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.

What a Week

What a week it’s been, ManUp was a huge success as we crammed 210 men into the conference room at Cabela’s. There is a real enthusiasm for God among the men of HOF and we want to see it expand and grow. We’ve scheduled our last ManUp of the summer for Sept. 8, 2008 and Joe Champion will be our guest speaker. He pastors a great church of over 5000 in Austin, TX. He’s a former LSU player and we’re going to have a great time. We intend to do something like a huge tailgate later this fall after the weather turns nice. Stay tuned.
Our Wednesday night service, One Heart, was also a homerun. Three of us spoke about A heart for God, A heart for the Church, and A heart for the City. We ended with a unique time of ministry that really touched people’s lives. It’s always great to see different generations come together to worship the One True God. He’s what we have in common. I’m so excited about the future of HOF that I can hardly wait till Sunday. I’m sure the devil’s not happy and will resist us, but God has already taken care of him. It’s not about what we do, but what He’s already done. I believe!

ManUp #2

ManUp is right around the corner again this Monday night and as you can see we are going to be in the fishing theme while we are hanging out at Cabela’s. What a great night it’s going to be, looking at sporting goods, hanging out with men of God, and talking about being men. This will be no place for wimps or panties as we are on a mission to see God make men into His image. Come and see the largest spinner bait in the world (at least the largest I’ve seen) up close. Last month’s meeting set the stage and Monday we’ll continue to see what God has in store for the men of the House. This would be a great venue to bring a friend or family member and come early and look at the store. If you don’t trust yourself in Cabela’s you might want to leave the wallet in the truck, but trust me you’ll want to be there. Hey man, we’re going up.

Back From Conference

A team of us just returned from Hillsong Conference and once again it was a powerful experience. The themes were worship, leadership and justice. Worship most everyone knows about Hilllsong worship as I would say that most of the cutting edge churches sing some Hillsong worship songs. Leadership is always strong with many well known pastors teaching on leading God’s people such as Brian Houston, Judah Smith, Joyce Meyer, Paul deJong, Marcus Witt, and many others including the Hillsong team. The area of justice is something that I feel the Lord is putting His hand and His heart into these days. A good definition of justice is righting the wrong that you see, whether that wrong is hunger, poverty or sex slavery at home or abroad. The heart of Jesus was always on display when He ministered life to the hurting and those on the margins of society like the widow and the orphan. I was impacted in each of these areas and convicted that I need to grow, that we as a church body need to grow in worship, leadership and justice. Enjoy the pics of the venue, the stage and the place.