A Pastor In Transformation

Lent 2020

I am making my previously published (February 2018) devotional for Lent available to all as I would like to share these devotionals with you. They were written in 2018 and all of my contact information on the title pages are incorrect, so please disregard them. If you click on the link below, you will be able to download the the PDF for the coinciding week of Lent. Week one only has four devotionals as Lent began on Ash Wednesday and there are no devotionals for Sundays. So each week will be six devotionals with the exception of Week one. I hope and pray you enjoy these devotionals.

Lent Week 1: PDF
Lent Week 2: PDF
Lent Week 3: PDF
Lent Week 4: PDF

Being Bi-Vocational

December 10, 2019

So, it has been four months since I began as an official bi-vocational Campus Pastor at West Bradenton Southside and it has been a great four months. I really enjoy preaching on a weekly basis, I love the ministry team that I am working with, and I am honored to be working alongside such humble and loving leaders at the main campus. I am blessed with an awesome congregation who are just as excited about seeing what God is doing at this small church as I am. Now, I would be a liar if I said we haven't had any difficulties or growing pains, but fortunately they have been minimal.

One of the biggest challenges I face is discovering what being a bi-vocational Pastor looks like for me. God has blessed me abundantly with a full-time job as a maintenance and custodial worker at Bradenton Christian School. I do put in long hours (about 55 hours a week on top of the 20 hours a week for the church) and the school job can be physically challenging at times, but I love it. My co-workers are fun and they even attend Southside. The challenge comes in with how bi-vocational ministry fits in with this. Now, I know I am not unique, there are literally thousands of Pastors in bi-vocational ministry and we all face challenges, but I think we all have something in common... Balancing time between our jobs, ministry and family. Here are three ways that I am trying to balance my time.

Sabbath: One thing I have committed to is taking a Sabbath. I won't lie, I haven't done a great job in keeping this commitment, but I try to make sure that I protect my Saturdays for family as much as possible.
Sleep In on my Sabbath: During the week I get up early and go to bed somewhat late, so I look forward to Saturdays when I can sleep in for a few extra hours.
Stay Connected to God: I set aside at least 20 minutes a day to either read God's Word, a Christian living, leadership or theological book, or some other kind of resource that will help me deepen my walk with God. I try to utilize my drive to and from work and times when I am working by myself at school by listening to podcasts, audio books or sermons. My car, phone, and lawnmower have literally become my virtual classrooms.

These are small steps I have committed to taking so that I can manage my time wisely, and have a mostly balanced bi-vocational ministry.

If you are in bi-vocational ministry, what are some ways you balance your time? Shoot me an email and share.

Welcome to the Southside

September 22, 2019

Hello everyone! It's time for an update on my life. It has been nearly two months since my last update, so here is what has been happening. In late August I was called and commissioned by West Bradenton Baptist Church to become the part-time Campus Pastor at their newly adopted Southside Campus.

About a year ago the church, formerly known as Southside Baptist, was struggling as they were averaging around 13 to 16 people attending every week. They had fallen on some hard times in the previous and about a year ago the leadership approached West Bradenton Baptist to ask if we would be willing to help. Without going into all the details, in September of 2019 the church unanimously voted to adopt Southside church into the family at West Bradenton.

On September 8th, we officially launched the West Bradenton Southside Campus and we had about 56 people attend. This was very encouraging because God brought many new families to the church, and we are praying that God will bring them back. Since then the average attendance is staying around the 30 mark, and we are so excited to see what God is going to do in the weeks, months, and years to come. We have a plan to reach out to our neighbors with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and we pray that God will use this small church to expand his kingdom.

I really enjoy being back in the pulpit on a weekly basis. Currently, I am preaching through 1 John and it has been great digging into God's Word and sharing the message with God's people. If you are interested you can either read the manuscript of my sermons by clicking on this link, or you can listen to some of my recent sermons at this link.  We also have a Facebook page and you can click here to "Like" or "Follow Us".

Personally, I am staying very busy and active. In addition to being a part-time pastor, I am working nearly 50 hours a week at Bradenton Christian School as a Maintenance tech and Custodian. I really enjoy this job, and as I have stated before, I love working with the guys I work with. Because of my job at BCS I was able to resign at Amazon and I praise God for this!

So, what is in store for the future? That, my friends, is in God's hands. I know that God has called me to West Bradenton Southside Campus to shepherd and love the wonderful people God has there. I am honored and humbled that they have embraced and entrusted the volunteer ministry teams and myself to oversee and lead this church to the place where God intends. I am fully trusting Him and his sovereignty as we move forward into the future. I would appreciate your prayers, because even though God is moving us forward Satan is going to try and stop what is happening. However, we are victorious, but that doesn't mean the battle will be easily fought and won.

Thank you all for your prayers and support! As Casey Kasem used to say, "Until next time, Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars."

Hey ya ya ya, What's Going on?

July 28th, 2019

So, a lot has been going on since my last update. I can't go into SOME of the specifics right now, but when I can, I will update you. However, I can share about what is going on in my life right now. On August 1st, I will be taking on the custodial duties at Bradenton Christian School as well as continuing as a maintenence tech at the school. With the addition of the custodial job, I am quite certain I can resign from Amazon really soon. I have somewhat enjoyed my time at Amazon but the hours are killing me. Getting up at 1:00 am takes a toll on a person and it really messes with my sleep schedule. I haven't had a decent nights sleep in nearly a year (I know...poor me). I did make many new friends and I am thankful God provided this job for me.

In the month of August I will be preaching every Sunday and I am really excited about this. I am praying about a three-week series, since I will be preaching at Southside Baptist Church for three consecutive weeks. I ask you to pray along with me as I am currently in the process of planning these messages. I will also be preaching at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Bradenton on the last Sunday of August. Please pray that God gives me the words that I need to preach to this congregation.

I also ask for general prayers for something that I am not at liberty to discuss at the moment. All I can say is that I want to follow God's will in my life and I want to go in the direction He is leading me.

I thank everyone for your continued prayers and I look forward to sharing more in the weeks and months to come.

Life Update

Updated July 12th, 2019

It has been a while since I have given an update on what is going on in my life, so I thought I would take the opportunity today to share what has been going on. Since my resignation from my previous church back on August 22, 2018 the Lord has been blessing my family and me more than I could have ever imagined. My family and I have grown so much during this transitional season of my life. God has shown me that everything that led up to my departure from the church was all in His will. Yes, I was confused as to why He was calling me from the church, but I see now that is was for my personal and spiritual health.

I look back now and see that I was in a place where I was not happy and I was living in fear. I wasn't joyfully serving the Lord. I was distracted by so many issues in the church that were not Gospel and Kingdom promoting things. These distractions caused me to put my energy and efforts into trying to make something work that just wasn't going to work. It was like putting a square peg in a round hole. I spent so much time trying to put out fires that I didn't start, I pled with leadership to check their hearts and motives in all that was going on in the church, and I was fighting for the truth to be heard. Overall, the outcome ended with me leaving the church and this was for the best. Was it MY plan to leave at that specific time? No it wasn't because I didn't want to lose the security of having a job. But In all honesty, I was afraid to leave because I wasn 't fully trusting God to meet ALL of my needs.

My leaving the left me with many questions and the one that sticks out most in my mind today is...was my departure my decision, the result of a person, the personel board or the church? No, my departure was the will of God. He was/is calling me to a new path in life, a new ministry, and a new passion for Him and his call on my life. I thank God daily for calling me out of the church where I worked. The unhealth was not only the result of the dysfunctions of leadership where I was serving, it was also a spiritual issue for me. I was running on empty, I was living in fear, and I was focused on surviving, but God's plan for me was/is far greater than just surviving. He wants me to thrive in my relationship with him today and in the future. He wants me to leave the past behind and focus on Him and His future grace. Now, I do not discount the fact that God still used me in many ways at my previous church and I am so thankful for the many people I had the honor and blessing of serving. There are still so many people that I love and I pray that they can and will grow in their relationship with Jesus.

So, where does this leave me today? I can honestly say that my cup is full and overflowing. I do not live in fear anymore, and I am thriving. In this transitional season of my ministry and life I am finding great joy and renewed vigor in serving God. I am praying daily about the next call God has for me and I am patiently waiting for that door to open. I KNOW He has the perfect calling for me and I need to remain faithful in trusting Him and discerning what He is calling me to do. In the process of God revealing His perfect will for me I have met some wonderful people along the way. These are people that I serve with in the new church I attend, the school where I work, and in other churches I have guest pastored.

currently, I am attending and working as a lay minister at West Bradenton Baptist Church and I thank God for leading my family and me to this place. My Pastor, Sam Rainer, is a man of integrity, a humble leader, and a pastor who loves his congregation. He is also a friend who has been an encouragement to me during this transition. The church has welcomed and loved on my family and me and it has been a place where not only we can heal from the past, but it also has been a place for us to grow spiritually as a family and individually. One of the greatest honors was in the opportunity to baptize three of my four children. My heart was overflowing with joy on these occassions. I also have the privilege of playing bass in the praise band, teaching a life group, and preaching.

I am also working part-time as a maintenence tech at Bradenton Christian School. This is a fun and stress free job. I really enjoy working with the guys at the school as we have a lot of fun, but we also work hard to ensure the campus is functional and beautiful. There are some days where I am sitting on the mower as I mow the campus grounds and I thank God for this respite. I think to myself, "The only stress I am facing at this moment is, am I mowing in a straight line?" That is where I needed to be for the past 10 months. There is no fear in this work and I have had some wonderful times of prayer and reflection during this time.

Lastly, I am working for Amazon. I don't have much to say about this job except that It's a job. However, God has given me some wonderful opportunities to be a light this place. There are many great people who I enjoy working with and engaging in numerous spiritual conversations. It is very hard work (in fact I call it my four hour workout), the pay is decent, the hours are horrendous (1:45 AM TO 5:45 AM) BUT God is using me there in some small way.

So, what have I learned since August 22, 2018? I have learned this...

Learn to expect the unexpected. During my time at the church I worked I had a false sense of security because my pride and inner-self told me that I was indispensable when in fact I am completely the opposite.
No matter where I am, God has placed me where I am today and He will use me where I am for His glory and for his Kingdom purposes. I TRY not to complain about this season of my life. I am grateful for all the work that I have and to complain about it is comlaining to God for not taking care of me.
I have also learned to trust God. It's funny (and not a good funny) how I have preached multiple sermons on trusting and loving God, but I realize that I never FULLY understood what it means to love God with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength and how to trust in the Lord with all my heart and not lean on my own understanding, but acknowledge him in all my ways in order to see the straight path ahead of me (my interpretations of Mark 12:30 and Proverbs 3:5-6). Now, please don't misunderstand me and think that I am saying that I have never understood what it means to love and trust God, I am simply saying that my love and trust has matured and grown during this phase of life and I thank God for this.

So this is where I am today. I am excited for the future. I have many exciting opportuniities that I hope to share with you someday soon. Until that day, I am remaiining faithful to God and I am passionately pursuing him daily so that I may grow in my relationship with Him and in my understanding of His Word. Prayers are always appreciated, and I thank you all for the support you give me on a regular basis.

Lent Devotional 2019

Each year millions of people in the Christian religion observe Lent. The word Lent is derived from the Old English word “Lencten” which means Spring. Lent begins forty days prior to Easter, not counting Sundays, and ends on Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday. The forty days are a reminder of the forty days Jesus was tempted by the Devil in the wilderness.

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and the forty-day period is a time where believers often fast, or abstain from certain foods or activities (i.e. alcohol, smoking, chocolate, carbonated drinks, sweets, Social Media, etc.). It is intended as a time to spend reflecting on our human sinful condition, prayer and the teachings of Jesus Christ.

The forty days do not include Sundays as they are considered “mini-Easters” and are set aside for joy and celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and not for abstaining and fasting. Traditionally speaking Lent ends on Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday, but fasting and abstaining from certain foods or activities is still in effect through Good Friday and Saturday. The true celebration and breaking of fast happens on Easter morning when Jesus’ resurrection is observed and celebrated.

During Lent I will be posting a devotional every day with the exception of Sundays. My prayer is that whether you observe Lent or not that these devotionals will be a blessing to you up to Easter Sunday. The first devotional will be posted on Wed. March 6, 2019...A.K.A. Ash Wednesday.

(Click Here to go the most recent devotion)

Celebrating Accomplished and Mostly Accomplished Goals of 2018

1/17/19

In January of 2018 I read Michael Hyatt’s book YOUR BEST YEAR EVER. You can read my review of the book here. In the book Hyatt introduces the reader to five steps to attaining your best year ever. One of the steps “Design Your Future” talks about the necessity of Goal setting if we want to accomplish great things. While 2018 was definitely not my best year ever, I did take the challenge of setting and achieving goals. I did not accomplish all the goals I set but I do celebrate the ones that I did accomplish (by the grace of God) and would like to share some of these successes with you.

(Continue Reading...)

Goodbye 2018

12/31/18

2018 has been a mixed year of blessings and disappointments (more blessings than disappointments), but ultimately God continually showed his faithfulness throughout the year. There were so many wonderful blessings from this year and I would like to highlight some of them.

My family and I raised funds (with God's provision) so we could take a mission trip to Iloilo City Philippines to work with and support our awesome friends Amy and Sam Divinagracia. Words cannot express the awesome blessing it was to serve with my friends and with my family. I look forward to going again
I am so proud of my wife as she began teaching first grade at BCS. She is an awesome teacher and BCS is an excellent school that has great staff and teachers.
We are thriving at a HEALTHY church where we can serve God and grow in our faith during my time of transition. Thank you, Pastor Sam Rainer, for inviting and welcoming us to this Christ-centered and God-glorifying congregation.
We are so thankful for many friends (old and new) and family who prayed for and supported us during these past difficult months.
God abundantly blessed and provided for us after I left a very unhealthy situation at my previous church. God is and always will be faithful.

Even though the year didn't go as I expected and hoped but it went exactly how God planned. I believe in the sovereignty of God and he has a plan for us in 2019 and I can't wait to see how his plan works out in our life.

Can I Ask a Favor???

Can I ask you all a favor? If you come to my site regularly (or if this is your first time) would you be willing to support this site? There are a couple of ways that you can support this very small ministry. I ask that you pray about how/if you would like to support.

The First Way to Support This Site
This will cost you ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. If you click one of the banners above I receive a small amount of money per click. If you just click the banner, you will be taken to another page. You do not have to purchase anything from the page or give them information, just click and I get a little something.

The Second Way to Support This Site
If you shop at Amazon would you be willing to click on the Amazon link on the sidebar? This banner links to my Amazon Market Place and I will receive a small commission from anything you may purchase. It doesn't cost you anything and the price is the same. I also have a link to my Amazon store on the menu bar that you could check out as well.

The Third Way to Support This Site
As you know I also have some Kindle ebooks released. The links to purchase the digital books are on the sidebar. I have priced them at $1.99 for each book. I think you will enjoy them. Physical paperbacks or Kindle Books are available now at Amazon and I have links to the book below.

The Last Way to Support This Site
You can make a money donation by clicking the "Donate" button on the sidebar (on a computer) or at the bottom of this page if you are on your phone.

There, I am done asking for favors. I just want to thank everyone for all the support you have given in the past two years. I do this page because I love it. I certainly don't do it for the money. I will continue to update this page regularly and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I like creating it.

The Advent of Jesus Christ (E-Book or Paperback)
James: Where Faith and Life Meet (E-Book or Paperback)

Introducing My New Podcast

11/23/18

I am excited to let you all know that I have added a podcast to my site and I would like to invite you to check it out. You can go to my podcast by clicking the "podcast" link from the menu above or CLICK HERE. On this podcast I am doing a Bible study in the Book of Acts. I would love to hear any feedback.

Pause...

8/27/18

Well, it has been a hard August so far, there has been a lot of transitioning going on in my life. First, I sent my oldest daughter off to college this past weekend. I am so happy for her and excited to see what God does in her life.... (READ MORE HERE)

The Holtons Have Returned From the Philippines!

7/8/2018

We are back from our three week international excursion! All that I can say is WOW! God is amazing! What I experienced, and learned from this trip will forever impact my life and ministry. I am still processing all of those things now and I will write a post about it sometime in the near future, but for now I just want to thank all of you who prayed for us, and supported us financially. We truly could not have done this without you.

Some of the highlights from this trip include...

A 20 hour layover in Honolulu... Because of the generosity of a new found friend in HI, we were able to spend the night their and do a whirlwind tour of the island. We hiked Diamond Head, saw Pearl Harbor, had Hawaiian shaved ice and went to the market at the Honolulu stadium.
Spent two weeks ministering with the Divinigracias in the Philippines. Man, God is doing awesome things in their lives and I ask that you commit to praying with me for this family. They may have a small ministry, but they are making a huge impact. During our time there we helped work at their future farm in the mounntains of Bucari, worshiped at their home church CCF (who is doing amazing things in Iloilo) twice, served the Ati people in Iloilo, encouraged Sam and Amy in their mission work and learned what they are doing in response to the call of God in their lives.
Spent a few nights in a bamboo home by the beach (I could imagine Thurston and Lovey Howell living their) We had a private beach to ourselves for the afternoon with a scenery that was breath-taking.
Spent time with friends from FL (the wife is orignally from the Philippines) three hours outside of Manila in one of the most beauful places I have ever seen.
Spent a day and a half in Tokyo Japan. I loved that city... I hope to go back someday.
God spoke to me on many levels about many things personally and professionally. I look forward to sharing them with you sometime in the future. It's nice to have peace, clarity and purpose once again.

Again, thank you for all your prayers. Carrie and I are working on setting a date on a Sunday afternoon in Bradenton to share our experiences. If you live near us, we will keep you posted on the date, time and location. For those far away... We'll try and record it via Facebook live.

The Holtons Have Hit the Philippines

6/18/2018
Well we FINALLY made it to the Philippines! It has been a long journey (physically, mentally and spiritually)but God has been faithful. Today we see getting ready to go to the mountains for five days to do consuction work on the hostel (see below). It had been great reconnecting with thd Divinigracias, it's like our families picked up right where we left of. It has been a great experience so far. We've had great food, fellowship and a fun together. Today the hard work begins. I have no idea what to expect, but I trust God will do a great work this week and in the weeks to come. Please continue to pray for us as we continue to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

I am doing this post from my phone so it is brief. Unfortunately I will not be doing my H.E.A.R. journal entries this week (we will not have internet access), nor was I able to last week ( a lot of traveling), but I will try and get some uploaded by the end of the week. My son will let me use his chromebook, so I hope to be more disciplined in my writing.

We are so excited to be here and I ask that you continue to pray for us. I ask that you would pray that God would work through us and in us as we serve Him here in Tyne Philippines.

Summer Prayer Challenge

I came across this old post from an ANCIENT blog that I used to write back in 2014. As I was reading it I felt that this is something I should share. This prayer challenge was something God put on my heart to pray for the church I was serving at the time. I've updated it a bit.

“God, open my eyes that I might see our church as you see it. Let me see where change needs to take place, even if it is painful to me. And use me, I pray, to be an instrument of that change whatever the cost.”

Four years ago a wonderful man passed away in the community I live int. He was a great man. Over the years I was privileged to have a nice relationship with him. He was a kind, smart and quiet man. So, when I heard of his passing, naturally I was shocked and sad. He passed away peacefully in his sleep. He seemed to be a rather healthy man so his death was a shock to everyone. When I talked to people around the community about his passing almost everyone said, “When I die I want to go the way he went.”

Death is such an inconvenient thing, but the reality is we all will die one day. Death is inevitable.

In the Spring of 2014 I read the book AUTOPSY OF A DECEASED CHURCH by Thom Rainer and it was a real eye opener. The author’s intent in writing the book is to show individuals why and how churches die. Sounds uplifting, right? Mr. Rainer writes about the necessity of knowing why churches die so they can make the necessary changes to help churches diagnose their unhealthy habits before they die. Rainer takes the collective results of fourteen churches that have died and summarizes his findings of all the deceased churches. These fourteen churches are diverse in location, denomination and demographically. However they are all similar in one way: They followed paths that caused them to die. In some cases they followed the same path.

The author writes that there are as many as 100,000 churches in America who are showing signs of decline toward death. I was a pastor of one of those 100,000. We had many of the symptoms of a dying church. Did this mean I gave up hope? Did I write a will and make arrangement for inevitable death? Not at all! We were not dead! We had signs of being unhealthy, but health could be restored.

Here’s the thing…changes needed to happen. I was reminded of the words of some leader that I can’t recall who wrote, “If you keep doing what you are doing, then you are going to keep getting what you get.” Doing nothing or doing the same unhealthy thing is a recipe for disaster. I did not believe change should happen for the sake of change; it should happen because it was God inspired. The only way this coul happen was by continually praying and pursuing God by finding out what he was doing and how we could get on board with him.

In response I started a summer prayer challenge. At the conclusion of each chapter of this book Thom Rainer asks the reader to make a prayer commitment and the prayer at the top of the page was the first prayer I prayed. Change can be a difficult thing but it is necessary.

UPDATE>>> FAST FORWARD 4 YEARS... This is a dangerous prayer, because I invited my church to pray this four years ago and they were not ready to pray this prayer. It was too costly and things did not end well.

However, I want to invite you to pray this prayer today. Pray that that you and I can make the necessary changes needed to be more effective for the Kingdom of God in the place where God has called you. I am trusting God is going to do something wonderful in the midst of your church and I hope you are willing to join me.

Less Than A Month Away

Future site of the farm house / hostel.

May 19th, 2018

We are less than one month away from our three week short-term missions trip to the Philippines. I am excited, nervous and anxious to see what God does and what He reveals to us.

The tickets are purchased, and passports received. We will be leaving for Iloilo on June 12th and returning back to Florida on July 5th. There is much that needs to be done as we make the final preparations to go, so first we ask for your prayers. Secondly, we are looking for specific personal hygiene items, tents, comforts from home and other items to bring to the Divinagracias. If you would like to know more specifically what it is they need then please talk to Carrie or me as we are in continual contact with them. The Sam and Amy have reported that there will be plenty of work to do as we will help them start the construction of their Hostel in the mountains (we will be living in tents for a few days), doing medical missions work and working with the ATI village among other things.

We are continuing to fundraise money that will be used for one last flight we will book in country in the Philippines, day to day expenses and mission work expenses. If you feel led to support us in any way you can make a donation at the link below or you can email from the contact link from the menu above and I can send you our address. We praise God for this incredible blessing and privilege.

The initial sketches of the house

What Discipleship Looks Like For You

In this article we will look at some potential excuses the disciples of Jesus could have used to show that they could not go out and fulfil Jesus’ call of discipleship in their lives. We will see the obstacles they faced and overcame because of the higher call that Jesus gave them. (...CLICK TO READ MORE)

The Holtons Are Going To The Philippines!

I am excited to announce that my family and I are going on a short-term three-week missions trip to the Philippines this summer. We are so excited to serve with our good friends Sam and Amy Divinagracia who are currently living and serving in Ilo Ilo.
As excited,as we are, we are also a bit nervous as this is a big trip for the six of us. I would like to first ask that all of you who come to this page to PLEASE pray for us daily. Prayer is our greatest resource and we cannot do this without it. We also have financial needs. As of this writing we still need around $7000 to meet our goal. If you feel led to give money towards this trip, you can make a donation by clicking the "donate" button on the side of this page or click the donate button at the end of this post (...CLICK TO READ MORE).

Take My Breath Away

Is there anything that has taken your breath away? Is there something that has left you completely speechless? There are a few things that come to mind for me. When I sit at the falls of Niagara, stand atop the multicolored formations of the Badlands, and travelling along “The Rim of the World highway” in California. But nothing takes may breath away more than when I used to stand outside in WI in the winter time and looking up at the stars and the heavens above my head. I am speechless when I gaze into the sky and see the seemingly infinite array of stars that span for as far as the naked eye can see. When I look to the winter night sky I was reminded of how small I am in comparison to the colossal universe that we live in.

I’m sure what I experienced was probably similar to the thoughts and insights of David, the Psalmist as he sat in the fields at night and pondered God, the universe (the heavens) and the meaning of life. I am convinced his words mirror the thoughts of millions of people as they search and ponder the purpose of life and seek answers to life’s most puzzling questions.

I imagine this young shepherd David had many nights watching over his flock to stargaze and ponder the questions of life. I am sure that even as a King, David was even more amazed at the mighty hand of God and his infinite glory as He kept watch over him and the nation of Israel. This same God watches over you and me today. He truly is an amazing God.

Reading Through the Bible in 2018

December 27th, 2017

For New Year's people often make resolutions to help them become happier or healthy. Some resolution may include losing weight, learning something new, exercising more, quitting a bad habit, etc. I would like to suggest that maybe this year in addition that you resolve to be healthier and happier spiritually as well and one of those ways is to have a Bible reading plan. I have spent years researching Bible reading plans, and if you are like me you have started plans and failed miserably in completing. There are many reasons why we fail, but I would like to suggest most fail because they either do not have a plan, are not disciplined, lose interest or are too busy.

So, I am writing to today ask that you pray about joining me on a year-long (260 day) Bible reading plan called FOUNDATIONS. You can read my journal entries here.

Let me tell you a little about this plan...

FOUNDATIONS: A 260-DAY BIBLE READING PLAN FOR BUSY BELIEVERS (Taken from book product description)

With Foundations, you can read through the key, foundational passages of the Bible in one year, while still having the flexibility of reading 5 days per week. Along with supplementary devotional content each day, you can experience the miracle of reading and responding to God’s Word. By using the H.E.A.R. journaling method, you will be guided through Highlighting, Explaining, Applying, and Responding to passages, allowing for practical application throughout the year-long plan.

Features:

1-year devotional book
5 days of reading per week fit into busy schedules
Bible reading plan that can easily be accomplished in one year
Daily devotional material will help reader correlate daily reading and real-life application

Benefits:

Expand your understanding of the Bible by just being in the Word of God 5 days per week.
Accomplish your long-standing goal of reading through the Bible, using a flexible 5-day per week plan that accommodates your busy schedule.
Experience personal spiritual growth.
Dig deeper into Scripture as an individual or with a group.
Reflect on the truth of Scripture using the H.E.A.R. journaling method.
Enjoy practical devotional content, whether you’re new to the Bible or well-versed in the Scriptures.

If this sounds interesting to you then I would like to invite you to join me on this journey. I will be doing this study personally, beginning January 1st, 2018. I am planning on using my devotional page for reflection on the passages or inputting my H.E.A.R. journal entries. If you plan on doing this with me I would love to hear from you (please email me at the "Contact" link above or maybe get some of your thoughts in the comments section of my devotions when I post my entry. I have added a link below if you would like to read more about the program. The page also describes the H.E.A.R. journaling method as well as gives you various options for how you would like to engage (i.e. the Bible App, Download the reading plan, or use the book). https://replicate.org/f260-bible-reading-plan/

To purchase the book you can also click the Amazon link below and you can purchase either the Kindle Book or physical book. I am excited to begin this and I look forward to going on this journey together.
You can read my journal entries here.

Everyone Has A Story

The other night in a meeting our pastoral staff was sharing about a new series we will begin next month entitled "THE GREAT SUGGESTION?" It will be a series that is going to take us all into some uncomfortable areas. It will focus on fulfilling the Great Commission of Jesus Christ. More specifically it will focus on (shhh don't say it too loudly) Evangelism. Do you know that word scares people to death? Why? I believe mostly because people have a wrong concept of what evangelism really is. One of of the Pastors on staff said, "We need do a sermon on detoxing the concept of evangelism." I like that word "detox".

I think many people think of evangelism as preaching at people. They may have this image stirred up in their minds where they go through a class and are taught the "fundamental rules of evangelism" and then pushed out of the nest, so to speak, to find a group of strangers to tell them about Jesus. This kind of "evangelism" scares people... and rightly so, it scares me. I tried it back in my Bible College days and I hated it. For me, it was the biggest waste of time. But I also felt that in order to be a good Christian, I needed to do it.

Today, I am happy to say I am free from that burden and I think I have a better idea of what evangelism truly is and how to be more effective. Here are some suggestions for your "Evangelism Detox".

Evangelism is about sharing a story. It is your story and God's story intermingled together. What God has done through Jesus in the world is a wonderful story that needs to be shared, but the story of what God has done in your life is a story that needs to be shared with those whom God has sent your way.
Evangelism is about sensitivity. Before sharing the story it is important to be sensitive to the moving of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us opportunities and we need to be listening when the He calls us to speak.
Evangelism is about obedience. When the Spirit gives us opportunities we need to be obedient in moving when Spirit does.
Evangelism is about Jesus. Yes, It is important to share our stories with people, but you are not the main focus, Jesus is. We can spend so much time talking about ourselves that we can forget to include Jesus in our story. We need to share the story of our transformation through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Evangelism is for everyone who is a follower of Jesus Christ. True, the Bible does talk about evangelism being a gift of the Spirit. I have heard people say they don't have the gift of the Spirit. I believe this is a cop out. The Great Commission is not reserved for those who are gifted and it is not an optional suggestion. Jesus commissioned AND has given us authority to go out and proclaim the Good News. Yes, this includes you and me.

You have a story. Share it, be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, and be obedient in sharing it. Your story is not just about you, it's about Jesus in you. So let's all accept the commission of Jesus and share the story.
You have a story. Share it, be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, and be obedient in sharing it. Your story is not just about you, it's about Jesus in you. So let's all accept the commission of Jesus and share the story.

Characteristics of a Healthy Church

What Does a Healthy Church Look Like?
There is no such thing as a perfect church, congregation or pastor. The only thing that is perfect about any church is the Head; Jesus Christ. As long as both sinners and redeemed sinners are involved, the church will always be imperfect. So the best we can do is look at the early church as a model and example so we can glean some insights and characteristics as to what a healthy church should look like. Our text is found in Acts 2:42 – 47.
These six verses are a great model of what the early church looked like and what a healthy church can look like and how spiritual growth happens. There are four characteristics according to this passage that we will look at. Hopefully and prayerfully it will inspire and challenge us as a church and as individuals to live the Spirit filled life which results in a Spirit filled church.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EARLY CHURCH
A church that valued and studied the Bible
The 3,000 plus believers of the early church devoted themselves to the teachings of the Apostles. In the infant stage of the Church there was a common agreement as to what O.T. Scriptures were inspired books that were recognized as sacred. The early church also held the teachings, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus as Scriptural and divine. The Apostles told of these adventures with Jesus and His teachings thus their words were regarded just as highly. The early church was dedicated to the teaching and study of Jesus and God’s Word. According to 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” A Spirit-filled church is always going to be a Bible believing and Bible studying church. It will be a congregation who hungers for, transformed by and lives by the Word of God. If the Spirit of God is present in you then you will certainly be drawn to and hunger for His word. It is necessary for a healthy Church to value and study the Word of God.

A church that fellowshiped together
This church were also devoted to fellowshiping together. Fellowship is one of those words we use often but rarely define it. We often mistake fellowship as the time we spend with each other before or after church in the foyer or back of the sanctuary. Certainly this is a good thing. The word fellowship is taken from the Greek word Koinoinia which has to do with holding something in common or a common fellowship. The early church had a common bond through Jesus Christ. They had fellowship with Christ and true fellowship with one another. So naturally this fellowship included worship and communion as verse 42 states. This fellowship went beyond just hanging out and doing church together; if you look in verse 44 and 45 it says, “All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.” This fellowship included generosity and helping meet needs within the body of Christ. They didn’t do this because it was required of them, instead they gave because they were transformed by the Holy Spirit and they were generous with each other because they understood the generosity of God. God had been generous to them so they were generous to others. Their fellowship went beyond just going to church; they were involved with other believers’ lives and each others needs. James Montgomery Boice wrote, “If you find yourself out of fellowship with God, you will begin to find yourself out of fellowship with other believers…But if you come close to God, you will inevitably find yourself being drawn to other Christians.” True Christian fellowship should be a high priority of a healthy Church

A Church that prayed together
There is a saying, “A church that prays together stays together.” Certainly this was a church that prayed both corporately and privately. As believers we must know and understand the importance and value of prayer and do it. Not only are we to pray but we are to pray believing prayers. We must expect results when we pray. Prayer must be a discipline that we never overlook. We need to continue to pray for one another for wisdom, healing, encouraging others in need, worship God, and intercession for others. Prayer is our direct communication with God. It is essentially our lifeline.

A Church that evangelized
This passage doesn’t necessarily say that the church went out evangelizing but it does say that “The Lord added to their numbers daily.” I think it is safe to deduce that the early believers were telling others about Jesus, because the church was growing. Not only did this community share its possessions but it also shared the message of hope and salvation. We possess the greatest news of all time… The Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is a message that should be proclaimed and proclaimed boldly and often. The result of the Gospel being spread was people were coming to faith in Jesus Christ. Sharing the Gospel message (evangelism) of Jesus Christ (His life, death and resurrection) is an important message that needs to be heard and Jesus Christ has appointed us as his instruments to get this message out.

Conclusion
These four characteristics of the early church are an excellent model for the way the church should model itself today. Do you value and study your Bible? Do you have fellowship with other believers outside of Sunday morning? Are you praying for your church and her leadership? Are you sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ or better yet are you preaching and believing the Gospel to yourself?
I believe whole heartedly that if we (individually and corporately) model our lives around these four characteristics of Acts 2:42 - 47 the end result will not only become a healthy church but we will experience healthy church growth. We also need to know and understand that growth’s end product is a result of God doing the adding and not man. God will cause growth not us. Paul David Tripp writes in his book DANGEROUS CALLING, "It is Christ and Christ alone who builds his church. This is humbling stuff because it requires us to admit we have no power whatsoever to change anyone. We have no ability to advance God's kingdom... Ministry success is not a valid measuring stick for our maturity. In fact a God of grace will bless our ministries in spite of us because of his zeal for his church and commitment to his own glory." This does not, however excuse us from doing our part (what I have talked about today). I do believe that when we are fully submitted to him and sensitive to his voice He will use us as we share His Gospel message with the community and the surrounding areas and in return we will see a church that is Spiritually healthy and in check.