Grow in Love 2010

Grow in Love 2010 is in full swing. As we grow in love by S.O.A.P.ing for at least 20 of the next 30 days and doing 10 random acts of kindness, I want to encourage you in your efforts.

And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people

grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows.

1 Thess. 3:12NLT

Paul, speaking by the Holy Spirit, was saying that our love growing is not the goal, but overflowing is the goal. Overflow speaks of running out of our life into the lives of those around us. That's how the gospel is moved through a family, workspace, or a community. And not just for church people, while that's a start, it's for all people. So come on HOF, let's overflow in love:

• 20 days of S.O.A.P. so God can overflow on us
• 10 Acts of kindness to overflow on people.

This is the gospel.

19 years today

Today is Vanessa's and my anniversary. We are celebrating 19 years together and believing that the best is yet to come. We met at a youth crawfish boil at Dale and Lori Martin's house as she was riding home with a friend and stopped by the outing. She soon started attending here and we began to spend time together in group outings and then after knowing her for about a year I asked her out. We dated for 1.5 years and then had a whopping 50 day engagement. Our wedding colors were peach and navy blue. My father officiated the ceremony and her pastor participated. We honeymooned in Steamboat Springs, CO. I taught her how to ski that week, which almost resulted in a divorce on the slopes. God has blessed us tremendously in every way, but especially with 4 children and a church family that we love. I can't thank both of our parents enough for helping us and pointing us to Jesus. I am loving the journey.

Kingdom movement today

Today is really a special day for several reasons. First off, today is the day that leaders are saying goodbye to the old and will mark their transition to something new. That's always a bittersweet moment, but so necessary. I'm grieved by the fact that so many are stuck in the same old ruts of life, knowing that something needs to be done but having no power to break out of the old. I guess that's why God uses leaders, changers, motivators, and mold-breakers. I am so proud of Wade and Cynthia Moran and Rob and Carly Mooney for their hearts to go to another level for kingdom purposes.

It's also a great day because Cayle and Bridgette, okay they will be official sometimes this year, are stepping into something new. I love seeing those who once listened and responded become the ones who lead and do and reach others. This is kingdom movement. There is so much movement that happens that has nothing to do with kingdom, it's because of offense and incompetence and because of an itch to just do something else. But today this movement is kingdom minded and for kingdom purposes. As I look forward, I've never been more convinced that "The Best is Yet To Come" for HOF and for you.

S.O.A.P. on Romans 7-8

Here are some key thoughts that I think we have to live with in our minds:

1. Law only applies to the living. (verses 1-6)

• We died to it's power in Christ.

2. Law is not bad, but sin took advantage of the laws commands and deceived me.

• Sin used the law to kill me. (verses 7-13)

3. The trouble is not the law, the trouble is in me, the way I think. (verses 14-25)

• The answer is Christ Jesus.
• The battle is in my mind.

"I love God's law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind." Romans 7:22-23

4. I must begin each day with God's thoughts for me, not how I feel. (8:6)

• When I start with how I feel, I will always end up in the wrong place.
• When I begin with what God says about me, I will please God.

So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. Romans 8:6

Super Bowl

Wow, what a game! I can't remember when I've enjoyed a game as much as last night's Super Bowl. We were at a friend's house and had a lot of great food and deserts, but the game was all that a Super Bowl is supposed to be. Both teams played well, not a lot of penalties, exciting plays all around and the Saints are the champs of the world in football. Just a testament to the fact that with the right ownership, leadership, personnel, and work ethic then great things are possible. I'm sort of a Saints bangwagon fan, I've watched but have not been emotionally attached. I'm a believer now, I really like Sean Payton and Drew Brees. They strike me as real good process guys that believe in something and work the plan to perfection. It certainly made for a great Sunday at church with everyone pumped about the game. I believe that God is up to something in HOF. I can't wait to see it unfold.

Rom. 6:19

In S.O.A.P.ing this morning I saw something I think is a huge thought for us. It's from this verse:

19 Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.

• The phrases, "you let yourselves......." and "Now you must give yourselves....." really speak volumes about our lives before knowing Christ and after.
• If your life is defined by what you let happen to you because you don't exercise your will to choose, then you aren't living the life God has designed for you.
• If your life is defined by what you are giving yourself to then God's word is alive and working in you.
• Paul is using the "slave" analogy to help us to see that we are all slaves to something. Sin by letting ourselves sink into whatever comes along.
• I'm a slave to Christ when I give my life to Him and His will.

Do you ever feel like you are just pulled along by the current of what everybody else is doing and what friends are doing? You let people talk you into things, you let others manipulate you into situations that are not comfortable? God's not like that, His will for you is to be able to exercise your free will to choose because that's how He made you. You choose to give your life to Him, you choose to give your love to Him, YOU CHOOSE TO GIVE. God made you with the power to choose, the power to choose Him. I choose to give him my life today. It's going to be a great day.

Romans 5 S.O.A.P.

13 Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break.14 Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Romans 5:13-14

What an interesting thought here about sin and the law. Even though sin was in the world long before there was law to break, men still died from sin. Too often sin is viewed as the breaking of someone's law, man's or God's, when in reality sin is like a deadly disease. The law is merely a sin detection system for our lives. Kind of like the smoke detector in your house. When you burn something while cooking, the smoke detector goes off and alerts you to the real problem, that something may be on fire. Same thing with the law, because the real problem is this deadly thing called sin in our lives that will result in death if not dealt with in the right manner. So men sinned before the law, or they just never had a detection device to let them know how they were doing. The end result is today what it was in those early days: death. Jesus' life provides us with the antidote for sin: forgiveness.

21 So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God's wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:21

Coaching Network in Arkansas

Well we finally made it to NW Arkansas after being delayed in Memphis because of bad weather. I know it is going to be well worth it because one thing I've found is that when something is very hard to accomplish it has great value to it. Today was strong, as we caught up with my friends in the coaching network and what is going on in their lives and ministries. We are being coached in using various tools to gain a proper perspective of what has happened, what is happening, and what needs to happen in our churches. I guess the best way to describe it is that all my thinking about church is being challenged, I'm having to reevaluate the way I've thought about people, leaders, and ministry in the light of some new truths. Our host, Casey Henigan and his team, are very gracious and Keypoint Church is a happening church. Casey hosted us at his home tonight and it was great to hang out with so many cutting edge leaders. Vanessa is with me, and she's been visiting her best friend from her single life so I'm happy for her. They see each other so seldom. We are in Bentonville, the home of WalMart so this is like a trip to the Shopping Mecca for Vanessa. Snow covers the ground, they have had about a foot of snow in the last 3-4 days.

S.O.A.P. Jonah 1

Book of Jonah is one of my favorites because I see myself in so much of his story. As I read Ch. 1 today, I was impacted by 3 thoughts:

1. Jonah 1:9 where Jonah said, "I'm a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.

• Even though Jonah's words say the right things about him, his life's actions say something different because when God told him to go to Ninevah, he went the opposite direction.
• Our words and our actions need to connect to say the same thing or else our lives will have no meaning.
• Am I doing the OPPOSITE of what God has told me and still saying I worship Him?
• Is that even possible?

2. Jonah 1:12-14 The sailors asked, "What should we do to stop this storm? Jonah said, Throw me into the sea and it will become calm. Instead, the sailors rowed even harder to try to make it to shore."

• When we aren't willing to listen to God, then others will not be willing to listen to us.
• This causes a ton of hardship in families and elsewhere because even though you may be in a leadership position, people don't follow positions, they follow people who have credibility because of obedience.
• Are you willing to follow the Spirit's leading? if so, then others will see that in our lives and be willing to follow us.

3. Jonah 1:6 The captain to Jonah, "How can you sleep at a time like this? Wake up and pray

to your god. Maybe he will pay attention to us and spare our lives."

• How can we sleep(spiritually) now?
• These times require us to be alert, awake, and at our stations.
• Your family needs you, your church needs you, and your community needs you to wake up.
• Going the opposite direction from God produces sleep(spiritual) in our lives.
• Am I asleep below deck or awake and in my place?

S.O.A.P. Jude 6

Jude 6 And I remind you of the angels who did not stay within the limits of the authority God gave them, but LEFT THE PLACE WHERE THEY BELONGED....... Wow something happens when a person chooses to leave the place where they belong. All of us have the need to belong somewhere, and that somewhere is in God's house, the local church. The rest of that chapter gives us a look at what a person's life will look like once they have left the place where they belong. The most defining statement is in verse 10 which says they do whatever their instincts tell them. I've realized that there are only 2 ways to live: 1)by your instincts or carnal nature or 2) led by the Spirit of God. We can either rely on worldly thinking or spiritual guidance. Worldly thinking will lead us into destruction while Holy Spirit guidance will take us from grace to grace and glory to glory. Have you left the place where you belong? Gotten offended, gotten angry, felt betrayed, felt like you were done wrong? It's possible, but no reason to leave the place where you belong. That's why we must forgive and talk together and get it right and love despite our faults, which we all have. Go back to that place, make it right, and let God bless your life again.

Awake21 Prayer

Last night was off the chain for prayer, it was the high water mark so far of our prayer times this year and they have all been good. The focus was on breaking people through who have never prayed corporately or maybe not in front of people. Pastor Wade had a good word that if you want a testimony that can be shared in front of many then you have to be willing to pray a prayer in front of many. Bridget Stevens gave a tremendous testimony of how God gave her a breakthrough in her life when you humbled herself and prayed. Tonight we have another opportunity with S.O.A.P. prayer tonight, it's gonna be great. Come and let God do something in you as you do something for Him.

S.O.A.P. : Make Them Cry

My S.O.A.P. verse today was 2 Tim. 1:4(NLT) :

4 I long to see you again, for I remember your tears as we parted. And I will be filled with joy when we are together again.

Make Them Cry

Paul is speaking to a young man he discipled named Timothy, who is now overseeing a church that they planted together. Paul remembers when the parted ways, and that Timothy cried when he left and stepped into what God has for him. I want to have that kind of impact on people, and here's what I mean, I see 2 things.

1. Paul loved Timothy and fathered him to the place where he was ready to go out and step into God's will for his life. He helped him find his purpose and get there. So many never have someone to help them find their reason for being. It takes a great God kind of love to see potential, develop it, nurture it, release it for the good of God's kingdom and the person. Lord help me live and love like that.

2. The verse says, "i remembered your tears". My desire is to have the kind of loving relationships that causes people to cry when they leave. You know you have to because it's God's will, but you don't want to because it's been so good. I want to love people so much that they will cry when God moves them on. Love so Jesus-like that parting hurts. I think that kind of love is what we are called to live as a church.

S.O.A.P. for Today: 1 Tim 6 The Zero's

⁶[And it is, indeed, a source of immense profit, for] godliness accompanied with contentment (that contentment which is a sense of inward sufficiency) is great and abundant gain.⁷For we brought nothing into the world, and obviously we cannot take anything out of the world; 1 Tim. 6:6-7 AMP

Since I'm an engineer by training my mind goes to this equation:

Godliness + contentment = profit

Paul says that we come into life with "0" and we leave with "0", so we shouldn't let our lives be all about the "0's". Too often we make our decisions based solely on the "0's". Your life is not for sale to the highest bidder, because God has already paid the highest price when He gave His Son, Jesus, for us. The "God" job may not be the highest paying job. The "God" purchase may not be the one with all the bells and whistles. Contentment with what we have is a great place to be especially when everything around us is screaming, "I want more". The scripture talks about how the eyes want more and our flesh wants more all the time. If we cave in to those earthly sensual demands then we'll get off track spiritually and financially. Work the equation and God will work in you.

Soap for Today: Personal Responsibility

In reading our S.O.A.P. for today, 1 TIm. 5, I'm struck by the theme I see of personal responsibility. Starts out by outlining our responsibility in how to deal with people, young and old, male and female. Then our responsibility towards parents, and the churches responsibility towards widows. Then the people in church's responsibility towards elders(leadership) and finally leadership's responsibility in leading. Then this last couple of verses:

24 Remember, the sins of some people are obvious, leading them to certain judgment. But there are others whose sins will not be revealed until later. 25 In the same way, the good deeds of some people are obvious. And the good deeds done in secret will someday come to light.

1 Ti 5:24-25 NLT

From this I see that I can't judge by what I see, because I can't see everything about the good or the sin in other's lives. What I can do is purpose to handle my responsibilities. I can treat others well, do my part as the church, take care of myself and lead well. If I handle the things that God has given me to do, then it will go well for me. I must live from a perspective of personal responsibility and not what others do or don't do.

Bro. Ed's 79th birthday today

I'm spending time tweeting and blogging about the impact that a father can have because today is my dad's 79th birthday. My dad, known as Bro. Ed, was the founder of our church 35+ years ago and his life is the primary reason I'm serving the Lord today. I had great parents, but it was that authentic Christianity of my father's example that impacted me and still impacts me today. I'm not going to tell you he was perfect, but he was real and by real I mean that he lived what he preached. I saw him in every kind of environment: the pulpit, the home, the fishing camp, and vacation and he was just who he was, Bro. Ed. Nothing flashy, but you could count on him to always be a man of God. In fact, he's still living out what he preached when he was the "pastor". He still comes to church every time we have service unless sick or preaching somewhere. He prays with us, runs with the vision of HOF though maybe different from the way he saw it in his day. Never tries to interfere, being a former leader, nor does he ever stir up dissension, but is always one for peace and unity. When he just sits in one of our seats he's a stabilizing influence for HOF. The scriptures say:

15 For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father. For I became your father in Christ Jesus when I preached the Good News to you. 16 So I urge you to imitate me.

(1 Co 4:14-16)NLT

There are thousands who would love to teach you, but respond to the one who wants to be a father to you because they have made the choice to love you. Don't imitate teachers, they often just want to impress you with how much they know. Imitate fathers in the faith, they care about you, spend time with you, consistently live in front of you, and are willing to have the hard talks with you. Many today can't handle a real father figure because of past hurts. When God decides to bless you He puts a father in your life. When I grow up, I want to be just like my dad, Bro. Ed, without the Bro. part.:-)

Faith Academy Cheerleaders Take 1st Place

This is shout out to the FA cheerleaders who took 1st place in the WSA competition this past Saturday at the Alario Center in Westwego, LA. The girls competed at a higher level with more tumbling and they absolutely pegged their routine. Wendy Carter and Devon Brignac do a tremendous job coaching them and I want to thank them for our girls representing the House, the school and Jesus well. Also, I have to say that the parents of all these girls are great to work with and have a real heart to see them excel. Here is a video of their winning performance:

New Look for a new year

Hey check out the redesign of the HOF webpage here and see what's going on at the house. Find links to all the stuff happening and the new mobile access to the S.O.A.P. Bible reading we are talking about this weekend. It's going to be a great New Year and God wants to change your life.

Countdown to Awakening

We are in the final few days before Awakening21. I feel like this could be a really pivotal time for our church. Bottom line is that no matter what our plans are it's the plans of the Lord that are going to be fulfilled.

21 You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.

Pr 19:21 NLT

This is a time of quieting down and saying, "God, what do You want for me?" It's normal to want God to bless what we are doing, but we need to be doing what God wants. Hearing a clear direction for this year will make all the difference in our lives. It seems like the things that have been most beneficial in my life happened when I've gotten a clear direction from God. Jesus spoke to us that "My sheep hear my voice". God will speak to you and it'll change your life.

A Brand New Year

I don't know about you but I feel a lot less stress about New Year's than Christmas. I guess it's because we do the Christmas Eve services, of which clips are posted here "Christmas Little Drummer Boy" and CAROL OF THE BELLS here. This week is a time to relax and watch some football, work some and spend time with friends and family. Looking forward to a new year, it's like a blank sheet of paper, empty but full of potential. Looking forward to all that God wants to accomplish this year. See you on Sunday, ready to go.l

Gift Card from God

Slow around the church this week between Christmas and New Years. Still thinking about God's gift cards we talked about Sunday. Those are promises that we have the ability to turn into realities in 2010. That's what Awakening is all about, getting ourselves in the place of faith to believe God's Word. Looking forward to the new series that accompanies the times of prayer and fasting. We will have the handout this Sunday and look forward to spending some time with our church family praying for direction, grace, and strength for this next year. I'm already giving some thought as to what I feel like God wants to do in me and in HOF. This verse sums up our theme for 2010 which will be "Grow in Love"

17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.

1 John 4:17 (NLT)

Christmas Eve

I'm sitting here before we do the last Christmas Eve service just amazed at what a great church we have here at HOF. I'm not one to brag, but we have an incredible team. Michael has done a great job with the music and just everyone has a real heart to serve. We seen so many visit during these services and it's a joy to share the life changing message of the Good News. I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas this year. We are right on the doorstep of a new decade and I'm convinced that the best is yet to come. I pray that all of your families are blessed and that God will draw you even closer together at this time of the year. I want you all to know that you belong in God's family and at HOF. I guess tonight we'll open gifts with my family and then tomorrow they all come to my house.

Awakening21

The new year is right around the corner and Awakening is going to be huge this year. Each year we begin our year with 21 days of fasting and prayer called Awakening. You definitely will want to awaken your spirit to what God has for you in this next year. Check out the website

Excited about Christmas Eve Services

I just wanted to remind all of you that we are going to be doing 3 Christmas Eve services this year in order to serve you best. We are going to have a great time celebrating the birth of our King, Jesus Christ. I can't think of a better way to say, "I'm remembering what this time of the year is all about" than by spending some time worshipping with our church family. We will have one service on Wed., Dec. 23 at 7 pm and two services on Thursday, Dec. 24 at 5 pm and 6:30 pm. We've got some special things planned and as always, this is a great time to bring family and friends so that they might hear about God's love for them. Don't miss this opportunity to be a light this Christmas.

How do you decide?

One of the things we have to be sure we get right is knowing what is just us or what is God. Have you ever had a thought and then had to decide, was that a God thought or a me thought? Same with ideas and with emotions too. I've often had ideas that turned out to not be as great as I thought they were, and then there are our emotions. That anger, is it the righteous anger of the Lord or am I just ticked off because I didn't get my way. Then there are the decisions that we must make, do I make the decision that seems right to me or does God have a better plan or is what I'm thinking God's plan or my plan? So much would be clearer if we had a way to be able to tell God's ideas, emotions, plans from mine. Well we do.

Hebrews 4:12 (NLT)

12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

God's word cuts between the soul and the spirit. In other words it lets us know what's earthly and what's eternal. What's me and what's Him. What's good and what's God. In my soul is where my emotions, my will, and my thoughts are housed. But in my spirit is where I'm alive in Christ. By spending time in His Word, I'm able to know what's me and what's Him. A few verses before this one, the scripture says, Today when you hear his voice, don't harden your hearts. I know this, when I hear His voice and respond to it then my life takes on new meaning. When I've listened to my own, not so much. The key to life is knowing His voice and believing what He says. Have a great day.

You will bloom

I read this verse in the Psalms yesterday and can't get it out of my spirit. "Our days on earth are like grass, like wildflowers we bloom and die." Psalms 103:15 I felt like God spoke to me through this verse to focus on the bloom part. A flower is just another green plant until it blooms, then the flower distinctly signals it's species. In fact, plants are known by the descriptive name of their flower, the rose, the lily of the valley, the honeysuckle. There is an account in the scripture of Aaron's rod, which was a pretty typical accessory for every man in those times. It was a walking stick, a symbol of success, a reminder of the past, a means of defense, a tool of his trade. One day God told Moses to get the "stick" from the leader of each of the 12 tribes of Israel and put them before the Lord in the Tabernacle. Aaron's 'stick' blossomed and bloomed. In fact the inside of the most sacred room of the Tabernacle was decorated with "open flowers". I believe this verse contains a promise, that while we have but a temporary time to serve an eternal God, His promise to us is that we will bloom before we die. I don't feel like i've bloomed yet, what about you? I'm holding on to God's promise that if I live for Him, by His grace and power that I'll bloom and blossom into something that others can see and appreciate. We are in the middle of series about the family called HomeWork, and we'll be talking about how God wants our families and our lives to bloom as a tribute to His power. That word bloom can mean to grow in number but also to grow in maturity. It can mean to grow in size, or to grow together. It can also mean to grow up. God's desire is for every expression of growth in your life. The amazing truth is that Aaron's rod was just a dead stick, but in the presence of the Lord, the dead stick was made to bloom. We are just dead in our sins until we believe in Christ. Then His power makes dead things grow, it's miraculous. A favorite song of mine by Desperation Band goes like this: It's the miracle of Christ in me, a mystery that sets me free, I"m nothing like I used to be, just open up your eyes you'll see. Let's bloom.

Getting Along with People

One of the best skills that can be learned is the skill of getting along with people. In fact, so much so that a name has been given to it, EQ, or emotional quotient. EQ is a way to measure a person's emotional intelligence. As a college and bible school graduate, I'm thankful for all that I have been taught, but the one thing I don't remember anyone formally teaching is how to get along with people. Of course my parents tried as I grew up, but in a formal sense, no one really talked about the most important skill that you can learn. Paul sums it up in one verse to his protege' in the faith, Timothy. Timothy had been left in Colosse to pastor that church after Paul's departure.

1 Timothy 5:1-2 (NLT)

5 Never speak harshly to an older man,* but appeal to him respectfully as you would to your own father. Talk to younger men as you would to your own brothers. 2 Treat older women as you would your mother, and treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters.

• Always appeal to those older than you rather than telling them. It shows respect for elders, which God commands, when we choose to appeal or ask rather than to tell.
• Treat younger men as brothers. I never had a brother, but I have sons and to watch them interact is hilarious. They punch, fight, play, kid, share and laugh together. I always wanted a brother because of the special bond that brothers share. You can be yourself with your brother.
• Treat the older women like you would your own mother. Moms have a special place in our hearts as they should. That lady who's older than you is probably someone's mother and should be afforded that level of respect and courtesy.
• Treat the younger women as a sister. Living by this one verse takes all the tension out of dealing with those of the opposite sex. If we treated women as our sisters in Christ then we always see them in the right way and not in unhealthy ways that demean women.

Simply put, we live like we are related, I know that I enjoy my family so much because we live this out naturally, but I also enjoy my awesome church family because I choose to view them as my family in Christ.

Hearing Incredible Stories of God's Grace

I was talking with Vanessa this morning about last night's Girls Beautiful event, and she told me a great story about how God is moving in one lady's life. We are looking for those kinds of stories to use during our upcoming the Power of Hope sermon series. Hope is such a necessity for our lives and there are things that can diminish our hope. If you have a story of God giving you hope in your life, I'd like to hear it. email me at the address found on the website, www.hofchurch.com

Fan into flame

Paul tells Timothy to "fan into flames" the gift that God deposited into his life. Evidently Timothy was dealing with fear because the next verse states, "God hasn't given us a spirit of fear....". Paul is telling Timothy that the answer to problems and difficulties is to turn up the spiritual heat in our lives. After Hurricane Katrina left us a mess in the backyard, we worked hard to clean up. Most stuff was easy to deal with but I had 2 massive stumps that I couldn't deal with. Life can be just like that with storms that leave things we are unable to deal with like the unforgiveness from a bad relationship, fear from some failure, or insecurity because of a lack of love. We often try so hard to deal with the leftovers of a storm but Paul teaches us that it's better to fan the flames of our relationship with Christ. The hotter you are as a believer, then the less the things of this life affect our lives. Are you dealing with some stuff from a storm? Are you wondering how you'll move the immovable out of your life? Forget about the stumps and focus on getting on fire for Christ. How? Give yourself to those things that fan the flame: time in the Word, prayer, and fellowship with other believers. Trust me, this weekend I burned up the stumps and all I had to do was get the fire started and let the fire do the rest. So fan into flames the gift of God that's in you.

What's your message?

In Galations Paul states that his message wasn't taught to him, but revealed by the Holy Spirit. I began thinking, "what is my message?" I'm not talking about my message from the past Sunday but what is the core message of my life. If we were confident in our message then we'd always know what to say, maybe just find new applications of it for the different situations in which we are asked to share. Our message is that truth that God has called us to spread with our words, our lives, and our actions. Paul's message seemed to inspire a tremendous confidence in his life. There is something to be said for knowing what your life's message is and spending you life creatively finding ways and avenues in which to spread that message. What's your message? What is the truth that you didn't learn from a sermon, but in one of those memorable life altering times with God, He spoke it into your soul? Obviously there is much we can and should learn from those God has placed in our lives as mentors, teachers, pastors and such, but our core message can only be revealed by the Holy Spirit. Think about your life with Christ and ask yourself, What is my message? I know mine, do you know yours. I'm pumped about making it known.

A Team

I was privileged to participate in a leadership meeting with a great team for ARC. So many great young leaders in the ARC and so much passion for church planting, pastors and the local church. As alway, Billy Hornsby's leadership is critical in ARC being such a player in the world today where church planting is concerned. Florida was well represented with 3 or 4 pastors. It was good to spend some time again with P. Van Ducote who started in ministry here at HOF under my father. Big things are happening in the ARC and I'm blessed to have a part. I have such a heart for pastors and feel supremely blessed because my father in ministry is my father. Also have had valuable connections with some incredible leaders and that continues. I love the DNA of ARC, life-giving, real, and connecting. It was great to meet Ron Sylvia, who leads a coaching network for pastors and i'm so excited to be a part of getting some coaching and also, being a coach for someone. That's what leading is all about. You are always in the middle, being led and leading others.

Back in the Saddle

I'm back in the office today and slowly getting into the swing. I'm really excited to hear all the great stuff that happened while I was away on vacation. I hear that P. Greg really did a great job on Sunday, never doubted that. P. Wade and others come through and painted the EA Teacher's Lounge to help out a local school that's doing a good job. Celebrate Recovery just keeps loving people. I'm getting excited about part 2 of the series on Show Your Love. This week we will jump even deeper into what I believe is the essence of what it means to be the church. Love to see you this weekend at HOF. Also, a reminder that Rock the River is happening this weekend, come on out to the levee lots at LSU and be a part of local church history.

On Vacation

On vacation for some much needed rest and relaxation. In Florida having a blast just hanging out with the kids and with friends. Today we went in the boat around the Destin bridge area, it was spectacular. Water was clear and people everywhere. We anchored the boat on a sand bar and played in the water for several hours. Nice people and a lot of fun. Rest is such an essential part of our lives. We are gearing up for the busiest times of the year from the start of school till Christmas. It seems like much gets done in the church world during that time. Rest is much more important especially when you work hard. Getting into God's rhythm of 6 days work and 1 of rest is a key component also. I'll be back soon.

Second Half part 3

This is the 3rd part of what I felt God spoke to us during the Awakening time of prayer and fasting at the first of the year. The third thing was that God was going to take away our reproach. God spoke to a childless woman in the OT and told her that HE would take away her reproach. I really believe that this is going to be a very fruitful time for the kingdom. As we embrace this new wine skin of LOVE and that new grace from God is on our lives, then we are going to see more fruitfulness in our lives than at any time before. God’s desire for all of us is for us to be fruitful. A fruitful person is a happy person, a blessed person, a fulfilled person. It reminds me of our life with our children, in that we have much fulfillment in seeing our children and them grow and have success. Whatever has been your reproach, your burden, the thing that has weighed heavy on your mind I know that God desires to take it away and free you to be what He’s destined you to be. The Psalmist wrote that God has a glorious destiny for me and I believe it for you , for me, and for HOF.

Second Half part 2

The second thing that God spoke to me about our church and this year was: you will be anointed with the finest of oil. That is a portion of scripture found in Psalms. I believe that when we begin to operate in the Love of God that a new anointing is going to be in operation in our life, church, and relationships. God’s anointing or blessing on our lives is the best thing that can happen in and to us. God’s hand on your life is the best thing that could ever happen to you, it’s better than anything money could buy or influential people could do. God’s desire is to pour out His best on His children, He’s not holding back, but desires to bless.

Second Half

I want to remind you what I felt like God spoke to me during the fast at the first of this year when we observed a time of Awakening. There were three things that I felt like God spoke to me during those 21 days of fasting and prayer. 1. New wine for a new wine skin. I really believe that a new wine is going to be poured out as we are open to serving God with a new wine skin. In other words, what has worked in times past will not be effective today. Wineskins got dry and brittle and inflexible and were not fit to hold new wine, which was the best wine. Churches and people can get inflexible also. This new series on Show YOUR LOVE is the new wine skin that God is going to use to pour out some new wine into our lives. I'm so pumped and excited about the second half of the year at HOF. Don't miss Sunday or any of the sermons in the series, we are going to have a blast hearing God's heart of love for us and learning how to love others. That's what life is all about. Vanessa has been gone for 6 days and without someone to love life really loses it's meaning.

New Rev on David

I was having my quiet time this morning and reading the account of David's sin with Bathsheba and Uriah. For those who aren't familiar, David saw Bathsheba bathing on a rooftop and even though she was married to another, he took her for himself and had her husband, Uriah, killed in battle. I thought about Psalm 53 that David wrote as he was finding his way through that time where he lost his way. His prayer in Psalms 51:1 taught me something. It says, "have mercy on me Oh God because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sin." David had an understanding of God that is revealed in his prayer. He knew that God forgives us because of His love for us not because of how bad we may feel. He put his faith in God's compassion to remove the stain of sin rather than his own feelings of remorse. David kept his eyes on God even through repentance. It's so tempting to focus on how everything makes "you" feel, but we need to be reminded that God is good and merciful and just and righteous and forgiving because that's who He IS. Not because of anything I may feel about myself. You know what that means? That there is hope for all of us, no matter who you are or where you are at in life. God loves you and because of His mercy and His compassion He desires to make us right with Him.

Man Up Tonight

I want to remind and invite all men who want to have a great time tonight to our Man Up meeting in the Activity Center at HOF. We have turned tonight's meeting into a College World Series watch party with the first pitch around 6:00 pm. We have a meal prepared and we are going to turn this place into Omaha South for tonight. Come and bring your friends, this championship will be much better enjoyed with a couple of hundred of your closest friends. We are going to go live to Omaha and speak to some guys that will be at Rosenblatt. Acts 2:42 says that, "... believers devoted themselves to ...fellowship, and to sharing in meals...". Come help us cheer on the Tigers or of course feel free to cheer for the Short Horns. I feel a homerun coming on. LSU versus right handed pitching has been nails. We'll see, whether the Tigers win or not, Jesus is still Lord and I'm still saved.

This is the day

This is going to be a great weekend at HOF. For starters we get to kick off the weekend by watching LSU pound the piggies today then to celebrate a big Father's Day Sunday we have Pastor Stovall Weems of Celebration Church doing his One Prayer message on God is MERCIFUL. I can't wait to be a part of what God has to say through Pastor Stovall this Sunday and you won't want to miss it. I'm encouraging you to bring your father, bring your husband, bring your sons, bring everyone and anyone to hear that God is Merciful. Then to cap off the weekend, Man Up on Monday night at 7 in the Activity Center on campus. What a weekend and its great serving God in Gonzales.

Loving People, Loving God, Loving Life

I've been thinking about the most significant moments I've had and one is definitely when I experienced a new revelation of God's love for me. That has motivated me since then and really it's love that is our motivation to live for God. Jesus was asked the most important commandments and He said, "love God with everything you are, and love people". That's my paraphrase by the way. As a church our challenge is how do we say, God loves you and we love you to our community, to each other, and to the world. Here's one way we have be able to say "I love you" to a small part of the world in Zimbabwe in the city of Masvingo. See the pictures. Feeding children has made such a difference there. The school staff tells us that since we've been feeding, attendance is up, scores are up, and kids are more motivated to learn. We are learning how to say, "I love you" and it's what the world is dying to hear. Not just words, but really believe that someone loves them.

Feeding Center

I've posted a short video that showed some of the kids that we are partnering to feed once a day, 5 days a week. i cannot tell you how much they appreciate the food. Everyone from the kids to the school staff, to the local people expressed thanks for the work that was being done. The food is cooked by volunteers from the church that we helped to plant and they serve the children at school each day. As a result of the feeding program attendance has increased, scores have gone up, and one school has become the top performing school in the whole nation of Zimbabwe. The real difference is made in the life of a young girl as they are the ones most impacted by the feeding program. Without the ability to read and write young girls often feel no other option to survive but by selling their bodies for what they need. This of course perpetuates the cycle of brokenness that devastates lives and families. We are partnering with Celebration Church, Children's Cup, and several other organizations to feed 3000 kids per day at 2 different schools. The best is yet to come.

Out of Africa

I'm going to be blogging and posting some pictures of the incredible trip we had to Swaziland, South
Africa, and Zimbabwe on the continent of Africa. First let me give you the schedule we had. We landed in Johannesburg, SA on a Mon. evening, spent the night resting and on Tues. we flew to Swaziland. A pastor's conference began on Wed. in the Swazi capitol of Mbabane at HPC-Swaziland hosted by Pastor Ben Rodgers. I spoke Wed. evening on One Hope as well as did Pastor Mark Stermer and the Holy Spirit really touched pastors hearts that Wed. night. The conference continued all day Thurs. with sessions in the morning on One Heart, panel discussions on problems pastors face as well as times of fellowship for the pastors attending during meals. On Thursday afternoon we, pastors, did a serve project at the nearby Care Points that Children's Cup lead. It was a new experience to see pastors serving the orphan and underprivileged kids of their country. Pastor is more of a profession in Swaziland rather than a lcalling. Friday we had some time for fun with a morning horse ride through the countryside at a local game park. Friday night we spent the night at a game park and Saturday morning I got to take Connor on a hunt. He loved that. Sunday I spoke at the church and then we relaxed that afternoon. We flew to Zimbabwe via Jo-burg on Monday morning having lunch in Bulawayo with Pastor Dixon and Pastor Stovall Weems. We then were driven 3 hrs to the city of Masvingo where we spent the next 2 days visiting our carepoint lead by Pastor Samson and his wife Nomsa. Then it was back to Jo-burg for the flight home.

From Africa

What's up everyone? Í'm sitting in Pastor Ben Rodgers office at the church in Swaziland posting this blog. We've had an incredible day, started off up early to spend time with the Lord, then we headed to the conference where I spoke once then was part of a panel of pastors. We then headed to a local Care Point to show the local pastors how to do a serve project. We gave out candy to approximately 220 kids and the older pastors played soccer with the younger boys while the girls did some traditional dance. Many of these children are considered orphans because of losing one of their parents. It was great to hug them and spend a little time in their world. the weather is phenomenal, cool in the mornings and warm during the day. It's been a worldwind tour here and the best is still to come. I want to urge all of you that will to pray for Connor and I as we make this journey.

Jambalaya Festival

Just made a pass through the Jambalaya Festival and what a day for it. I saw a pot of jambalaya being cooked that is estimated to feed 4000 people. I'll try to attach a picture because it's awesome. 650 pounds of rice were used.

Back From Washington

The Servolution Continues

     A real spirit of serving has been unleashed in the house from Servolution '09.  Just this past week we were able to bless the principals of all the schools in Ascension parish with a gift bag and a few small things just to say how much we appreciate their serving in the school system.  I know the majority of calls and visits are probably problems that need to be worked out and we just wanted to say to them "Thanks".   I got to know a middle school principal a little during Servolution '09 and was amazed at the dedication, hours, and heart she had for her school.

      Today, we have a team at one of the middle schools giving out sno-balls to 600 middle schoolers as part of a fun day at the school. 

      It's amazing how God moves when we just love others in the smallest ways.  I challenge you to start right where you are and look for little things and small ways to "express" acts of love to those around you.  Love was never meant just to be spoken about but to be felt by actions.  It's the hallmark distinction of the church to love one another and also to love what Jesus loves, people.   Jesus spoke to Peter and told him, "If you love me, feed my sheep."  If you love Jesus, who are you going to love?  

Follow Me on Twitter

I've not been too diligent in doing the blogging thing, but you can follow me on Twitter@ twitter.com/bledseaux.  These social networks are fascinating things.   When I want to see what some of my children are doing, I can check their Facebook accounts.  It seems that connecting is a high priority but its on a very limited basis.  It's fun to follow people and get a glimpse into their lives.  The great thing is that I can Twitter from my phone and instantly give updates on what's happening in my life.  It's pretty biblical in a way because you follow people and others follow you.  I can't help but think about Paul's comments to the church in Corinth in I Cor. 11:1  "follow my example as I foll0w Christ example."  We should all be following Christ and allowing someone to follow us.  

ARC All Access Conference

Just returned from All Access 09 at C3 Church in Cleveland, NC. We traveled with our second year interns, Pastor Wade, and Pastor Bud Plake from Freedom Church. We had a great time reconnecting with friends from all over the US as well as meeting some new friends. Got to meet Ben and Katie Brinkman who have planted a church in downtown San Diego 12 weeks ago. ARC is such a strategic partnership for us here at HOF because we gather for a purpose, church planting. I truly believe that the hope of the world is found in Jesus Christ through the local church. It’s what Jesus gave His life to build, and will one day return for as a bride. So far this year, 30 new churches have been planted with a total attendance of 4000 people. Our vision is to plant 2000 new life-giving churches by the year 2020. I know that God is positioning HOF to be a part of that vision and we feel like there will be many churches planted out of HOF in the years to come. Our church has always planted from the days when my father pastored. You know the scripture says to bear fruit, and so we reproduce what we are. I read a great quote the other day, “the fruit of an apple tree is not an apple, but another apple tree”. We at HOF have a great church and our vision is to see not just more people at HOF, which we want to see, but more great churches.

Day to Be Dad

NATHAN AND AN OWL

Got to just be dad today with my 7 yr. old Nathan. He had a fieldtrip to New Orleans to the Aquarium and the IMAX theatre. We had a blast just hanging out looking at cool stuff and him being there with his friends from school. I love watching him interact with the boys in his class and also the girls. You get a better picture of who they are developing into as you watch them respond to the teacher and friends. We are so blessed to have a great school like Faith Academy and devoted teachers like Ms. Christian, yes that’s really her name. Nathan thinks the world of her, and so do we. She treats it as more than a job, she really loves our children and we can tell. Its good to put faces with the names we hear at the dinner table and in some cases meet their parents. Great day for going to New Orleans, it was beautiful.

The Lutcher/Gramercy Meeting

We had a great time meeting with some people on Saturday morning about launching a campus in the Lutcher/Gramercy area. Got to share vision and our heart for what we believe God has called us to do. A lot of work has gone into that place by our XG youth as they have been doing a Thursday night youth meeting since Oct. 192006. We feel that the next logical step is a full blown church plant. We already have a campus pastor, a campus youth pastor, and children’s workers, plus worship is in place. We are going to be building a core over the next few weeks and months toward a goal to launch sometime this summer/fall. If you want to be a part of that team then email me and we’ll get you in the loop. Jesus spoke before His Ascension and said, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone…” Well, I’ve got to go.

Fireproof

Well the banquet on Saturday night was phenomenal. We had a packed house and everything was great. The food by Chef KD was excellent as well as the desserts and especially that salad dressing, first class. I want to thank Polly and her team of decorators for transforming the gym into an elegant affair. I would forget one if I tried to list them all, but Rhonda, Derenda, Tina, Karen, Vanessa, and the staff were as usual, right there. I want to thank our interns and several singles for stepping up in the area of food prep and serving. Someone suggested we open a restaurant, I don’t know about that. The interns and singles really worked well with Chef’s crew to make it a tremendous night. As always our tech guys and staff, they just continue to produce and do all that the Lord puts in my heart to do. I say thanks to you all. I can’t forget Mama Nell and her famous peanut butter chocolate chip cookies that pulled us through. Great night, lots of tears and believing for “results” in the families of HOF and beyond. It was great spending Valentine’s Day with you all. See you at the series.

Jesus Begins

After His time of testing, Jesus then stepped into God’s will for his life: ministry. Don’t let the “churchy” use of that word get to you but understand what it means: serve. It means to serve by executing the commands of someone else. Jesus began to carry out what the Father showed Him and spoke to Him. In fact a prophecy from Isaiah is quoted which says in part:

“the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined.” Matt. 4:16

A great light shines in the darkness of the lives of people when we have a heart to serve, or do God’s will and not our own. Why, because it is so unnatural to see people serve others with no personal motive in mind. I know your local business person will serve you because they want to sell a product or service, and that’s natural. Many will ask us to serve their good cause, their good dream, or their good service in fact sometimes far too many will ask. Shining like a beacon on a dark night or a star in a black sky stands the person who has no agenda other than God’s. Serve to see the broken healed, the bound set free, the weary refreshed. Jesus began to serve and changed the course of humanity. Let’s get started and see what God does.

After the fast

In Matthew 4, Jesus encounters a time of temptation either during or just after 40 days of a fast. It’s important to note that you can count on a test in your life even after something as monumental as 21 days of fasting. If you haven’t already gone through your trial, then your time is coming. I love how Jesus made it through, by quoting scripture. You can rely on the Word that is in you through those times of reading and hearing the scripture to battle the devil and his attempt to tempt you. God’s Word is powerful, and is the only way to stand against the devil’s attacks in our personal lives. It’s eternal so what worked for Jesus will work today. It’s specific to the particular area you are being tempted in: ethics, fear, morals, finances, or spiritual. Each temptation was the Satan’s attempt to have Jesus take a shortcut, cutting out God, to meet some legitimate need in His life. Turn bread into stones, but man needs more than bread. If you are the Son of God then jump, but we need to trust that God is protecting us. Bow down and have it all, but we only worship and serve God. Jesus showed us how to make it through and in Christ you and I will make it through also. Be blessed.

The Fast is Over

As we put our time of fasting behind us for this year I want to share with you in the next few blogs several tips I’ve learned over the years so that your investment in spiritual things can be of the most value to you. Here goes: Live a fasted lifestyle.

Many have remarked to me that they wished we could continue on in fasting and prayer and getting together each evening at the church. That is just not possible to keep that kind of schedule, nor is it healthy. I want you to know that the presence of God is not confined to our church auditorium, but you can enjoy Him anytime you are willing to get into a quiet place of life and make room for the Holy Spirit, He’ll respond. The reason times of fasting are so successful in bringing awakening is that we learn to say no to our flesh and God honors that. I encourage you to live a fasted lifestyle. That means make saying no to your flesh a regular, intentional part of your everyday life. We do this when we turn off the TV to pray, forego a little sleep to read our Bible, push away from the extra helping of food to go and spend time with the Holy Spirit. You don’t have to indulge your flesh in everything it wants or you will feel the pull of the world in your life. As we have been discovering, change your thinking and change your life.

Prayer Blog

Hey it’s been a while since I last blogged, sometimes I just get bored with the whole blogging thing. However, I never get bored with prayer. Prayer has been very important to me personally and this time of prayer has also been great. We have seen so many come out as we bombard Heaven. It’s also great to see the mix of people who come to prayer, from every generation and that’s important because God wants them all. This week we are concentrating on the part of our vision that declares that prisoners will be set free. Seeing spiritual breakthroughs in 09 is a major focus, so that God’s people can “be” who God has called us, gifted us, and positioned us to be. Today marks the half way mark of our fast and as we prayed this morning for all the faster that God’s grace would be on our lives as we obey His voice.

Excited about the fast

Tonight is our first Wednesday night of 2009 and I’m pumped as we move into our annual time of fasting. We’ll be talking about that tonight as we prepare for The Awakening series that begins this Sunday. This is always such a great time of spiritual momentum for HOF and we desperately need all who can to be involved and committed. Here are some dates for you to remember

Fast dates : Jan 11- Jan 31

Nightly prayer: Each night at 7:00 pm except Wed. nights

Awakening Series: starting Jan. 11 for 5 Sundays
Anointing service: Wed, Feb. 4 @ 7 pm

Christmas Eve Service

We are once again excited about the chance to give a witness to the love of God with a Christmas Eve service. Last year was amazing and we are expecting this year to be even better. We know it can be hectic for families during this time of the year so we’ve given you two options to choose to honor God this Christmas season. Our first service will be at 4:30 pm with the second at 6:00 pm. We’ll be celebrating communion together as well as singing Christmas songs together. We are going to introduce something called “Cardboard Testimonies” this year as a way for us to tell our story of God’s grace in our lives. It’s going to be electric and powerful as we share a time of thanking God for the gift of His Son, Jesus. Bring the whole family and celebrate God’s gift before going off to be with your family. The best is yet to come.

Exiled

We’ve been reading through the book of Revelations in our morning prayer time and it’s been particularly meaningful. Understand that John was writing the book while in exile on the Island of Patmos, which is off the coast of Turkey. It was there that God “revealed” Himself and His plans to John. I thought of so many who were “in exile” or put out of some circle because of their faith. Maybe you don’t feel like you fit into the various circles in our lives: co-workers, family, or friends because of your heart for Jesus and desire to live for Him. That can happen and it’s not of our doing but just because the life of Jesus in us can effect how we are seen. John didn’t just see his situation but he saw Jesus. The pages of Revelations tell how he worshipped God there and his God met him there. My prayer for you is that if you are feeling “put out” of some circles of people that you will choose to worship God and that He will reveal Himself to you there. The great thing is that God promised that everyone who reads the book of Revelations would be blessed. I know that’s coming true in my life.

Sent Back Different

Paul said, “I’m sending him(Onesimus-the runaway) back to you, and with him comes my own heart.” Philemon 12 NLT

The problem in Onesimus’ life was not his master, or his circumstances or any other thing, instead the problem was his heart. That’s what Paul worked on in his life. Often times when the heart is healed then going back to what you have run away from is no longer intimidating or fearful. Is there a something that you have been running from because it brings a great deal of pain into your life? Often running away seems like the only solution. Running to Jesus to have your heart renewed is God’s solution. The bible says to guard our hearts because the course of our lives is decided there. David was spoken of in the bible as a man with God’s own heart. I believe if we ask today, then God will give us His heart and going back may seem a better option than ever.

From Useless to Useful

I’m all about things that work. If it doesn’t work then I don’t have much use for anything. Paul said that Onesimus, the runaway from Philemon was previously useless had become useful.

“Onesimus hasn’t been of much use to you in the past, but now he’s very useful to both of us.” Philemon 11

It’s a great art to take something that doesn’t work and make it work again. That’s exactly what God does with our lives. He takes the “useless” parts of our lives and changes them so they become useful to both Him and to you. It takes a skilled person to repair a car or a dryer much less repair a soul. God says that He makes all things new. I’m determined to let the Spirit of God work in me to make all of my life useful for both Him and me. Our church is all about allowing that to happen to others like you and me.

Blogging about Philemon

I’ll be blogging for the next few days about Philemon, a letter written by Paul to his friend. It seems that Philemon’s indentured servant ran away. Man can I relate to running away. I remember running from the Lord, I remember running from responsibility, I remember running away from my problems by drinking and such, I remember running from God’s call on my life. I was a runner. The thing about running is that at some point you have to stop. Onesimus was a servant who ran from the household of Philemon. God allowed him to run right into the jail cell of Paul the apostle. You may think you are running from your problems, but you can never run from the hand of God in your life. Paul says that Onesimus ran away for a little while so that Philemon could have him back forever. It seems that God used Paul to extract the runner out of Onesimus. Today, I’d like to ask if you are running from something? You can run but there is nowhere that God won’t see and love you. God’s desire is to take the runner out of you so that you run the race for God, not run away from trouble.

It doesn’t matter

As I was reading my Bible this scripture in Colossians 3:11 jumped into my spirit. It reads, “In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, ……..Christ is all that matters, and He lives in all of us.” Sometimes we think things from our past really matter, you know the mess-ups, the mistakes, the missed opportunities. God really encouraged me that IN THIS NEW LIFE it doesn’t matter. In this new life, Christ is all that matters, or what Christ has accomplished for us on the cross. What Jesus has done for us in his death, burial, and resurrection is more powerful than any of the things we can point to in our past. My focus is on Jesus, my faith is in what He has done at Calvary, and the best is yet to come. Jesus is my future and the past just doesn’t matter nor can it keep me from all that God has planned for my life. That is such a faith-filled thought and gives me great hope as I walk in this life. I wanted to share it with you. It just doesn’t matter.

Football is a classroom

You see a picture of Kaleb decked out in the best looking football jerseys I’ve personally seen, the Faith Academy Crusaders. We are in full swing and tonight is another double-header at ACHS where we play our home games. Football has provided an interesting backdrop to talk about some life issues with my son. Things like being part of a team, taking care of your responsibilities, and giving your best even if your team is losing. I’m amazed at how life’s everyday activities can speak to us. I want to encourage you to be open to what God may be trying to say to you through your everyday schedule of activities.

Bella is Here

I’m holding the newest addition to our church, Bella Freyder. Lauren and Drew gave birth last week in Jackson, MS running from the storm. She’s precious and reminds us that God is still blessing us with the joy of sons and daughters. Lauren brought her by the office so that we could all get a sneak peak. It’s been a while since I’ve held one that small, but it all came back to me.

9/11

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 7 years since the terrorist’s attack on the Twin Towers in NYC. I can still remember being glued to the TV in my office comforted by the presence of our staff as we watched in horror the events unfold. Today I read in Psalms 55:4-5, “My heart pounds in my chest. The terror of death assaults me. Fear and trembling overwhelm me and I can’t stop shaking.” What an impact that day has had on all of our lives, from flying to government to elections. Those terrifying events have changed our lives forever, but we have a promise in Christ. Verse 16 says, “But I will call on God and the Lord will rescue me.” I’m so glad that when things happen that shake our world we can go to God and He can be trusted. In that psalm it says to give your burdens to the Lord and he will take care of you. Would you give Him your burdens today? He can handle it. I promise.

Serving: Our Communities

You see the pictures above of HOF serving the communities of Lutcher/Gramercy and at home at HOF. When we see a storm coming we see an opportunity to serve. After we’ve taken care of our families, we want to turn our attention to those who are lonely and affected to help them the best that we can. We have a mandate to do what we can to help them. As part of the PRC Compassion Team we were able to give out blue tarps, MREs, and water to those who were adversely affected. What a privilege it is to serve.

The Clean Up Is On

Helllo everyone from HOF and those of you who are out of our area. We survived the storm just fine, like everyone else we were without power and had much debris. I personally got power restored Thurday morning. The church is still without power but we are hoping for something real soon. The place is alive with our great staff as we are finding ways to help our community. We'll be reaching out to the Lutcher/Gramercy area today with tarps and water and MRE which stands for Meals Ready to Eat. We are also setting up a RELIEF SITE at our main campus to meet the needs of the Gonzales area. We were given a refrigeration truck that we are trying to get going so that we can give out ice to those still without power. Also, WE ARE HAVING CHURCH ON SUNDAY with our without power. We'll be doing two services at the normal times and so we hope to see all of you there. Let's serve our community in their time of need.

Serving: Our Core Value

You’ll see several pictures of our 2nd Year Interns serving one of our local hi schools. Part of what ministry is all about is serving. The interns did some light cosmetic improvement to the local field by painting the wall of seating and painting the school mascot in a prominent space for school spirit. It’s serving in ways that meet OTHER”S needs that paves the way for the gospel to be spread. Paul said we would be known by our good deeds. I want to encourage you to open your eyes and see the possibilities around you to serve someone, then just do it expecting nothing in return.

When a storm is brewing, what now?

I’m sitting here like everyone else and I’m paying attention to the fact that there is a storm in the making that might be headed our way. So many decisions to make, and so little definitive info to base our decisions on. Where is the storm? Where is it going? Where should I go? Where should I put things? Where are the candles, the flashlight, the generator? In Luke 8:25, Jesus asked His disciples, “Where is your faith?”. I think in all of our planning and thinking the first thing we need to make sure we locate is our faith. That’s what Jesus asked the disciples after the storm. Remind yourself where your faith is and then make your plans accordingly.

Intern Camp

Sunday afternoon marked the beginning of this year’s intern class session. The interns went to Tickfaw State Park for 2 and ½ days of sessions designed to prepare them for the journey they are beginning. They are a great group and I had the privilege of going on Tuesday and speaking into their lives. I had a great time, and I think they did also. Internship has been a huge tool in developing young ministry people for us at HOF. First year interns are taught by Rob Mooney, with second year interns taught by Wade Moran. They are going to play an integral role in the ministry as well as gain valuable hands on training in being the church. We see this as the mission of our church to help train up the next generation of leaders that God will use to see the church vibrant and relevant into the years to come.

ACHS is open

Well, here we go. ACHS opened on schedule this morning and after a few minutes of meeting and greeting the new school and school year were kicked off with a chapel service. We put together a worship band of staff people and P. Wade spoke to the school body, faculty, and parents about not being the same “old” person in a new surrounding. It was about how God “re-news” us. It was a powerful time and great ministry as already God has begun to work in the hearts of the students. I thought it was a fitting first event that will set the atmosphere of ACHS. What a great opportunity we have to teach the next generation of leaders. The school looks great, the faculty is fired up, and I’m personally pumped. We still have another 4-6 weeks until the gym is finished and the rest of the facility but I can’t wait for you to see it, it’s fine.

The Work is Progressing

Thanks to all who have shown up to help at ACHS, our new high school facility we call the North Campus. Early Monday morning after my plea for help on Sunday an army of HOF soldier ants descended on the school and what has transpired has been miraculous. It’s truly is amazing what can be accomplished when a group of people decide to live for something larger than themselves. Monday morning the facility was truly a shambles because of all the trades that were working in the building. After Monday, it really looks like a first class facility. Each day God has the right people show up and they knock out task after task that needs to be completed by opening day which is Tomorrow. This week alone we have passed Fire Marshall and Parish inspections which give us our occupancy for the building. The gymnasium will still be 4-6 weeks in the making but when it’s done, it’s going to be incredible. I’m pumped because we’ll have another option when it comes to facilities to host and serve the needs of people. Thanks again for being faithful.

Many Hands Make Light Work

Proverbs says that many hands make the work light, and we definitely had many hands yesterday at the N. Campus ACHS cleanup. We got so much done and I can’t thank enough all who gave of their time and energy. Things are progressing and we need favor from some contractors and some inspectors so agree with us. The place is looking great but we have much to do. Please call the office is you think you might have some time to help out so we can let you know the needs. If you have any cleaning supplies feel free to bring them. It coming together and the best is yet to come.