T12:08:00.009-05:00

I have come to the conclusion that I am not very good at taking Sabbath rest during the winter months. When it's nice/warm outside it is easy to fish, or play outside, or ride the Harley or whatever. When it's cold, I would much rather work. :-)

So, I have not taken much Sabbath rest the last few months. I am not proud of that reality. Wednesdays are Sabbath for the pastors at newhope. Instead of resting/playing, I spent the morning inside studying, corresponding, and thinking through the remainder of Unleash the Dream. If you are a newhoper, the Vision Video is coming to you in the mail the first of next week!

I decided to study one of my heroes in the faith today, namely Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Here are some interesting nuggets I gleaned and thought you might enjoy:

He was 21 years of age when he finished his doctoral dissertation. He was an excellent scholar.
He once said, "The church is the presence of Christ as Christ is the presence of God!" I like that - kind of sounds like "The church is the HOPE of the world!"
Interestingly enough, Bonhoeffer did not grow up in the church. Through a friendship with the only African American at Union Theological Seminary, he was exposed to the black church and finally came to see the place/role of church in the life of the believer. His first experience of the church allowed him to see the church as a socially and politically engaged redemptive agent in the world for the cause of Christ.
During this time, the roaring twenties were over and the world was descending into a major depression. It was during this time that Bonhoeffer attended Union Theological Seminary in NY.
He studied under Reinhold Niebuhr, the father of social ethics. Bonhoeffer didn't like Niebuhr. His found any sense of a Christo-centric gospel horribly missing.
Early in his twenties, Bonhoeffer came to a personal conviction/epiphany that the Sermon on the Mount was actually supposed to be lived out and not, as some suggested, just there to show us how sinful we are.
In 1933, Hitler became Chancellor or of Germany. Two days later, at the age of 27, Bonhoeffer spoke on the radio and openly criticized Hitler. Before he even finished his speech, he was cut off the radio.
Hitler started to gain popularity in the churches (I know - hard to believe) while Bonhoeffer taught theology in Berlin. Hitler taught salvation came through himself and Bonhoeffer taught that salvation came through Christ and Christ alone!
He was the first evangelical to make a statement that basically said we can't let Hitler continue. According to Bonhoeffer, believers had a mandate from Christ and simply had to do something when confronting injustice.
Bonhoeffer studied under Gandhi's tutelage and teachings of non-violent resistance.
Under Karl Barth the Confessing Church broke away by confessing Christ and Christ alone.
Before long, Bonhoeffer and others were calling the church to not only preach the Gospel of Christ but to stand in solidarity with the victims of injustice.
The Sermon on the Mount kept haunting him day and night. So much so that he was convinced we should actually strive to live it out fully.
It is not stated, but I see a direct connection between Bonhoeffer's experience in the Black Church as a young man, and his willingness to stand up to Hitler. That is, he had clearly seen oppression up close in the black church and as such, felt for the Jewish people and believed the church could and should stand up against Hitler.
He wrote a lot about the notion of cheap grace as opposed to costly grace. Cheap grace is grace without the cross. Costly grace is grace with the gospel. Grace can NOT be cheap because it cost God everything.
He only had one notation in his bible, found in Psalm 74. You can read it here. It's fascinating to read this chapter in light of the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem and how that related to the Hitler's destruction of the Jewish people.
In the summer of 1939, Karl Barth was expelled from Germany and hundreds of clergy were imprisoned for resisting and standing up for Christ and against Hitler.
Upon returning to NY, he felt convicted that he had fled from the place he was needed the most, namely Germany. He willingly chose to go back and be used by God. And so, he took the last ship back to Europe before the War. In 1939, Germany attached and WW II began. Bonhoeffer became the moral backbone of the German resistance to Hitler.
In May 1940, France surrendered. Hitler returned to one of the largest celebrations in Berlin of all time. He was riding high, despite underground resistance.
Bonhoeffer was incarcerated for his role to stop Hitler. He befriended several prison guards and they helped him correspond with family and friends.
He was interrogated and tortured in ways we can't even imagine. He was NOT afraid of death but he openly shared his fear of the interrogation methods.
According to this saint, "The true church is the church only when it exists for others." (Bonhoeffer in a book he was writing in prison)
In one final attempt, the underground resistance movement slipped a bomb into a meeting and detonated it in attempt to kill Hitler. It only wounded him but killed others. Hitler vowed to kill everyone connected with the conspiracy and this was the beginning of the end for Bonhoeffer.
By April 1945, Berlin was in total ruin. The order was given to kill the remaining members of the German resistance, including Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer was called in to court and he offered no defense. He was sentenced to death on April 8, 1945.
During the dawn hours of April 9, 1945, Bonhoeffer was marched naked before the people and hanged to death.
The camp doctor who witnessed the execution wrote: “I saw Pastor Bonhoeffer ... kneeling on the floor praying fervently to God. I was most deeply moved by the way this lovable man prayed, so devout and so certain that God heard his prayer. At the place of execution, he again said a short prayer and then climbed the few steps to the gallows, brave and composed. His death ensued after a few seconds. In the almost fifty years that I worked as a doctor, I have hardly ever seen a man die so entirely submissive to the will of God.”

The Daniel's Fast

2010-01-26T06:50:00.008-05:00

As I write, hundreds of newhopers are embarking upon a 21 day journey called, "The Daniel's Fast." I am not quite sure how many people are taking this spiritual journey but it is a lot! If you are one of those, way to go!

I spent the first 18 years of my Christian life very rarely, if ever, fasting. However, in the last four years I have become a big fan of this ancient spiritual tradition. Over the course of the next three weeks, I will regularly post devotional comments, fasting passages of Scripture, and occasional recipes to encourage you along the way. It is most important that you keep a spiritual focus to this journey. Fasting is not a form of dieting. Fasting is about humbly seeking God with all your heart. mind, soul, and strength. (Mark 12:30) For today, let's start with the basics...

The Daniel’s Fast Overview:
The Daniel's fast is a spiritual discipline designed to better connect us with God. Traditionally, the fasts can last 10 or 21 days. The purpose, as with all biblical fasting, is to connect with God in more profound ways. It was Jesus who fasted forty days and forty nights. (Matthew 4:2) So, when we fast, we follow the example of our Lord and many other heroes in the faith! The Daniel's Fast is primarily about eating fruit and vegetables and drinking water. I do eat some fruit and yes, I still enjoy a cup of coffee or two each day. :-)

Why:
The primary purpose of fasting is to know God better. Fasting is not about food or dieting – it’s about meditation and reflection upon the Scriptures and communion with
God. If you are hungry for more of God, I invite you to join me in this spiritual journey of fasting and prayer.

Scripture:
During the fast, I invite everyone to study the Life Journals. You can pick up your copy at the Resource Center on Sunday. In the Life Journals, we will all study the same passages and use the acrostic SOAP to help us dive deeply into God's Word!

Scripture
Observation
Application
Prayer

How:
There are multiple online resources available for the Daniel’s Fast. A simple Google search will land you more resources than you can handle.

One thing you’ll notice is that there are many ways to do the fast. This is, in part, due to the lack of clarity in the Bible as to exactly what Daniel did during his fast. See Daniel 1. I find that to be perfect, BTW. Don't go getting legalistic about any of this. Decide what works for you and then stick to it to the glory and honor of Jesus! To assist, I will post helpful tips and suggestions on this site. Because some meals will be made from scratch, I will also included some recipes to assist you. For now, here is a food list from which I basically eat:

Foods to Enjoy
* Whole Grains: brown rice, oats, rolled oats, oatmeal, barley, corn, popcorn, wheat
* Legumes: dried beans, pinto beans, split peas, lentils, black eyed peas, green beans, green peas, peanuts, etc. Grain legumes include beans, lentils, lupins, peas and peanuts.
* Fruits: apples, apricots, avocados, bananas, berries, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, breadfruit, cantaloupe, cherries, coconuts, cranberries, dates, figs, grapefruit, grapes, grenadine, guava, honeydew melons, kiwi, lemons, limes, mangoes, melons, mulberry, nectarines, oats, olives, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, prunes, raisins, raspberries, strawberries, tangelos, tangerines, watermelon, etc.,
* Vegetables: artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chili peppers, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, gingerroot, kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, okra, onions, parsley, any peppers, any potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, scallions, spinach, sprouts, squashes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, yams, zucchini, etc.
* Seeds: all nuts, natural peanut butter, natural almond butter, sprouts, ground flax, etc.
* Liquids: spring water, distilled water, filtered water, 100% all natural fruit or vegetable juices, and like I said above, I do still drink around 2 cups of coffee a day.

During the fast, I am inviting you to draw near to God. These are historic and sacred times in the life of our church. The Bible says, “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and full assurance of faith.” (Hebrews 10:22)

I truly believe God is calling us to draw near like never before, newhope. I invite you to deepen your relationship with God through Christ and fully discern and participate in what God wants to do in and through us as a church as we Unleash the Dream.

Personally, I am praying that God will open wide the floodgates of heaven and bless us in ways that we cannot even imagine. (Ephesians 2) I’m asking God to take us places we have never been before, while also using us to REACH thousands of people who are far from God, TEACH the Word of the Lord, and RELEASE fully devoted followers of Jesus!

newhope, we have experienced eight amazing years. I am certain, though, that God has so much more in store for us. Jesus says, “He will do even greater things than these...” (John 14:12)

Buckle your seat belts - it's going to be a wild ride!