Robert Pooley

Serve Magazine

I had an opportunity to contribute an article to Serve Magazine this month.  Serve is an online Ezine put out by Steve Sjogren and Ken Glassmeyer.  It was a huge honor to be asked to be a part... you can read the article here.

Blank page

My blogging has been a little slow these days...  Seems most of my blogging has become micro-blogging, twitter, facebook, etc.  So it actually seems a little odd sitting down at my blog and looking at a blank page. 

I like the idea of a blank page... It means that anything is possible.  I could sit down and have an amazing profound thought... it could be the genesis of a book idea... it could be something that might be silly that could make me or someone else smile... it could be an encouraging word at the right season.

The thing about a blank page though, is that it will stay blank until you begin to write something.   Until you begin to team up with the Holy Spirit and put your thoughts down on paper...  nothing happens.

I think our lives are very similar.  God presents us each day with a blank page and says, "Ok, put pen to paper.  Write the story of your life.  I will guide and you lead you in every stroke of the pen, if you let me...  let's get started."

And what an adventure it is to follow after God's plan... and to live the story He has written for our life.  I want to encourage you today... don't go to sleep with your page still blank.  Live the story.  Follow God.  Live passionately.  Be a life that someone would enjoy reading about.  Its all in your hands.  What will you do with your blank page?

Rambles on a day off

• Vicki is at a hair convention in Orlando... so Leanna and I have been kicking around with no one to keep track of us....    :-)
• Actually we have had fun, but we miss Vicki.  Today we split a McGuire's cheeseburger... wow, I almost can't imagine not splitting one of those.  They are huge.... and really good.  And the Senate bean soup... mmmmm!
• Then we went to see the Juan Sebatian De Elcano, a tall mast sailing ship... it was amazing.  I can't even fathom climbing up to the crow's nest.  Jack Sparrow I am not.
• Yesterday at Coast was a great day.  I kicked off One Prayer with the message that God is our Father and I busted up some of the myths that people have about God.  The band was kicking!  The crowd was down just a little bit, but not the normal dip we experience the first week after school is out.
• This week for One Prayer we will hear from Steven Furtick...  And the message is God is great!  Steven is a wonderful communicator... I am really looking forward to Sunday.
• We have started the renovations to our Children's area...  Going to be a massive improvement.  The entire process should take about 3 to 4 weeks.
• I found out today about a pastor friend of mine who experienced a moral failure.  My heart goes out to him and to his family and church.  He is broken, and repentant, but understands the consequences of his action will be stepping down from pastoring the church he planted.  I will be praying for all of them.  I am really grienving for them.  I know that God will be with him and help him as we begins the healing process.  And my friend, if you read this... please know that I am here for you if you ever need an ear.
• All of this is very sobering... and a reminder to me about how quickly the devil can take you out if you let your guard down.  Thanks to my accountability partners... to my elders... and the wonderful intercessory prayer team who continually keep me covered in prayer. 
• There is much work to do at Coast... it will be a busy summer... with lots of amazing things happening.  I am looking forward to our upcoming connecting events...  a cook out and baptism...  a fish fry...  and more...  Going to be a great opportunity to build some friendships.
• Tomorrow is one of my favorite days of the week... Staff meeting day.  I love our team... They are incredible...  Great hearts...  powerful ministries.
• Going to relax tonight and watch an old James Dean movie with Leanna...  "Rebel without a cause."    By the way, this doesn't describe me...  I am not without a cause.  There is no greater cause that you can give your life to than the cause of Jesus Christ.

Good Stuff

Ask the Lord your God for a sign whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.  Is. 7:11

We must continue to pray and wait for the Lord until we hear the sound of His mighty rain.  There is no reason why we should not ask for great things.  Without a doubt, we will receive them if we ask in faith,  having the courage to wait with patient perseverance for Him and meanwhile doing those things that are within our power to do.

It is not within our power to create the wind or to change its direction, but we can raise our sails to catch it when it comes.  We do not create electricity, yet we can tap into it with a will that will conduct it, allowing it to work.  We do not control God's Spirit, but we can place ourselves before the Lord out of obedience to what He has called us to do and we will come under the influence and power of his mighty breath.


Can’t the same great wonders be done today that were done many years ago?  Where is the God of Elijah?  He is waiting for today’s Elijah to call on Him.


The greatest old or new testament saints who ever lived were on a level that is quite within our reach.  The same spiritual force that was available to them and the energy that enabled them to become our spiritual heroes are also available to us.  If we exhibit the same faith, hope and love they exhibited, we will achieve miracles as great as theirs.  A simple prayer from our mouths will be powerful enough to call down from heaven God’s gracious dew or the melting fire of His spirit, just as the words from Elijah’s mouth called down literal rain and fire.  All that is required is to speak the words with the same complete assurance of faith with which he spoke. 

Attributed to Dr. Goulburn, Dean of Norwich.

Top Ten List For Ministry and Life Management

I don't remember my source for where this came from originally, but it is good stuff. I have made a couple of small changes.  Enjoy!

10.  Account for your time

How did you spend your day? Write it as you go and evaluate how you did at the and of the day. Now look for ways to improve and ask yourself, "What am i going to do about this tomorrow?"  Always be looking for ways to improve.

9. Plan your time offensively

Act like your time belongs to you! Learn to say no to things you don't need to do. This is so important. 

8.  Keep your priorities in order

Remember, if you don't have priorities you can't keep them.  

7.  Delegate to the faithful

What are you doing that someone else can be doing? What is it that only you can do?  Learn to recruit and recruit and recruit.  Share the joy of serving with others.

6.  Plan for interruptions

When everything is said and done, there is more said than done.  Things don't always happen the way you plan them.  Keep margin in your life for the unexpected.

5.  Respond rather than react in a crisis

There is more than one side to every story.  In church work there is usually about 36.  Do your homework  Its ok to say I'll get back to you, I don't know a smart answer.

4. Don't procrastinate

Do what you can do now... don't put it off till later. Really.

3.  Get some help

Make some phone calls, network, read a book, listen to a cd or podcast.  Get a mentor.  Don't try to reinvent the wheel.  Learn from others.

2. Plan for growth

Remember people follow people with a plan.  Have a plan for spiritual growth, organizational growth, and numerical growth.

1. Pray

Things happen when we pray that just don't happen any other way!  Make time to pray

A Question for Dino Rizzo

Just finished reading Dino Rizzo's latest book Servolution. I picked it up while at the ARC Conference last month.  First of all, let me say I really respect Dino. He's the real deal!  When he writes about serving, he's writing about something he understands and does...  This isn't theory, he's speaking from experience.  The book servolution is filled with amazing stories, but beyond that, it is a practical tool for establishing a culture of serving in your church, and practical ideas for serving. I think everyone involved in ministry should read chapter six.

Dino, has the nickname Father Teresa among the folks at ARC...  I like that.  At Coast we have a huge heart for serving others... and two people that have influenced us more than anyone else have been Steve Sjogren and Dino Rizzo.    One of the things that I really appreciate about Dino and Healing Place Church is the way they work with other churches in their area to serve their community.

I had the opportunity recently to ask Dino about that.  Here is my question to Dino and his response.

How is the best way to begin to network with other churches to make a difference in our community?

Robert, thanks so much for being a part of the tour.  Coast has been such a great ally for us at Healing Place Church.  You’ve blessed us over and over and I just wanna say thank you again.

Partnership is so huge for churches who want to truly make an impact on their community.  It just means doing stuff together, laying down egos and logos and just working together to meet needs.

Often, it seems like there’s some confusion about what to actually do when serving our communities.  It think the way to work together to serve your community starts with beginning to see yourselves as part of the community.  Join in.  Engage.  Listen to what’s being said, what people are doing.... Get out in your community, and keep your head on swivel and your ears wide open.  It’s likely that you’ll find that it is less mysterious than we may have expected.  Needs become obvious when you’re looking for them.

For example, yesterday one of our police officers was injured in the line of duty.  We visited him and took a meal to him and just served him.  It wasn’t a huge question of discernment - it was just a common sense response to a need.

And while we’re looking for those needs and opportunities to serve our community, we should also keep a continuous radar on how we can partner with others in our communities (churches as well as other organizations) to meet those needs.

I think you’ve found this to be true yourself there at Coast - once you begin to look for needs and ways to partner, you see that they’re all around you.

 

Thanks Dino for taking the time to share some ideas and strategies for working with other churches in our community to reach out to those in need in our community.  If you would like more information on Servolution, you can go to their website here or you can order it here at Amazon.com 

 

I highly recommend this book... It will help start a revolution of serving in your church.

 

 

Channnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

I thought this was pretty cool  Gary and Beth Hodges, our worship leaders, were at the Exponential Conference and told me how they intrdouced Francis Chan when it was his turn to speak...  Too funny. Enjoy!

Monday Rambles

• Great day at Coast yesterday...  Talked about "Damaged Emotions" in our "Leaving the House of Blues" series.  Have gotten lots of comments telling me how God worked in people's lives yesterday...  Yeah God!
• We dealt with the three biggies that wreck our emotional stability... Guilt, Grief, and Grudges.
• The message should be up on our website within the next day or so.
• Hard to get a gauge on the two services yet.  Yesterday looked like a pretty even split in numbers between the two...  with maybe a little more at the first service... (I haven't seen the numbers yet.)
• Great to see all the teens at Coast last night.  Jordy and Kara do an awesome job. I'm very excited about the potential of this group.
• What's up with the local youth sports leagues having ball games on Sunday mornings?
• There is so much work to be done over the next few months at Coast...  Head spinning just thinking about it.
• Growth is good... but also challenging...  Working on structure to sustain growth.
• Just finished reading Geoff Surratt's book "10 Stupid things that keep churches from growing."  The Bad news:  I have done some of them.  The good news: I haven't done them all... and the ones I have done, we have already started to get a good handle on them.
• The book was a great read!  I thought it might be a repackaging of the same old ideas... but Geoff really has a fresh look at the issues with workable solutions to making a difference.  At the close of every chapter he does an interview with a pastor to get their perspective, and then adds questions so that you can work through the issues with your staff.  I highly reccommend this book for pastors and church leaders.
• Getting ready to start Dino Rizzo's book, "Servolution."  Should be awesome.  Dino and Geoff both have a wicked sense of humor.
• The church looks kind of cool right now...  It has guitars hanging all over the stage for the "Leaving the House of Blues" series.
• Looking forward to staff meeting tomorrow... lots to work on...  We are moving forward with everything in us.
• One last reminder...  There is no greater cause that you can give your life to than the cause of Christ!

All Access

Just got back from the All Access Conference sponsored by ARC.  Thought I would share some of my thoughts and highlights.

• First off C3 Church in Clayton NC were amazing hosts... out in the middle of the boonies, and running thousands, these folks have a tremendous servant heart.  Their pastor Matt Fry kicked off the conference witha  bang.
• Pastor Rick Bezet said that C3 is so far out of the way, that to get there you drive until you get lost and its on the right.
• The worship all week was tremendous.  Some times you see bands who are out being rockstars... Not at C3... it was obvious Jesus was the rockstar... and we were there to give him praise.  The speakers were amazing all week... but so was the worship.
• On Monday night after the meeting I was interviewed on a live internet taping...  Was great being able to share my thoughts about ARC with others.
• Dino Rizzo kicked off Tuesday with a strong word on longevity.  The 3 key words were Honor, Honesty, and Humility.  Humerous would have fit in there too... Dino is an amazing communicator.  His new book "Servolution" was just released... He has such a servant heart that the ARC guys call him "Father Teresa."
• Greg Surratt was next...  He and Billy Hornsby are the poppas of ARC.  Right now, under their leadership, ARC is planting a church every 3 to 5 days.  Amazing.
• Greg exhorted us to base our preaching on the simplicity of the gospel.  Its the gospel that changes lives.
• Chris Hodges spoke next... always powerful... always straight to the point.  The ARC guys call him the total package and he is...  His church is the fastest growing in America right now.
• Ed Young Jr. spoke later that evening.  It was like something off of comedy central... except that one minute you were laughing, and the next you were thinking... what a powerful point.
• Ed said that ministry is brutiful.  Part brutal and part beautiful.
• All of the speakers were very transparent about some of the hurts they have experienced while in the ministry... which was good for a lot of these young church planters to hear.
• Ed told us that Betrayal happens during defining moments in our lives... and then told his own story of being betrayed.  He said that after a betrayal we can choose to break down or break through.
• Wednesday started with a great word by Pastor Rick Bezet.  He said he used to be Rick Bezet pastor... now he is simply known as "Kris Allen from American Idol's pastor."
• Ed young Jr spoke again on creativity.  I had heard some of this stuff from the Buzz Conference a few years ago, and from reading Ed's book, the Creative Leader... but it was still good.
• His rant on crazy people was worth the expense of the whole conference.
• Joe Champion and Stovall Weems rounded off the day...
• The day finished with us praying over all the new church plants that are scheduled to start in 2009.    It was extremely moving.
• Had a blast twittering throught the conference.  If you want to follow me on twitter, you can at www.twitter.com/robertpooley
• Again thanks to Matt and Martha Fry, and all the folks at C3 church... and to the ARC for a great time of refreshing.

Line in the Sand

"What's that?"  He asked.  "It's a line in the sand.  If you cross over it you are on my team, and if you don't then you are on their team." 

I was thinking this week about the childhood thing of drawing a line in the sand that someone would have to cross over.  We have probably all done it.  Here's the line and stepping across means....  whatever... but it was always a commitment. 

Commitment is such a weird concept in our culture today.  Nowadays commitment simply means that I am committed as long as I am committed.  And if truth be known, we are very careful.  We've learned a lot since our childhood.  So we take great caution to not be around those situations that cause a line to be drawn in the sand.

But there's a problem, isn't there?  I mean aren't lines drawn in the sand every day?  At your table at the restaurant you overhear, "I don't believe in Christianity.  I don't believe that anyone in their right mind could be a Christian."  What just happened?  A line was drawn in the sand.  Are you bold enough to cross it?

Sitting with a group of parents at a basketball game, one makes the comment, "I am sick of churches... they are all the same... none of them have the anything to do with Jesus."   A line has been drawn.  What do you do?

In a doctor's office waiting room, a patient emerges, shaken and crying.  They walk over to chairs, and sit down with their head in their hands and cry.  Do you cross the line in the sand to bring them the comfort of the Holy Spirit who lives in you?

Everyday of His life, Jesus crossed the lines in the sand.  It was something He thought about.  It was a natural outpouring of who He was.  He couldn't stop it.  He was who He was.

What about you?  Every week opportunities to cross the line come your way.  How do you handle them?  Do you look the other way?  Do you think that it's ok because somebody else will jump up to the plate?

We need volunteers in.... we are looking for worker's in this ministry...  we are looking for people with a heart to....  

These are all lines in the sand...

Dare to step out....

Let's Rock the World together!

Servolution - Swenson Park Outreach

Here are some pics from our last Servolution event.  These were from our Easter Egg Hunt at Swenson Park... Over the years we have teamed up with the Swenson Park Homeowners and their ladies Auxillary to provide events like this. 

Thanks to everyone who helped in all of our Servolution events... A lot of lives were touched.

Easter Sunday Wrap Up

• Wow!  What a day at Coast today!
• The place was packed... first service was full.  Second service was beyond packed, we brought in almost all the chairs we could get our hands on... people were  packed in. 
• I don't know the numbers yet, but it was definitely an amazing crowd!!
• Again... dont have the final numbers yet... but lots of decisions were made for Christ today!
• Have I said Wow?
• The band was amazing today... they absolutely rocked the place... and then took us intimately to the cross in worship.  I worshipped both services... and could listen to those guys over and over again.
• Sherri sang with the band today, the Chris Tomlin song, "I will rise."  Now, I will be honest... I had heard the Tomlin version of the song and it just didn't do anything for me.  But the Coast band, with Sherri singing made that song work... It was powerful.
• Great job Band!!!
• Enjoyed preaching the Easter message today...  Both services were fun... looking forward to doing more...
• Huge buzz of excitement in the church today.
• I just want to say this, "Our children's ministry teams are the real deal!"  Camp Coast and our preschool ministry rocked the house today.  The kids had an absolute blast.
• Our new series, "Leaving the House of Blues" starts next week...  I can't wait... going to be an incredible series as we talk about dealing with depression in our lives.
• Great comments today... I literally feel like it was our best Easter service ever!
• Our Coast volunteers are the absolute best...  I just can't believe how good they are at what they do...  What a team!
• Had a great time with friends for Easter lunch... This is one of those days when you just realize how blessed you are...
• Ready to chill...  I have a little of that post-Easter burn out....  Going to take it easy for a day and then we are going to hit it twice as hard this week.
• I love what I do!

Blogging?

Not so much...  been a little crazy... best place to catch me is on twitter or facebook....  But not giving up my blog just yet...  Looking for a fresh wind to blow... and maybe a new blog design...  who knows?  Anyway, hope to be blogging again soon.

Sunday Wrap Up

• Today was a really great day at Coast... Great energy, and not a bad crowd considering it was the start of Spring Break...
• The Band started the morning off with a bang...  loud, aggressive and full of praise... then into some amazingly intimate worship.  Loved it. 
• Jourdan Pace sang the Miley Cyrus song, "The Climb...  It was unbelievably good on a lot of levels... first off, forget the fact that its Miley Cyrus, this is a great song, and its number 5 on itunes right now. 
• The message of the song went hand and hand with my message today...   
• The band nailed it, and Jourdan took it to a level that is even better than Miley in my mind.  Great job Jourdan.  Trust me, you are going to be hearing a lot from this girl.. Only 16 and what a voice.  She got a standing ovation. 
• I am loving the SHIFT series...  Today we talked about the most common ways that our enemy will come against our thought life and we talked about the type of thoughts that we need to be thinking. 
• I actually yelled a little bit today during my talk...  Believe me, I am surprised as you are... but the truth is, this is a subject that I am very passionate about.  This message will be up on the Coast website soon. www.coastcommunity.org  By the way, I almost never yell...
• FUEL is going to be exciting tomorrow night.  Happens at 7PM in the auditorium at the Coast campus.  We are going to be announcing some major changes coming up.  I want to tell you so bad what they are... but you will have to wait till tomorrow.  I can tell you this, its going to be incredible and will take Coast till a whole new level.
• One more week and we will be adding another service at Coast.  Very excited about this. 
• Went to Marble Slab after lunch today...  all I can say is, "Mmmmmmmm"
• The next few months at Coast are going to be incredibly busy... and I am so ready for it! 
• Did I mention that I am very excited about the new changes coming to Coast?
• Our post Easter series, "Leaving the House of the Blues" will deal with overcoming depression and starts April 19th. Everybody has either dealt with depression themselves or knows someone who has.  This is going to be a very timely series and is going to set some people free. 
• Again, loving all the new faces at Coast each week.  Its great making new friends!! 
• I love what I do, and Sundays are just so much fun that I am already counting the hours till its Sunday again. 
• Alright... time for the Sunday paper, a little bit of Nascar, and a nap! 

Sunday Wrap Up

• Great day @ Coast...  The threat of rain didn't seem to keep anyone today.
• The church was packed... We are going to have to get creative over the next few weeks to get everyone in until we hit double services.
• Lots of great new faces today... met some awesome new folks.  I can't wait to get to know everyone... 
• Still missing some of our folks who have moved away recently.
• Started our "Shift" series today and I believe everyone will be thinking about their thinking this week.   You had to be there to understand.
• The message today should be up on the Coast website in a couple of days. www.coastcommunity.org
• The band rocked it today... like always...  Man, I absolutely dig our worship team.
• Energy level was good... but not quite as high as usual...I'm thinking everyone is still adjusting to the time change.
• I felt like I struggled a little bit connecting today...  Got lot of great comments after the service... but for me...  had a little bit of a tough time getting started.
• Really laid the ground work for where we will be going over the next couple of weeks with this series.
• Tons of teens will hit the Coast campus tonight to play volleyball and get in the word together.  Jordy, Kara and their team do an amazing job every week with Coast Student Ministries.  We still have a ways to go... but our Student Ministry team is making huge progress.
• Also the the ladies's minstry is going through the book of James together.
• You can't change your life, until you change the way you think.  You have to have a shift.
• I wanted to call this series "Shift happens."  But chickened out.
• The stage looked great today... hopefully we are going to be some massive changes to our stage in the next few weeks.
• We are adding double services starting on Palm Sunday.  Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me to have to add a third service almost right away.  Crazy...
• I love what's happening at Coast... and I love our people...  Life is fun!
• God is doing huge things at Coast right now... it really has been fun to watch!

New Series "Shift" starts Sunday!

You just never know... do you?

The Lone Wildebeest

 

The wise wildebeest stays with the herd... or the flock, or the gaggle... whatever it is...   wise wildebeests stays connected to other wildebeests.

While in Africa, we traveled to the Masai Mara in the Serengeti for a safari, which was a reward after the week of ministry on the Challenge Farm.

The second day of the Safari found us staring at a pack of lions.  Yes, I'm sure lions run in a pack, because there were six of them.  Ha!  4 females and 2 chubby males.  And they were eating a wildebeest they had just killed.  It was amazing to see.  We were about six feet away and you could hear the bones crunching as they ate.  At one point one of the lions stuck his whole head inside the body of the wildebeest. 

Needless to say, from that point on, whenever we saw a lone wildebeest or gazelle, we would call out and encourage it to find its friends.  You just don't want to be a lone wildebeest.

I think for me, this was such a visual reminder of what the bible says.  The bible tells us that our adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.  Now, I realize that much has been preached about him being a toothless lion, and greater is He that is in me than he that is the world.  These things are true.  And yet I still see casualties of lion dining all around me.  And just like the wildebeest, it usually focuses on those who have strayed from the herd.  "Oh I don't need to be a part of the church to be a Christian."  "I'm much to busy to build relationships in a small group."  I think all of those things cause the lion to lick his lips.

Now I'm not suggesting that you be afraid.  Far from it.  But I think wisdom is called for.  We were created to be in relationship with God and people.  I hear people saying, "Me and Jesus, that's all I need."  And the lion licks his lips.

We need each other. The bible tells us to love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our mind, soul and strength, and to love our neighbor as our self.  Simply put, Love God - Love people.  Remember that the church is the body of Christ.  If you have a relationship with Christ, you need to have a relationship with His body too.  Sounds so simple when you think about it.  And yet I see people miss out on this all the time.  And the bones of the lone wildebeests litter the Serengeti.

The philosopher Blase Pascal said that inside each and every one of us is a God sized blank... a vacuum... and nothing fits that hole but God.  Drugs don't fit... money, sex, recognition... none of those things fit.  Only God.  I wonder if there is not an even tinier hole or blank, that only be filled by being in right relationship with the body of Christ?

Its a gruesome thing to see a lion devour a wildebeest.  Its a horrifying thing to hear of a brother or sister in Christ who fall, because they have stepped out of relationship with others.

I believe that one of the ministries that God has given us at Coast, is not only to reconcile people to God, but also to help reconcile people to their brothers and sisters in Christ.  After all we will be spending eternity together.

My Prayer for you... Love God - Love people!  Live inspired lives of deep devotion to Christ, and love like Jesus.  I realize that is an incredible statement.  And I admit I blow that aspect of this thing a lot.  God help us to love like Jesus.    Help us to love people who are prickly pears... and hard to love.  Help us to love people who don't love us back.  Help us to love people who don't look like us, or live like us, or share our economic standing.  Help us to love people not only with words, but more importantly by the way we live. Help us to be more like Jesus!

I will close by saying it one more time...  Don't be a lone wildebeest!

The wise wildebeest stays with the herd... or the flock, or the gaggle... whatever it is...   wise wildebeests stays connected to other wildebeests.

While in Africa, we traveled to the Masai Mara in the Serengeti for a safari, which was a reward after the week of ministry on the Challenge Farm.

The second day of the Safari found us staring at a pack of lions.  Yes, I'm sure lions run in a pack, because there were six of them.  Ha!  4 females and 2 chubby males.  And they were eating a wildebeest they had just killed.  It was amazing to see.  We were about six feet away and you could hear the bones crunching as they ate.  At one point one of the lions stuck his whole head inside the body of the wildebeest. 

Needless to say, from that point on, whenever we saw a lone wildebeest or gazelle, we would call out and encourage it to find its friends.  You just don't want to be a lone wildebeest.

I think for me, this was such a visual reminder of what the bible says.  The bible tells us that our adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.  Now, I realize that much has been preached about him being a toothless lion, and greater is He that is in me than he that is the world.  These things are true.  And yet I still see casualties of lion dining all around me.  And just like the wildebeest, it usually focuses on those who have strayed from the herd.  "Oh I don't need to be a part of the church to be a Christian."  "I'm much to busy to build relationships in a small group."  I think all of those things cause the lion to lick his lips.

Now I'm not suggesting that you be afraid.  Far from it.  But I think wisdom is called for.  We were created to be in relationship with God and people.  I hear people saying, "Me and Jesus, that's all I need."  And the lion licks his lips.

We need each other. The bible tells us to love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our mind, soul and strength, and to love our neighbor as our self.  Simply put, Love God - Love people.  Remember that the church is the body of Christ.  If you have a relationship with Christ, you need to have a relationship with His body too.  Sounds so simple when you think about it.  And yet I see people miss out on this all the time.  And the bones of the lone wildebeests litter the Serengeti.

The philosopher Blase Pascal said that inside each and every one of us is a God sized blank... a vacuum... and nothing fits that hole but God.  Drugs don't fit... money, sex, recognition... none of those things fit.  Only God.  I wonder if there is not an even tinier hole or blank, that only be filled by being in right relationship with the body of Christ?

Its a gruesome thing to see a lion devour a wildebeest.  Its a horrifying thing to hear of a brother or sister in Christ who fall, because they have stepped out of relationship with others.

I believe that one of the ministries that God has given us at Coast, is not only to reconcile people to God, but also to help reconcile people to their brothers and sisters in Christ.  After all we will be spending eternity together.

My Prayer for you... Love God - Love people!  Live inspired lives of deep devotion to Christ, and love like Jesus.  I realize that is an incredible statement.  And I admit I blow that aspect of this thing a lot.  God help us to love like Jesus.    Help us to love people who are prickly pears... and hard to love.  Help us to love people who don't love us back.  Help us to love people who don't look like us, or live like us, or share our economic standing.  Help us to love people not only with words, but more importantly by the way we live. Help us to be more like Jesus!

I will close by saying it one more time...  Don't be a lone wildebeest!

RISK

Years ago, John Wimber said, "Faith is spelled R-I-S-K!"  Its true... and ministry is risky business... (Try not to think of the movie and Tom Cruise dancing in his underwear... uggghhh)  Somewhere down the line, the church at large got off track, I think... and we became about what was safe and convenient...  Been thinking about that alot this week.  It takes faith to do anything significant for God... and faith will almost always involve risk.   Here are some great quotes on Risk.

Risk

Don't be afraid to take one large step because you can't cross a chasm in two small leaps. --Unknown

To venture causes anxiety, but not to venture is to lose one’s self... And to venture in the highest sense is precisely to become conscious of one’s self. -- Kierkegaard

The trouble with doing something right the first time is that nobody appreciates how difficult it was.

First you jump off the cliff and you build your wings on the way down. -- Ray Bradbury

To give light we must endure burning. -- Viktor Frankl

The woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those who sang best." -- John James Audubon

"He that leaveth nothing to chance will do few things ill, but he will do very few things." -- Marquis of Halifax

To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to be sure to keep it in tact, you must give your heart to no one. Lock it up, safe in the coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless it will change. It will not be broken, but it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.The only place outside of heaven where you can be safe from all the dangers of love is hell. -- C. S. Lewis

Whatever happened to your spirit of adventure?" We are afflicted today with what I call "V.S. disease -- the Vanilla Syndrome -- going to Baskin Robbins 31 flavors and ordering vanilla." -- Redbook magazine

I am shocked. I have spent ten years as a Christian, but for some reason I didn’t see the power that is connected with simply serving in small ways in the name of Christ. When I clean toilets hearts are opened. I feel that my life will be divided into two parts -- B.T. and A.T. -- before toilets, and after toilets!" -- German lady, mid 50’s cleaning bathrooms at a kindness outreach.

I have never met a Christian who sat down and planned to live a mediocre life. -- Howard Hendricks

Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome. -- Samuel Johnson

Above all, try something. -- FDR

Ready, Fire, Aim -- Executive at Cadbury’s

In the midst of a generation screaming for answers, Christians are stuttering. -- Howard Hendricks

The Word became flesh -- and then through theologians it became words again. -- Karl Barth

Where there is no longer any opportunity for doubt, there is no longer any opportunity for faith either. -- Paul Tournier

Most people spend their entire life indefinitely preparing to live. -- Paul Tournier, The Adventure of Living

Fear not that your life shall come to an end, but rather that it shall never have a beginning. -- John Henry Newman

You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take. -- Wayne Gretsky

Don’t wait. You’ll end up waiting forever... jump into the now. -- Clyde Reid, Celebrate the Temporary

Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there. -- Will Rogers

Boldness becomes rarer, the higher the rank. -- Karl von Clausewitz

To get profit without risk, experience without danger, and reward without work is as impossible as it is to live without being born. -- Harry Truman

A leader is, by definition, an innovator. He does things other people haven’t done or don’t do. He does things in advance of other people. He makes new things. He makes old things new. Having learned from the past, he lives in the present, with one eye on the future. -- Warren Bennis

Four things come not back: the spoke word, the sped arrow, the past, the neglected opportunity. -- Omar Idn Al-Halif

Progress always involves risk. You can’t steal second base and keep your foot on first. -- Frederick B. Wilcox

Self-confidence is the result of a successfully survived risk. -- Jack Gibb

Winners are those people who make a habit of doing the things losers and uncomfortable doing. -- Ed Foreman

If you wait until the wind and weather are just right, you will never plant anything and never harvest anything. -- Eccl. 11:4

Life is "trying things to see if they work" -- Ray Bradbury Source: The Art of Creative Thinking - book by Robert Olson (1986)

If the creator had a purpose in equipping us with a neck, he surely meant us to stick it out. - Arthur Koestler

Loyalty to petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul. --Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), inscription beneath his bust in the Hall of Fame

Sunday Wrap Up

• It was a good packed crowd today at Coast... lots of energy.  There was an excitement and buzz right from the start.
• The Band had a brand new song today... didn't grab me at first... but by the time we had done the chorus a couple of times and then hit the bridge.. I was hooked... looking forward to singing it again soon.
• The band was really rocking today...  I loved it.  Its great to see a band bring it with high energy rock one moment and then intimate, right in the presence of God worship the next. God has blessed us with amazing musicians with incredible heart!
• Speaking of that... everyone is pumped about 1st Wednesday this week at 7 PM... the band is going to take it to the next level...  Mostly a night of worship, with a short devotional thought, and communion and then more from the band.  Its going to rock!
• Great seeing one of my old youth group kids from years ago that was passing through... and also seeing the son of dear friends back in town visiting.  Love gettting to see people that I haven't been able to see for a while.
• Today we talked about dealing with conflict... tried to have fun with it because it is such a heavy topic...  Based on the response at the end, I would say we hit a nerve.
• The new website will have the message soon.  If you haven't seen the site, go to www.coastcommunity.org   and the messages are under the media tab.
• Even though I had a blast, and had a little fun with it... today was very draining for me because its such a difficult topic... and so many people are hurting and dealing with unhealthy conflict.
• We said today that all relationships have conflict... but good relationships know how to fight right.
• I am so excited about the next two series coming up at Coast...  I wish I could tell you all about them... but you will be hearing more soon... I can tell you this... its been keeping me up at nights because I am so pumped.
• We are definitely needing to be in two services... the room is getting packed... eveyone is going to need to help us until we get to April 5th by packing in...  Very cool problem to have.
• I love what I do... I love our team and I love the people of Coast... I love the church we are becoming!

The Church That I See

I love this from Brian Houston... It inpsires me every time I read it. I'm believing it for Hillsong, and I also believing it for us at Coast.

The Church that I see is a Church of influence. A Church so large in size that the city and nation cannot ignore it. A Church growing so quickly that buildings struggle to contain the increase.

I see a Church whose heartfelt praise and worship touches Heaven and changes earth; worship which influences the praises of people throughout the earth, exalting Christ with powerful songs of faith and hope.

I see a Church whose altars are constantly filled with repentant sinners responding to Christ's call to salvation.

Yes, the Church that I see is so dependent on the Holy Spirit that nothing will stop it nor stand against it; a Church whose people are unified, praying and full of God's Spirit.

The Church that I see has a message so clear that lives are changed forever and potential is fulfilled through the power of His Word; a message beamed to the peoples of the earth through their television screens.

I see a Church so compassionate that people are drawn from impossible situations into a loving and friendly circle of hope, where answers are found and acceptance is given.

I see a people so Kingdom-minded that they will count whatever the cost and pay whatever the price to see revival sweep this land.

The Church that I see is a Church so committed to raising, training and empowering a leadership generation to reap the end-time harvest that all its ministries are consumed with this goal.

I see a Church whose head is Jesus, whose help is the Holy Spirit and whose focus is the Great Commission.

YES, THE CHURCH THAT I SEE COULD WELL BE OUR CHURCH!