Greetings!

 
We invite you to hear and read the words to a song, Almost Persuaded, that you may have never heard before and may never hear again. It's a sad song, much like Lamentations in the Old Testament. But like Lamenations, it's a necessary song, a song that serves as a precursor to the message below by Pastor Don. Please click Almost Persuaded.

I Have Some Bad News For You

 

Recharge Your Batteries

By Dr. Craig Loving

Summer is a good time to recharge our batteries. Some people recharge on the beach. Some with a book, others with a hammer. I prefer my chain saw.

The most important aspect of our lives needing continual recharging is our relationship with God. Throughout the year most of us try to take care of our spiritual lives. But summer is a good time to spend some extended time in that pursuit.

We've all spoken with Christians whose spiritual batteries have been drained by stressful situations like illnesses, life-transitions, or trauma. Others have been drained by not taking time to recharge. Even pastors and Christian leaders can get caught up in the tyranny of the urgent.

    

Charles Allen begins his book, God's Psychiatry, with the story of a successful, but spiritually empty man who came to him for counseling. After listening to the man's story, Allen took a pad of paper from his desk and wrote this prescription: Read Psalm 23 five times a day - carefully, meditatively, prayerfully - for seven days. [read more] 

 

Before You Lead Your Church Through Change

By Pastor Rick Warren

If your church has plateaued in its growth for a while or shows signs of being unhealthy, things may need to change, and the Pastor is the point person to produce positive change in any church's culture. Having said that, leading a church through change is difficult, and sometimes can be detrimental if you don't consider some important questions before starting the process.

Three aspects of change you should evaluate before shaking things up are: [read more]

Stack of Stuff

If you did not read the lead article in the June Church Press Newsletter, we are carrying it again. It's must reading. We begin with the opening paragraph:

FLGA District Lutheran Hour Ministries Outreach Initiative
Since 1998 the LCMS has experienced significant losses every year. The LCMS holds the dubious distinction of being the US denomination with conservative theology that has lost the most members. The percentage loss (13%) was also the highest for evangelical protestant denominations. . . . Around half of the congregations confirmed no adults. A significant number of the rest confirmed small numbers. [read more]

After the baptism of his baby brother in church, little Johnny sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car. His father asked him three times what was wrong. Finally, the boy replied, "That minister said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home, and I want to stay with you guys!"

Please, Lord, teach us to laugh again, but God, don't ever let us forget that we cried. 

To hear a recent sermon preached by Pastor Don on the subject: "What's Your Problem?" hit sermon. It was delivered at Ascension Lutheran Church (LCMS) in Littleton, CO.

Should your Board of Elders and Church Council be receiving this Newsletter? You can hit forward at the bottom. Go ahead and do it. Surprise them.

According to a recent study Americans are lonelier, more isolated than 20 years ago. In 1985 the average American and three people in whom they could confide matters important to them. By 2004 that number dropped to two, and 25 percent of those surveyed had no close confidants at all. Be a friend to somebody every day.

The greatest joy on earth is the clear prospect of heaven!

Mike Huckabee recently wrote: A tip of the hat to Bloomberg columnist Jeffrey Goldberg who came up with what has to be the question of the day. He said he asked himself, would he rather have his phone records scrutinized by the NSA or his private parts scrutinized by the TSA? The answer, of course, is: why choose? In America today, you can have both.

Very, very, very important: Always strive to maintain good eye contact with people you are speaking to and who are speaking to you. Keep working on this until it's comes automatically.

Less time spent in the church office and more time ringing the doorbells of members and prospects pays huge dividends.

A Reminder for Our People 

1 Corinthians 10:21, "You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons."

Heathen temples had large eating areas for their feasts. Here food and drink were consumed. This food had been offered to some idol. A misguided or weak Christian might think it harmless to go the Table of the Lord Jesus to eat and drink His body and blood and then attend an idol feast. Paul does not say that such a Christian will immediately lose his Christian faith. However, one cannot continually and willfully eat at both tables. Paul calls the two the Lord's table and the table of demons. We cannot continually and willfully serve the Lord and Satan at the same time. A man cannot have two masters.

Now the question comes to mind: What should I do if we have Communion next Sunday and I have sinned against my Lord. Should I partake of the Lord's Supper? Yes, because this Meal is for sinners. Now let's assume that I have been living in willful sin and just don't care. The "don't care" part is the key thought here. "I just don't give a care! It doesn't bother me in the least." Should I go to the Lord's Supper? No. I cannot say, "O Lord, I love you," and then turn right around and say to the Devil, "I love you, too!" That we sin is nothing new. We will do that. But to sin and be impenitent, not to care at all, will really kill you. Can we attend the Lord's Supper if we have sinned? Yes, if we are sorry and trust in Christ alone to forgive us our sin. (I Have Good News For You Leader's Guide, p.132, by Don Ginkel)

Your instinct to run away from it all just might transform you.
By Steve Wiens

Some of you are in a season of life where ministry is rewarding, fruitful, and fun. The staff is gelling, the difficult decisions you made last year were the right ones, and you have a renewed sense of passion and focus. Even your spouse likes your sermons lately. If that's you, I'm thrilled for you. Ride that wave. I hope it lasts a very long time.

But this piece is not for you . . . This piece is for those of you who woke up Monday morning to an email that ruined the rest of your day, and it has a good shot of ruining the rest of your week . . . It's for those of you who feel hyper-criticized, under-appreciated, over-worked, and inefficient. It's for those of you who feel dangerously close to doing something stupid. It's for those of you who have already done something stupid. [read more]

The Art of Worship Planning

When Bad Sermons Happen to Good Preachers

It's never fun but sometimes fruitful.