Kayaking: pt. 2

As you can see, kayaking is restful and relaxing. Any kayaking enthusiasts out there? There is nothing to worry about!

WebWord for July 3oth, 2009

On the one-year anniversary of his son’s death, Greg Laurie wrote a very powerful blog entry about the truth that his son was still alive in heaven. I thought you would be blessed from it as our WEBWORD for this week...

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Christopher David Laurie is Alive!

You may have read that headline and thought, “Poor Greg has become delusional! Doesn’t he realize that Friday, July 24, 2009, is the anniversary of his son Christopher’s death?”Yes, I am more aware of that than you will ever know. I think about it every day, every hour, sometimes every few minutes. It never escapes me nor does the painful grief that accompanies it.Grief is like a blanket that covers everything in your life when a loved one has died. Nothing is the same, everything is different.I have plumbed the depths of the pain of sorrow, and have doubled over in pain from the power and reality of it more times then I can count.So, as you can see, I am very aware that my son is gone. I am also aware that his body is in a grave.

However . . .

The Lord is there

Having said all of this, I must also testify to the grace of God in such circumstances.When Paul complained of his “thorn in the flesh,” which was some kind of physical malady aggravated by the devil, God told him, “My grace is sufficient for you.” In effect, Jesus was saying, “Paul, you have me. I am there with you” (see 2 Corinthians 12:7-9).And the Lord has been there for me as well. He has also been here for our family, bringing His peace and calm in the midst of this deep valley we have been walking through. As David said, “Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me” (Psalm 23:4 AMPLIFIED).We are not alone, as I have heard from so very many who have also lost loved ones, including children, since Christopher’s passing. More importantly, the Lord Himself has been there with us each step of the way.

A choice

When a loved one dies, especially your child, it is absolutely devastating. They were such a vital part of your life. You depended on them, and they on you. So when they are suddenly gone, it’s like part of you is gone as well.The fact is, I would trade places with Christopher without hesitation and leave him here on this earth to love his wife, mom, brother, and, of course, his beloved daughters.That choice has not been given to me. But another choice has—the choice of how I am going to react to this.Will I merely react emotionally to it, and live permanently under the cloud of grief, pain, and sometimes even despair? Or will I listen to what the Bible says about this and perhaps gain a new perspective?Though I have spent plenty of time with the former, I work at living by the latter.

My son is alive

How could that be? Let me state it another way . . . my son is alive in another place.It’s not that he merely “was,” but he is! He is more alive than he has ever been, in the presence of Jesus Christ in heaven.Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die” (John 11:25-26 NKJV).Jesus then said “Do you believe this?” Not everyone does, of course.Did you know that this statement was made in front of a tomb? You can have no harsher reality than that. Nothing could be more real than the death of Lazarus.Jesus was saying Lazarus was alive, not just because he would be raised from the dead momentarily, but because death for the believer is not the end. It is just a change of residence.

He is the God of the living

One day, a group of religious leaders, called the Sadducees, came to Jesus with a trick question.The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. In other words, they did not believe in life beyond the grave.Maybe that’s where they got the name Sadducee. They were “Sad, you see?”They challenged the idea of the dead living and Jesus responded:

But now, as to whether there will be a resurrection of the dead haven’t you ever read about this in the Scriptures? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” So he is the God of the living, not the dead. (Matthew 22:31-32 NLT)

When someone dies, we often speak of them in the past tense—“Christopher was my son”—and that is true. But when someone is still alive, you speak of them in the present-tense—“Christopher is my son.”God said, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,” not “I was God of Abraham, etc.” That is because when Jesus said that, He knew that these great patriarchs were still alive, not on Earth but in heaven.

Therefore, we can and should speak of our loved ones who have gone to heaven in the present tense, because they are very much alive.No, I cannot speak to my son right now, nor can he speak to me, but I will soon enough. I cannot hug him or tell him I love him or remind him to do something like I could when he walked with us here in life on earth.

But one day I will see him again. I don’t just feel it. I know it.

Christopher David Laurie is my son, and he is alive.

And so are your loved ones who put their faith in Christ and have gone before you. You have God’s word on it.

STEP AWAY FROM THE TWINKIES!

For those of you who know me, (and even those who see me from a distance) I need to lose a few (30?) pounds. I have tried the gym, running, walking, (which led to crawling) and I even bought a really nice treadmill (which I am willing to give to a good home).

So far, there has been nothing that has stuck (unlike the globs of fat around my stomach area). But, just wait...I have discovered Kayaking. No, stop laughing, really! Here is a photo of my "Pelican 100" kayak as I was getting ready to launch at Rookery Bay (which was really cool even if I did get lost and ended up kayaking for over 4 hours!). Any more kayakers out there? I would love to hear from you .... genescott@hotmail.com or leave a comment below.

Pastor Gene

Don't Get in a Hurry by Rick Warren

As you grow to spiritual maturity, there are several ways to cooperate with God in the process:

Believe God is working in your life even when you don’t feel it. Spiritual growth is sometimes tedious work, one small step at a time. Expect gradual improvement. The Bible says, “Everything on earth has its own time and its own season” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 CEV).

There are seasons in your spiritual life, too. Sometimes you will have a short, intense burst of growth (springtime) followed by a period of stabilizing and testing (fall and winter).

What about those problems, habits, and hurts you would like miraculously removed? It’s fine to pray for a miracle, but don’t be disappointed if the answer comes through a gradual change. Over time, a slow, steady stream of water will erode the hardest rock and turn giant boulders into pebbles. Over time, a little sprout can turn into a giant redwood tree towering 350 feet tall.

Cancelled!

Sometimes we have to say no to things that are good so that we can say yes to things that are better. So, I am no longer doing the podcast 'Ramblings from 'Paradise' so that I can keep the blog and WEBWORD current. Thanks for understanding. (But the message and music podcast will still be available each week.)

What is Coming up at Celebration?

Hi everyone,

I have been out of town this week to just get away and work on some new message and Bible study ideas. Here are some things I have been working on. I finally finished the bible study you asked for on intercessory prayer. "How To Pray Where Other People Get The Blessing" (even if they never pray).How many of you would say that you have been blessed by the prayers of others? That other people prayed for you and it’s helped? Well guess what? You can learn to pray that way. This Wednesday you will learn how. You will also learn about five 'prayer-busters' that will keep your prayers from having all the power they can and I have been playing around with a bible study on a book everyone has been talking about called "The Shack." Interested? In August Bible study will revolve around CONFRONTING THE JESUS I KNOW

I feel closer to Jesus than to my wife, family or friends. It is a special relationship that I can only have with someone who loves me so completely. But yet, I still have questions. If Jesus was 100% God as well as a man, why couldn’t he have just prayed to Himself? Is Jesus the only way to Heaven? What would have happened if Judas had not betrayed Jesus? What would have happened if Jesus had sinned? Did Jesus have a secret, shadow mission? I invite you to join me every Wednesday in August at 7 pm as I share with you the Jesus that I know. That takes care of Bible Study.

Message topics are:

AUGUST:

NATIONAL LAMPOONS CELEBRATION SUMMER VACATION!

Picnics and pools, fireworks and hotdogs, vacations and baseball, golf and the beach. There’s nothing like summer weekends to rejuvenate the soul.We all enjoy summer and God uses recreation and activity and beauty to bring us closer to Him. You voted as the five top activities of summer...road trip, reading, family time, sunsets and the beach. We will have fun looking at how God uses these activities to bring balance into our lives. So join us, every Sunday in August for "National Lampoons Celebration Summer Vacation!"

SEPTEMBER:

KEEP CELEBRATION GREEN

Why Do we meet outdoors every Sunday in the Park? We will take a good look at "Worship When It Doesn't Make Sense" How To Worship When You're Worried"

"Worship When It Always Doesn't Make Sense" "How To Worship When You Are Wounded"

OCTOBER:

GOD HAS LEFT THE BUILDING

During this month we will look at the purpose Of Celebration

What Drives Your Church?

The Foundation for a Healthy Church

Reaching Out to Your Community

Who Is Your Target?

Knowing Whom You Can Best Reach

Bringing In a Crowd

How Jesus Attracted Crowds

WebWord for Wednesday 7/15

HOW GOD SPEAKS TO US

"LOGOS and "RHEMA"

PART ONE...

Most men do not want greeting cards ladies mainly because you give us cards with these long passages written on them. It’s like homework. But you are standing there, waiting for our heartfelt reaction, so we pretend to read and finally give the head nod. Oh yeah. However, what we are really doing is silently going one Mississippi, two Mississippi.

Sometimes we connect. Sometimes we don’t. One of the ways that I try to connect with people is through humor. Obviously, it doesn’t always happen. A few months ago I told what, according to this British scientific organization was the funniest joke in the world. And after church, several of you came up to me and said, it wasn’t really all that funny. And then you asked me what I had ever said that had gotten the biggest laugh? This is an easy one. Last year, Larry & Claudia gave me a surprise 50th birthday party. And at this party was a dollar tree. Do you know what that is? People just stick dollar bills to it and when I counted it all up later that night I had a roll of about 80 one dollar bills. So the next day, I went to the mall to buy me something and when I pulled out this huge roll of dollar bills, the clerked said, you must work in a restaurant as a server. I said, no, I am an exotic dancer. I thought they would hurt themselves in Penny’s from laughing so hard. By the way, I wasn’t the first person to use that line, but I bet I got the biggest response. Sometimes we connect. Sometimes we don’t. Now 91% of you out there are trying to connect with someone. And it’s Not your spouse, friend, parrot, or computer. But you are trying to connect with God. An article in Tuesday’s USA Today called A Closer Look At Prayer looked at a Baylor study that found that 91% of Americans believe in God and 83% of us pray…the question is. Everyone prays (the study found that even among those who don’t believe in God, one out of three atheists have prayed). Everyone prays. Is someone listening? And that is the question we are going to look at over the next several weeks.

Jesus made an incredible promise in John 15:7 about being connected to Him. “If you stay joined to Me [connected] and My words remain in you, you may ask any request you like and it will be granted.” That is an incredible verse. That is like a blank check, like God giving you unlimited credit.

But how do you do that first part? How do you stay joined to God? How do you stay connected?

All over the world people want to get connected to God. in the Orient People use rituals and all kinds of lights and incense, putting their body in certain movements, they sell gongs. So you can wake up God.” When you have a prayer you had to get God’s attention (God’s a busy guy) you had to beat the gong to get God’s attention. It’s kind of like the dial tone and then you can get connected to God.

In Matthew 6:7-8 in The Message paraphrase He says, “The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. (In other words, like treating God like a genie.) Don’t fall for that nonsense.” That was said over 2000 years ago and it’s still relevant today because there are many books, magazines, seminars, self-help books that teach you if you just pray a certain way or you chant a certain thing or you do so many of these rituals, you’ll get on God’s good side and you’ll get whatever you want from God.

I saw in a super market tabloid: “Bible prayers to flush out body fat.” Now, this is worth reading! I didn’t buy it, my wife did. I would never buy these kind of magazines! It said, “You can lose 10, 20, 30 pounds or more with Bible prayers that are guaranteed to flush out body fat… for eternity!” Not just one time but for eternity. It talks about that you can rest assured that the flab you lose will stay lost. You don’t have to eat any special diet. You can eat anything you want. Exercise? No! All you have to do is pray these special prayers. On Monday you pray, “Man does not live by bread alone.” On Tuesday you pray “I am the bread of life.”

There’s a different prayer for each day.

When I saw that I thought that’s what Jesus was talking about when He said “They’re full of programs and formulas and advise, peddling techniques of getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense.”

I have a book called “Praying The Promises Of God.” It pretty much says, pray this promise and it will happen? And to be honest with you, this is how I was brought up how to pray.
I was reading about a man who was a diabetic and he read the verse, "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it." John 14:14. So he said, "God, I'm going to ask that You cure me of diabetes," and he threw away his insulin and three days later he died. What happened? God promised. Why didn't it work?

The fact of the matter is there's a misconception people have about the promises of God. It's this: You cannot automatically claim a promise that's been given to somebody else in the Bible unless the Holy Spirit gives it to you. Now next week we will look at the difference between a general word from God and a specific word of God to you...

Singles Pool Party

A fun time was had by all at Friday's singles pool part at the church campus. Over 30 were in attendance to hear Dr. Judy Laird speak on relationships.

Another singles gathering will be Saturday (18th) for the Jazz festival at the Naples Beach hotel.

A heads up, Dr. Judy Laird will be speaking Sunday (19th) back at the church campus for married couples (6:30 pm). Check with Rebecca 239.842.0347 for more details...

You Miss a LOT if You Miss Bible Study!

Pastor Gene has been known to say things without thinking, and if you are really lucky and very quick, you can play a joke on him using his own words.Case in point: At Bible study on 7-1-09, Pastor Gene told a story about receiving a money tree for his 50th birthday that contained 80 one dollar bills. When he went to purchase something at JC Penney's and pulled out a stack of ones, the sales clerk asked which restaurant he worked at. Gene, being very quick witted, responded that he wasn't a waiter, but an exotic dancer. At this point the sales clerk and all the other customers burst out laughing! Now this story had nothing to do with Bible study, but Pastor Gene told it anyway. He closed Bible study by saying, "Next week, everyone remember your dollar bills."

We couldn't let the remark go by unchallanged could we? So last night, without Pastor Gene knowing, everyone at Bible study was given a dollar bill with the instructions to give it to Pastor Gene as if he were a male dancer. After Pastor Lana's prayer, she started by tucking a dollar into Pastor Gene's shirt pocket.

Thanks everyone.
Annie

P.S. All monies collected were given to the Helping Hands fund.

WWJWD (On dollar bill) = What Would John Wayne Do?

WebWord for Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

WHAT MAKES GOD SMILE?

The ninety-fifth Psalm is one of a series of psalms which the Israelites sang together as they went up to the temple in Jerusalem to worship. The series begins with the ninety-fifth Psalm and concludes with the one hundredth Psalm. 5 songs that they would sing…(Sing go to next song) Each of these is a demonstration on how to worship. They are not only magnificent poetry but they are also instructions on what worship is and how it is to be done.

The most fundamental question you can ask in life is, Why am I here? What is my purpose in life? The Bible is very, very clear about this. It tells us in Revelation 4:11 why God made us. “You (God) created everything, and it is for Your pleasure that they exist and were created!" Circle “for your pleasure”. You were made for the pleasure of God. You were created to bring God pleasure. If you want to know why you’re here on this earth, if you want to know why you’re alive, if you want to know why you take the next breath that you take it’s because God made you to enjoy you. Not for your benefit – for His benefit. You were made to bring pleasure to God. That’s why you’re here. Until you understand that, you don’t understand life.

The Bible says in Psalm 149:4 “The Lord takes pleasure in His people.” Those of you who are parents, when you watch your children do you ever get pleasure by watching them. Sometimes. And the same is true of your heavenly Father. God says, I made them and I enjoy them. You were made to bring pleasure to God. That is your number one purpose in life – to get God's smile. He created you for His own benefit.

There’s a word that God uses that describes when we bring pleasure to God. That word is one of the most misunderstood and misused words in the human vocabulary. In fact, I guarantee you, everyone here, including me, has misused this word. It is the word “worship”. When we bring pleasure to God, we worship God.

Psalm 95:1 says “Come let us sing for joy to the Lord. Let us shout aloud to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and praise Him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great king above all gods. In His hand are the depths of the earth and the mountain peaks belong to Him. The sea is His for He made it and His hands formed the dry lands. Come let us bow down in worship. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker. He is our God. And we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care.”

Let me give you a definition of worship. Worship is living a life pleasing to God.

I got this card: “Dear Pastor Gene, I loved the worship today. I got a lot out of it.” I hate to tell you this but worship isn’t for your benefit. It’s not for you anyway. It’s for God. When we worship we’re bringing pleasure to God not bringing pleasure to ourselves. So if you came and said, “I didn’t get anything out of worship today,” you came for the wrong reason in the first place. Worship isn’t for you. It’s your first priority and we do it for God to bring Him pleasure.

I’ve got to learn what do I do first. When I learn that, then worship always gets off on the right foot. Psalm 95:2 says “Let us come before Him with thanksgiving.” The big idea here is you start to worship as you and I start our meal. You start your worship by offering thanks. That’s where it begins.

Don’t get me wrong. There’s plenty in life that’s tough. I’m not saying that when you come to worship you pretend that nothing’s wrong in your life. But what I’m saying is there’s never a moment in our lives when we don’t have something to thank God for. Our salvation, forgiveness, heaven, the fact that He sent His Son. What He’s done in the past, what He’s doing in the present, what He’s certainly going to do in the future. There’s never moment when we don’t have something to thank Him for.

Four ways you can make God smile:

1. We bring pleasure to God when we love Him above everything else.
Psalm 95 at the end of the Psalm the psalmist says, “Today if you hear His voice do not harden your hearts."

When you come to God and say, “God, I’m not coming to You because I’m in a crisis and I need You to bail me out. I’m not coming to You because I’ve got this big request or I want You to make me a millionaire or super successful. I’m just coming to You because You made me. And I want to get to know You and I want to love You.” That thrills the heart of God. When you come running into His arms and you delight in the fact that God made you and loves you, that brings God great pleasure. That makes God smile. When was the last time you did that?
Psalm 99:5 Exalt the Lord our God!
Bow low before his feet, for he is holy!

2. We bring pleasure to God when we trust Him completely.
Psalm 147:11 says “The Lord takes pleasure in those that honor Him and trust in His constant love.” It’s in trusting God you bring God pleasure.

Noah trusted God completely. He had incredible faith. “By faith Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn’t see and he acted on something he was told and his act of faith drew a sharp line between the evil of the unbelieving world and the rightness of the believing world. As a result, Noah became intimate with God.”

3. We bring pleasure to God when we obey Him wholeheartedly.

Again, Noah is an extremely great example of wholehearted obedience. Hebrews 11:7 says “Noah obeyed and built a boat when God told him to do it.” Genesis 6:22 “Noah did everything exactly as God commanded him.” Circle “everything”. What is included in the word “everything”? Everything! All. In other words, when God said I want you to do this, Noah didn’t just build any boat. He built it to the exact specifications. And they’re quite long. They’re in the Bible there in Genesis. God says I want you to built it this wide and this deep and this high and here’s how I want you to put the door and all that kind of stuff. And Noah followed it to a T. He followed God, he obeyed God wholeheartedly.

It’s the attitude of David. “Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it, Lord. As long as I live I'll wholeheartedly obey."

Actually, going through life, if you want to know God's will you can usually figure out “what would I normally do in this situation?” Figure out the exact opposite and that’s God's will. Because it’s natural for me to think about me, not you. It’s normal, it’s natural, it’s human nature for me to be self-centered and not care how it’s going to affect anybody else. And God says I don’t want you to think that way.

I must obey Him completely. That brings the smile of God.

4. We bring pleasure to God when we fulfill His purposes.

God smiles on our lives when we fulfill the purposes that He put us on earth to fulfill. In Genesis 9:1 after the flood is over and the ark has landed and they’re getting out of the boat, here’s what God says, “Then God blessed Noah and his sons and said...” I want you to go to church every day of your life and I want you to pray ten times a day and I want you to talk in spiritual terms and say Jesus and be really spiritual and let everybody know it. That’s not what He said. “Then God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them be fruitful and multiply [translated have sex] and replenish the earth.” Ok, God! Now, this I can get a handle on. God says, “Here’s what I want you to do now. I want you to go make love with your spouse, raise families and do the things I created humans to do. Be human! This is what I made you to be. God has given you certain abilities, capacities, as a human being and God takes pleasure in watching you be a human and do human kind of stuff.

This is very, very important. Because a lot of you think that the only time God is smiling on your life is when you’re doing something religious. That only when you’re doing something spiritual is God really pleased. For instance, right now God is pleased because you’re sitting in bible study. But when you go over the Chili’s and order nachos for lunch, He’s frowning. No. God smiles when you order nachos. He told me that! God takes pleasure in watching you enjoy. Who do you think gave you your taste buds? He gave you the ability to enjoy. In 2 Timothy it says “God has graciously given us all things for our enjoyment.”

It’s like that Olympic runner Eric Little, they made that movie about him years ago, Chariots of Fire. He said “When I run I feel God's pleasure.” Well duh! If God's wired you to be a runner, God takes enjoyment in watching you be what He made you to be. Of course He takes pleasure in watching you run if you’ve got an ability to run because He gave you that ability.

What I’m saying is everything in life can be done as an act of worship, everything in life can be done to bring glory to God, and everything in life can be done for God's pleasure if you do it with the right attitude. If you say, God, today I want to live for Your pleasure. You can wash dishes for the glory of God. You can mow the lawn for the glory of God. You can close a deal for the glory of God. You can play golf for the glory of God. Everything you do in life can be done to bring God pleasure if you’ve got the right attitude saying God, You gave me this ability and I want to please You with it. You can please in the kitchen and you can please God at work and you can please God wherever you are. If you live for His pleasure.

Psalm 37:23 “The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord. He delights in every detail of their lives.” Circle “every detail of their lives”. God delights in every detail of your life. If you like to sell, God enjoys watching you sell. Who do you think gave you that interest, that ability, that desire? It’s all for His pleasure in watching you be you. Every detail of your life. Whenever you use any talent or any ability that God gave you and you do it for God's glory that’s an act of worship.

Psalm 14:2 “The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who are wise. [And who are wise people?] Who want to please God.”

Will you be that person? Will you be that person?I invite you to live your life for the pleasure of God. I’m going to and I invite you to join me in Psalm 100.

Psalm 100
A psalm of thanksgiving.
1 Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us, and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

(With thanks to author Rick Warren of "The Purpose Driven Church")

The Beach Church

Hi everyone,

First of all, there WILL be a WEBWORD for this Wednesday...just catching up from vacation. And now, the top reasons that you know you attend the beach church!!!

• If baptisms have to be canceled due to high waves, you attend the beach church.


• If the song played by the band at church is the same song you heard played last night at Jim’s Tiki lounge, you attend the beach church.


• If the pastor is dressed in such a way that you think he might come up to you and ask for any spare change, you attend the beach church.


• If you are dressed in such a way that people think you might ask them for any spare change, you attend the beach church.


• If your seating options include sunshine or shade, you attend the beach church.
  If your dog is more excited about going to church on Sunday than you are, you attend the beach church.


• If you stand in line for coffee and it is already 90 degrees in the shade, you attend the beach church.


• If you buy your church shirts at larrys beach shack or alvin’s island you attend the beach church. (mention my name and they will politely escort you out).


• If every sunday you have to decide, socks or no socks
  you tell the cashier at publix ‘you look marvelous’


• the bald spot on your pastor's head is the color of freshly picked strawberries!


• the last three sermon illustrations had to do with bbq!


• you're not sure, but you think it was the beach boys version of "nothing but the blood" that you heard during church!


• you think that mackerals are a praise band


• you belong to the weather channel ministry


• your church also offers tourist information


• you think wearing sunglasses at church is really cool


• And if somebody, with a smile, tells you that you look marvelous! You attend the beach church.

James' Speaking Debut

We all are blessed every Sunday by James’ wonderful singing voice. This morning we were blessed by his message, “Why Me Lord? A Sermon To Myself.”

James spoke of our spiritual leadership role to our children, of using the gifts God has given us and by listening to the lessons others, especially our children, can teach us. Because James was willing to be used by God by stepping outside of his comfort zone of singing and sharing his God-given gift of speaking, we were all blessed.

The standing ovation he received was in praise of an awesome God whose glory shines through those who are willing to be used by Him. The words on today’s Connection Card summed it up nicely: “James rocks!”

Pastor Lana

Gene and Annie's Summer Vacation - The Last Post

Hi everyone,

Well, this is the last of the vacation blogs. Sad isn't it? I mean, now we will have to return to Naples! Actually it was an amazing week but it will be good to get back. Our last day of vacation was spent in Mt. Airy North Carolina...or as we know it...Mayberry! We rode in Barney's squad car and ate at the Blue Bird diner. Rascal Flatts sings a moving song called "Return To Mayberry." So, as we head back to paradise, I l leave you with the words to that song...

(well)I miss mayberry Sitting on the porch drinking ice-cold cherry Coke

Where everything is black and white

Picking on a six string

Where people pass by and you call them by their first name

Watching the clouds roll by

Bye, bye

Sometimes I can hear this old earth shouting

Through the trees as the wind blows

That’s when I climb up here on this mountain

To look through God’s window

Now I can’t fly

But I got two feet that get me high up here

Above the noise and city streets

My worries disappear

Sometimes I dream I’m driving down an old dirt road

Not even listed on a map

I pass a dad and son carrying a fishing pole

But I always wake up every time I try to turn back

Gene and Annie's Summer Vacation - Part 7

Hi everyone

It has now come to an end. This afternoon we turned off of the Blue Ridge Parkway for the last time to the town of Mt. Airy (Mayberry...more on that tomorrow). We have now driven all of the parkway from North Carolina to just over the Virginia line. When we try to arrive at certain destinations, did we ignore the beautiful view during the journey? one philosophist said: our beginning and destination are all the same-from birth to death, what makes the differences are the view during our journey. From today, I want to enjoy my view on the journey, no matter where is my destination, there is also something beautiful worthy to explore….

The photos are from Grandfather Mountain. We were up there during a storm with measured wind gusts of over 60 miles an hour! It was fantastic. Here is a nice poem about Grandfather Mountain…enjoy.

Grandfather Mountain

Beyond green grassy, sunlit plains
Over fields in flowers tiled,
Past wooded valleys and their swirling mists,
Across rivers both tame and wild
There stands a mountain great and tall,
A mountain firm and strong
Old and grand it proudly sits
Forever singing its song:
Long, long have I laid here
Holding high in the palms of my hands
Forests and animals, brooks and caves
Beautiful, thriving lands.
Aged am I now, but a father shall I stay
To my children dear and many.
For generations more shall I guard them close,
Their provider and sanctuary."
And faithfully does it tower, this mighty mountain
Mindful of its committed role -
A grandfather, in all his wisdom and joy
With thanksgiving and remembrance his goal.

Gene and Annie's Summer Vacation - Part 6

Hi everyone,

This is Annie. I would love to share all of the humorous events that have happened over the last several days. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough time or space on this blog, so I’ll limit myself to one or two.

First of all, you need to ask yourself, “How is Gene doing with the numerous hiking trails?” Not well in case you can’t figure that out. This is the only exercise Gene will get for the entire year. He claims he can’t keep up because of the thin air and having altitude sickness. Riiiight.

Now, imagine Gene hiking in the same outfit that he wears to Church on Sunday. Funny thought isn’t it? Next set of questions should be: Did Gene know he was going to be hiking on vacation? (Yes) Does Gene own hiking boots? (Yes) Did Gene pack hiking boots? (No, he claims that they are heavy) Would Gene be able to keep up if he was wearing hiking boots? (Probably not) Would Gene slip on rocks and tear his shorts if he was wearing hiking boots? (not likely but in his sandals it happened on a daily basis.) Would all the park rangers laugh at Gene if he was wearing hiking boots? (No)

When we stop for trail information, the park rangers look at Gene and laugh, then tell him that the trail is not a good idea. The following photos says it all.

Here’s hoping that Gene gets back to Naples with his one pair of shorts intact.

Annie.

Gene and Annie's Summer Vacation Part 5 and WebWord for Wednesday June 17th, 2009

Hi everyone,

First of all, thanks for the emails and text messages about how much you are enjoying the travel blogs. You can leave a comment at the end of every blog as well. This blog will also be our weekly bible study because when we pulled onto the Blue Ridge Parkway this morning, we were met with clouds, fog, and rain. You can see from the photos it was really beautiful but, at the entrance to the parkway were these huge flashing signs saying…”All Florida tourists go home!” No. Just kidding. They were flashing…SLOW DOWN! And so I did…to about 5 miles an hour. The cars behind me just loved it! But, that brings us to what is consistently voted as the most favorite chapter in the Bible of people in America. The 23rd Psalm. We’re going to look at God’s Road to Rest and how you and I can experience it through the incredible truths in this Psalm.

As I read through Psalm 23 several times this week I was immediately impressed with how it spoke to the reasons why you and I can’t find rest … why it is so hard to just respond to the flashing sign and just slow down! All the barriers in our lives. I was also impressed as I read it as how easily I (and I’d guess some of you too) how easily many of us miss the real point of this Psalm. We don’t really see it - as familiar as it is - the real point of what he’s talking about.

To show you what I’m talking about, as an illustration, I went through the 23rd Psalm and wrote a Collier County version of the 23rd Psalm. I’d like to read that for you:

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The Lord is my shepherd I shall not be in want.
The Lord is my supplier, I tell Him what I want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He gives me green pastures to run around in.

He leads me beside quiet waters.
He takes me down life’s rapids.

He restores my soul.
He superenergized my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
His path for me is often not clear but I’ll follow it if I find it.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for You are with me. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
He will help me to avoid the valley of suffering because God knows I would be afraid.

You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies.
You provide a fast food meal as I’m running from my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil.
You drip a tiny drop of oil on my head.

My cup overflows.
My cup is almost full.

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Although I may face heartache and loneliness all my life I hope to make it to heaven where I can finally rest.

---

That’s a Collier County version. That’s our Americanized version. That may be your version. There’s something deeper in this Psalm. The greatest confidence in God than I’ve ever experienced and you’ve ever experienced. It’s an incredible Psalm. The reason why it’s the most popular chapter. It’s not that it’s sentimental. Maybe it is for some. But the reason why this is the most popular chapter in America is it’s powerful. It has something to say. It has the power to change your life. “The Lord is my shepherd…”

The Lord is your shepherd, you’re a sheep. This is where we get messed up right from the very beginning. We want Jesus to be the good shepherd. But we want to be the sheep dog. We want to chase all the other sheep and tell them where to go. That’s what we want to be. We don’t want to be the sheep. The Bible does not compare us to a sheep dog. The Bible doesn’t compare us to a roaring lion. The Bible doesn’t compare us to a tiger. The Bible compares us to a sheep. It’s hard to admit. The Greek word for sheep is d-u-m-b. They are dumb animals. We want to be sleek. We want to be suave. We want to be God’s gift to the world but we are sheep.

Can you imagine a sheep saying, “I am the master of my universe!” like we try to say. It doesn’t work. We are sheep. That means we are dependent. When I can admit that then I can recognize how deeply I need a shepherd. Sheep need a shepherd. Without a shepherd they won’t survive. Sheep cannot be left without care. To be confident as a sheep I must stay close to the shepherd. The Bible says, “He makes me lie down in green pastures.”

Circle “makes me.” He doesn’t allow me to lie down in green pastures. It’s interesting that the Bible says He makes me lie down. There’s something to that in what we need. There’s something in all of us when we think about green pastures. Wouldn’t you like to be in a green pasture, where you’re just there and it’s green and you’re rested? You just get that picture of it’s just so restful.

But we can’t handle green pastures. We don’t know what to do with them when they come into our lives. We can’t handle them. We get a green pasture in our lives and we go, “Where’s the lawn mower? I’ve got to get this thing mowed.” We get a green pasture in our lives and we say to ourselves, “How can I make this thing even more fruitful? Maybe a little fertilizer and it’ll produce more. I’ll make it a better green pasture than it is.” We get a green pasture in our lives and you know what some of us think. We think, “I don’t deserve this. Why should I have this? I feel guilty being in this green pasture.” Or even worse. Worse of all. We get a green pasture in our lives and we look around and think, “I think his pasture is a little greener than mine is. Just little greener. Why isn’t mine that green?” We don’t know how to handle green pastures.

“He makes me lie down in green pastures.” If you’re going to lie down in the green pasture of God’s abundance, we’re going to have to learn to accept and enjoy the places of abundance that God puts into your life. Not feel guilty. Sure you don’t deserve it. That’s grace. Not feel like you have to rush past them. But to accept and enjoy those places of abundance.

What I’m saying to you is, Stop running in place in green pastures. Instead, take a minute to lie down, to enjoy God’s abundance. Recognize it’s His alone. “He makes me lie down in green pastures.”

How about the last few lines of the Psalm. “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” When you’re unsure about your future, renew your view of God’s future. Surely – certainly – goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.

Just look to Jesus Christ and say to Him, “Lord, You are my shepherd. I shall not be in want.” Then pray to Him with confidence, “You make me lie down in green pastures. You lead me to drink the riches of Your life. You restore my soul. Although I will walk through the valley of suffering, You will be with me. You will protect me from my enemies and even from myself. You prepare a table of victory in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with refreshing oil. My cup overflows. Certainly goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Pastor Gene and Annie's Summer Vacation - Part 4

Hi everyone,

Today is Tuesday and that means .... blueberry yum-yum night! That's right. I just had this delicious North Carolina confection at a Christian themed restaurant called "The Shepherd's Table." And what would a travel blog be without mentioning food.

Needless to say, I am eating my way along the Blue Ridge Parkway and what a delicious ride it is! Grilled trout, bar-b-que in all of it's forms, fried chicken, chicken & dumplings, made from scratch bisquits and cornbread and salad. OK, the last item was just a joke. /div>

The first photo is proof that we ate at the highest restaurant east of the Mississippi on top of Mt. Mitchell (watched a cool storm blow through while up there...check out the view behind Annie) and, believe it or not, the other photo is ANNIE'S plate of food at the Pisgah Inn! (I just had the salad...).

Pastor Gene

Pastor Gene and Annie's Summer Vacation - Part 3

Hi everyone,

Today is Monday and I ate some amazing food (but more on that for Tuesday's blog). But, besides eating, I also did something today that was inspiring. I got up to see the sunrise! Yes I did! The photo is about an hour before sunrise on the Blue Ridge. My brain kept asking..."Is it Easter already?" It was amazing but I still believe that a sunrise is just a sunset in reverse so just sleep in. But I am glad that I did and lived this verse this morning ..."The heavens declare the glory of God!"

Pastor Gene AND ANNIE'S Summer Vacation - Part 2

Hi Everyone,

First of all, I am changing the title of this daily blog to Pastor Gene AND ANNIE'S Summer Vacation, Part Two. Annie once again gave me 'it's always about you speech' and 'I am on vacation with you too.' I think she is still a little sensitive from that 'big target' remark I made earlier. Oh well. This will be the blog for Sunday (since I had to endure an ENTIRE DAY with no internet/cell phone access!). And since it was Sunday, we visited the St. John In The Woods Church at Flat Rock. This church was founded in 1833 and is so beautiful. VERY TRADITIONAL!

So, why there? Because, even though it was pretty much the opposite of Celebration Church (which we missed very much but I know that Pastor Lana hit it out of the park) it was a reminder to all of us that it takes all kinds of churches to reach all kinds of people. Whether the park or the mountains, we all worship one God, one Saviour, One Faith.

PASTOR GENE'S SUMMER VACATION...PART ONE

Hi everyone,

I have survived the first day of vacation planned by my wife Annie. Her vacation plans involve lots of hiking in places they would need to send in a helicopter to get me out. She described the first day as 'hike the trail ... wait for Gene.' She accused me of throwing rocks at her and missing. I told her ... 'how could I miss such a big target!' Can't wait for day two!

Pastor Gene

WEBWORD FOR WEDNESDAY: JUNE 10TH, 2009

PSALMS FOR LESS STRESS....INTRODUCTION

So many times in life, a little thing called discouragement sets in. It’s the gray slush of winter. Like a dreaded disease, it gnaws away at our insides. We are all subject to the currents of discouragement that can sweep us into a danger zone. Even the most positive people can get discouraged. After Sunday’s service, (letter… “A friend of mine, really needed you but you didn’t return several calls and requests for counseling. WHY?! She deserves an apology. She had a death of a parent and a son. She needed you!!” –Unsigned (of course) …) what a bad day. 



Illustration: Former heavy-weight boxer James (Quick) Tillis is a cowboy from Oklahoma who fought out of Chicago in the early 1980’s. He still remembers his first day in the Windy City after his arrival from Tulsa. “I got off the bus with two cardboard suitcases under by arms in downtown Chicago and stopped in front of the Sears Tower. I put my suitcases down, and I looked up at the Tower and I said to myself, ‘I’m going to conquer Chicago.’ “When I looked down, the suitcases were gone.”

To lift us up from times like these and to give us a renewed perspective, God gave us poetry, especially the Psalms, that reflects on His kindness, His love. 

Quotation: Martin Luther prefaced his 1528 translation of Psalms with these words: A human heart is like a ship on a wild sea, driven by the storm winds from the four corners of the world. Here it is stuck with fear and worry about impending disaster; there comes grief and sadness because of present evil. Here breathes a breeze of hope and of anticipated happiness; there blows security and joy in present blessings. These storm winds teach us to speak with earnestness, to open the heart and pour out what lies at the bottom of it.

In Psalms you have, in poetic and musical form, the history of the Hebrew people. Psalms contains the emotions.– many of which are prayers, praises, and songs - were written as a response to the everyday occurrences going on in their life and nation.

• Psalms is a peek into how these people responded to him in times of tragedy
(Psalm 88 and 91)


• how they praised him in times of victory
(Psalms 92 and 66)


• how they talked with him in times of confusion and anger (Psalms 73 and 58)


• how they cared for each other in times of need
(Psalm 23 and 37 and 42)


• how they repented and confessed in times of disobedience (Psalm 32 and 51)


• how they found God in times of loneliness
(Psalms 71 and 62).

Did You Know…


1. Psalms is the only book quoted by Satan


2. At least 6 people wrote this collection of songs, prayers, and praises. Though David didn’t write all of them, he did write more than 50%. Other authors include Asaph (chief choir director for David), Sons of Korah (OT band/musicians direct from playing the palace in Jerusalem..), Ethan, Solomon and Moses



3. Psalms contains the longest and shortest chapters in the Bible


4. It is the longest book of the Bible



5. It contains the exact middle chapter of the Bible – Psalm 118. That’s right -- there are 594 chapters before and after Psalm 118. Now, if you add those two together (594 + 594), you get 1188. Take that number and turn it into 118:8. What does it say? “It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.”

The Book of Psalms is quoted more times in the New Testament than any other book, along with Isaiah. Not only did other Biblical writers enjoy this book, but the fact that the Psalms are so often added to copies of the New Testaments in America indicates that we English readers have come to love this book.

What the Psalms Invite us To Do


The Psalms are your invitation to pull off of the busy highway of life, full of cares and take the scenic route where you have time to enjoy God. 



Questions:

• Have you found yourself being moody lately?


• Have you found yourself in bad circumstances?


• Do you feel that God is distant or that He is somewhat unfair?


• Are you angry because evil seems to always win?


• Do you feel like complaining? Have you done something really stupid and you’re discouraged about it?

Then The Psalms are for you. We can’t deal with all of the stuff in this messed up world without an encounter with God. That’s what the Psalms do for us. They are our words that in desperation we utter back to God when our relationship with Him has been clouded.



The Bible was written in many genres. One of these is poetry. There are five Books of Poetry in the Bible, all of which are found in the Old Testament. They are: Job (addresses suffering), Psalms (addresses praise and worship), Proverbs (addresses wisdom), Ecclesiastes (addresses wisdom), and Song of Solomon.

So, this is our introduction to Psalms. Next Wednesday we will look at what is consistently voted as the most favorite chapter in the Bible of people in America. The 23rd Psalm. We’re going to look at God’s Road to Rest and how you and I can experience it through the incredible truths in this Psalm.

(With thanks to Tom Holliday)

GoFish!

Join Celebration Singles Tuesday 6/9/2009
@ 6:30 pm
Pinchers Crab Shack
Tin City

What is GoFish?

God Ordained
Fresh – Single Adults: 20s
Innovators- Single Adults: 30s
Survivors- Single Adults: 40s
Heroes- Single Adults over 50

JOIN US
By expressing your interest at
gofishsingles@gmail.com

Send your name, mailing information, phone numbers and email address to register. Information will remain confidential.

The vision of GoFish Singles Ministry is to form an environment in which single adults can find a sense of community and have the security of knowing that being single does not have to mean being alone. To accomplish this vision GoFish Singles Ministry is structured to provide Godly activities through a technology based delivery system which will be the foundation block by which single adult members can:

• Connect with other single adults Christian in the church through ministry, social and networking events hosted by GoFish.


• Serve as an outreach to single adults in our community in need of a loving and caring church home or collaborative singles fellowship through targeted singles events.


• Provide evangelistic opportunities to reach un-churched single adults in a relaxed environment.


• Four components have been identified as foundation blocks for sustaining this outreach to single adult members of Celebration Community Beach Church as follows; online Christian singles community, targeted singles ministry events, social and networking events.

WebWord

One of the best things happening at Celebration is not our Sunday morning outdoor service (even though it is pretty cool!). No, it is our Tuesday morning and Wednesday evening bible studies. Many of you attend and enjoy the fellowship and study and really bad jokes. But many more of you can't make it but you would like to go a bit deeper. So, since you are reading this on your computer, I will post every Wednesday "WEBWORD" which will be a condensed version of our weekly bible study.

So, beginning next week, we will be talking about "Psalms For Less Stress" and Psalm 23. So, check in and learn more about how the Bible can change your life each week.

Hi Celebration family,

Each year, our church gives as generously as we can to sending local children with MS to camp. If you would like to give through the church then please contact the church office at 239.649.1588.

Pastor Gene

One Month to Live

We’re starting a new series that we’re calling “One Month to Live.” The idea behind this series is if you knew you had one month to live, what would you value? This question isn’t new. It’s been around as long as death has been here If you knew you had one month to value, what would you do?

One month to live, what would you do? Talk to me.

Go to Israel.
Quit my job.
Spend it with your family.
Eat!
Slow down.
Drink Diet Pepsi. Amen! Amen to that! (But why diet?)
Take a cruise?

I want to hear from you. Leave a comment on what you would do if you only had one month to live?

(Well, for starters, I wouldn't pick the month of February!)

Pastor Gene

Reducing Debt

A few weeks ago, our Executive Pastor, Gordie Mefford, delivered a powerful and timely message on reducing debt. I thought about that message as I came across this devotional so I thought I would share it with you...

---

In our Devotionals series, Pastor Rick Warren discusses the Bible passages that inspire him the most. Today's Devotional is based on this passage:

"Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers!" (Ecclesiastes 5:10-11 NLT)

When you spend more than you earn, you end up in tremendous stress. The Bible says, "Stupid people spend their money as fast as they get it" (Proverbs 21:20 TEV).

What motivates us to live beyond our means? Why do we spend ourselves into debt? Why are we rarely satisfied with what we have?

There are three myths that drive us into debt:

MYTH: Having more things will make me happier.

FACT: "Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness!...So what good is wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers!" (Ecclesiastes 5:10-11 NLT)

MYTH: Having more things will make me more important.

FACT: "Watch out and guard yourselves from every kind of greed; because your true life is not made up of the things you own, no matter how rich you may be" (Luke 12:15 TEV).

MYTH: Having more things will make me more secure.

FACT: "The Lord is like a strong tower, where the righteous can go and be safe. Rich people, however, imagine that their wealth protects them like high, strong walls around a city" (Proverbs 18:10-11 TEV).

When we buy into these myths, we always overspend. So, here's how to enjoy life more on less:

• Find happiness in helping others. Jesus said, "There is more happiness in giving than in receiving" (Acts 20:35 TEV). Just look around you and you'll see this is true. The happiest people are those who help the most, not those who have the most. Misers are always miserable.
  
• Find self-worth by getting to know God. God says, "...you are precious to me..." (Isaiah 43:4 TEV). You matter to God. He made you for a purpose. Genuine self-esteem comes from establishing a relationship with God and becoming all he meant for you to be.
  
• Find security in trusting God, not a bank balance. The Bible says, "Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, 'I will never leave you; I will never abandon you'" (Hebrews 13:5 TEV). Real security must be found in something that can never be taken from you. While there are many ways to lose your possessions, Jesus said God will take care of you if you trust Him.
  
  
  

John Raker

There was a great letter to the editor in Wednesday's Naples Daily News concerning a valued member of Celebration. Here is the letter in case you missed it....

---

Editor, Daily News:

Fifteen years ago John Raker, co-founder of Collier Harvest, made contact with the U.S. post office in Naples to help letter carriers distribute the food collected on their annual food drive.
Over the years, 4.5 million pounds of food has been delivered to the agencies of Collier and Lee counties to feed the hungry “without money.”

He indeed should be considered for Man of the Year.
Bert Paradis

Real Florida Eating!

As many of you know, I have this love/hate relationship with food. OK...it is mainly love. OK...it's all love! So, when you ask me, as a Floridian, what is the perfect Florida meal, I respond with one word...buffet! No...the word is...mullet! I was meeting with our pastors last week and neither one of them had ever heard of a mullet? How about you? So, to provide a benefical public service, please peruse the attached photos. That is fried mullet. Those are hushpuppies. You eat the hushpuppies with guava jelly. That is sweet tea in the glasses. What you are looking at (and, in my case, drooling over,) is an authentic Florida supper. By the way, that is my father doing the frying.

"Is Your Church Worth a Second Date?"

Hello everyone,

I came across this article called "Is Your Church Worth A Second Date"? by Rod Arnold of Smart Churches.

Let me know, do we fit well in these four areas? Feedback please???? (you can always be anonymous!)

---

Step #1: Like Us

When you meet someone for the first time, you make a judgment on whether you like them. You pay attention to their personality, their sense of humor and how they interact with you. Whether we admit it or not, first impressions really are huge. We make instant decisions, often subconsciously, about whether we want to get to know that person better. In business, a "brand" is a mental image that comes to mind when someone thinks about an organization or a product. What is the mental image that comes to mind when people think of your church? Do you make a great first impression? Does it compel them to want to get to know you better? If you could paint the perfect mental picture about your church for the people in your city, what would it look like?

Step #2: Know Us

If your church makes a good first impression on someone, they will want to get to know you better. They'll want to know what you think and talk about, what's important to you and what you're passionate about.

Step #3: Trust Us

Think about the people in your life who you trust—I mean really trust. Doing a trust-fall exercise on a teambuilding retreat is great, but just because someone didn't drop you on the ground doesn't necessarily mean you're going to trust them to always have your best interest in mind.

One of the keys to developing trust is simply time. The more time we spend with people, the more we see what they are really made of. We see their character and values in action. People need time to see what your church is all about, to see if you are consistent in what you say and do, to believe that you really care about them, and to build trust.

This is especially true for many people who have been burned by church in the past. Unfortunately there are a lot of "de-churched" people out there who have been victims of church politics, gossip or disingenuous leaders. Building—or rebuilding—trust and changing their opinions about church can take some time.

Step #4: Join Us

Ultimately, your goal is for people to decide to make your church their home—to integrate into a community that loves each other, serves each other and supports each other through life's highs and lows. But getting to this decision is the result of a relationship, not a transaction. And healthy relationships are a progressive process of discovery. So what can you do from a practical standpoint to help more people get to know your church?

So? Are we doing things right? Could be doing things better? What do you think?

Pastor Gene

Happy Earth Day?

I want to be honest with you up front. I have never been very excited about Earth Day. In the past, I have always associated Earth Day with work. Whatever club or group that I was a member of would send out a flyer telling us where to meet on Earth Day where we would celebrate by picking up 50,000 cigarette butts. Happy Earth Day. Whee!!!!

A Christian environmentalist will care for creation, the creation that God has made. Not just to look at it but care about some of the things that are happening. Some of you do. Some of you are making a difference. You need to do that as a believer in Christ.

I am responsible for God’s creation. Does that include people? Yes. Children? Animals and plants? It includes everything that has to do with our purpose in God’s creation. We’re responsible from the very beginning. In Genesis 1:26 God said “Let us make man in our image and in our likeness. And let them rule over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, over all the creatures that move on the ground.” We are responsible as stewards.

And from the very beginning in Genesis 1:25 Adam and Eve carried out that responsibility. God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and to take care of it.

Just look at His creation. Even things we’re familiar with. The honeybee. When one bee finds pollen it has a problem; it’s got to tell all the rest of the bees where the pollen is. They don’t talk! So the bee goes back and through an intricate dance, it shows the other bees where the pollen is to be found. It’s absolutely amazing. They make a circle and the number of circles they make shows the distance to the food source. They also show the distance by wiggling their abdomen or their bellies (belly dancer bees). The greater the distance the more slowly she wiggles. The direction of where this flower or group of flowers is, is revealed by how the bee cuts across the circle after this dance. The exact angle that the bee makes tells the bees exactly what angle to take from the sun.

The creation that’s around us is something to be fought for. It’s something that you and I need to stand up, as believers, and say, “It’s God’s creation because it expresses who my Father is” Sometimes in all the argument about global warming and PETA and creation that point is missed. We’re talking about the who. That’s the key. Creation expresses the very character of God.

And of course, when you meet outdoors each and every Sunday, it is not too hard to make the connection between creation, creator and worship!

New Message Series -- Hitting the Reset Button

You know, I was thinking about these old commercials they used to do years ago. I think initially it was for a laundry detergent, where if a company really believed in what they were selling, they would actually offer a challenge. They would come up to folks, generally women in those days, and take whatever laundry detergent was in their grocery cart out of the cart and then put their brand in and say

"We're going to give you a challenge. For a limited period of time we want you to test our product. We want you to try things our way. We know there's a resistance. Maybe you're afraid. Maybe you're kind of stuck in a rut, so don't take our word for it. Think about this as kind of an experiment. You try this yourself. You judge the results. You decide, and if you do this, your life is going to be different. Your laundry is going to be better. Your whites are going to be whiter. Your reds will be redder. Your blues will be bluer. You will smell better. People will want to date you more. It will change your life."

Then this idea, kind of, spread, and not just for Tide. I was online earlier this week and they have all kinds of these challenges. There is a Purina 30-day challenge…switch your cat's food for 30 days and see if your cat is not happier. Quaker Oats 30-day challenge…switch breakfasts for 30 days, and see if your cholesterol doesn't go down and you're not happier. One organization online has the husband 30-day challenge…which I guess is, you know, switch husbands for 30 days and see if your marriage doesn't work better or something.

So today we want to offer you a 30 day challenge. These past six months have been rough. I was trying to think of a great theme song for this series and this one song would not leave my brain…from the BeeGees…Ah Ah Ah Ah staying alive, staying alive. Sing with me….for these past six months or more everyone has just been trying to stay alive. Just survive. Like we said last week you have the choice to panic or pray and most people have chosen to panic, well almost everyone. One Sunday morning, everyone in one bright, beautiful, tiny town got up early and went to the local church. Before the services started, the townspeople were sitting in their pews and talking about their lives, their families, etc. Suddenly, Satan appeared at the front of the church. Everyone started screaming and running for the front entrance, trampling each other in a frantic effort to get away from evil incarnate. In a panic …Soon everyone was evacuated from the church, except for one elderly gentleman who sat calmly in his pew, not moving... seemingly oblivious to the fact that God's ultimate enemy was in his presence. Now this confused Satan a bit, so he walked up to the man and said, "Don't you know who I am?" The man replied, "Yep, sure do." Satan asked, "Aren't you afraid of me?" "Nope, sure ain't," said the man. Satan was a little perturbed at this and queried, "Why aren't you afraid of me?" The man calmly replied, "Been married to your sister for over 48 years." But for most of us, we have been pushing the panic button. Well, here is what we want you to do for the next 30 days. Instead of hitting the panic button, we want you to hit the reset button.

These economic times are causing all of us to Press the “RESET” button. Not the EASY button but the RESET button. So, for the next 30 days…

RESET what is important in your life:

Time to get off the acquisition treadmill - ‘Things’ do not equal happiness. People with few worldly possession are just as happy (or happier) than people that have loads of ‘things’. He who dies with the most toys, still dies.

Instead of spending money, spend time with the people you love and the things you are passionate about.

Get back to basics. Simple is better. The less you have, the less you have to lose/worry about.

And then…

RESET your definition of security:

When you’ve lost everything you thought you had, or half of everything you thought you had, where do you turn for that sense of security? Is money really security? The ultra-wealthy guy who lost his health couldn’t buy one more day with all his money. Life is full of uncertainty; uncertainty is part of God’s plan. Our security comes from our relationship with God.

RESET what you thought your future/retirement years would be like:

They may be different than you thought, not better or worse, just different. There are opportunities in the change that we would not have considered otherwise. Grieve the loss, then start being grateful and filled with joy for what you do have. If you have friends, or family, and God, you have everything you need for a fulfilling future/retirement.

So, we will give this a 30 day free trial…things, money, jobs, and retirement. Your whites will be whiter, reds redder, smell better…all those things.

(Thanks to Valerie Pike for suggesting and researching this topic).