Fellowship Church, on Monday night your core leadership (Pastoral Staff, Active Deacons, and Administrative Team) and Rick Lawrence will meet at 6:30 for a very important meeting. Please join us in prayer for unity to occur and God’s wisdom to prevail in our church. Below is an e-mail that I sent to our core leadership and Rick Lawrence this past week concerning this meeting. Please pray...
Team,
I would like to suggest a few things for Monday nights meeting:
1. Prayer AND Fasting. The flesh hates it, but God loves it!
2. Be Biblical - we should not care what we think, nor what anyone else thinks - let us care about what God thinks - if we can't stand on the Word, then we are standing on sinking sand.
3. Repentance over any sin behavior or sin attitude that may exist in any of us. Have we been faithful in our giving of our tithes to the Lord? Have we harbored bitterness or unforgiveness toward anyone? Are we submitted to authority (governmental, pastoral, family)? Is our home life in order? Do we have malice toward anyone? Remember, we are leaders and are to be held to a higher standard.
4. Check any personal agenda's at the door - this is the Lord's church and we need to be clear on that. No single member or group of members has any more rights or privileges than another - if we can't acknowledge that, then that is an unhealthy agenda in and of itself and needs to be repented of (remember the parable of the workers in the vineyard in Matthew 20:1-16) . It has been blatantly said by some that we must fight for Fellowship - let me be clear - if that has come from any of us, we need to repent big time because the last time I checked, Jesus fights for His church and has already won! We are to fight for souls and against the enemy of our souls!
5. Facts over feelings. Yes we are emotional beings, however thank God our salvation is not based on how we feel, but based on the eternal fact of redemption! Let us all check our emotions at the door and be factual in what we speak and decide.
6. Recognition of the real enemy - satan and selfishness. If anyone thinks anyone is the enemy, we have a big problem and need to repent. Now, are there attitudes of selfishness and the influence of satan among us? You bet, but let's recognize it for what it is, repent and renounce it. We are each other's brothers and sisters in Christ. If we can't recognize this, then we need to repent big time.
7. Did I say pray, fast, be biblical, and repent yet? Please understand that if any of us thinks there are not areas that we need to repent of concerning the conflict in Fellowship, we are deceived and greatly blinded by pride and the enemy himself (1 John 1:8-10). Please allow the Holy Spirit to do His cleansing work!
I love each of you and am looking forward to leading this meeting on Monday night as the pastor of Fellowship Church. If I have offended any of you by this e-mail, then that is a very good indication that there is probably some area mentioned above that the Lord is wanting to deal with you on before Monday night (Acts 2:37, 38). We will begin Monday night at 6:30PM in the Worship Center at the altar on our faces in prayer together for an extended period of time. Let us get our eyes off of self, onto Jesus, and under His protective cover - we are children of order and light, not disorder and darkness (See Ephesians 4 & 5)!
God is good all the time - Let us give Him praise! I love each and every one of you and pray God's richest blessings on each of us.
Loving and Leading,
Jeff Powell
Senior Pastor
Fellowship Church
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Difficult Times...
This past week I was able to speak with Imran Sadiq from the country of Pakistan and Terry Dupont from the country of Honduras. These are two missionaries that Fellowship Church supports financially on a monthly basis. And these are two missionaries who have faced intense crisis in their respective countries.
Imran has faced the threat of literal death recently. He told me of a church that was burned and a pastor that was killed. This happened less than 10 minutes from where he lives and ministers in Faisalabad, Pakistan.
Terry (and his wife Arlene) has faced tremendous pressure in being hindered mobility wise in Honduras due to the recent political turmoil with the ousting of the Honduran president. From road blocks to riots, times have been tense.
In the midst of these pressures, both men are standing strong and firm! They are looking for ways to expand and increase the Kingdom of God in the midst of these real and potentially life-threatening difficulties.
Now, you and I may not be facing these types of difficulties but difficulties are difficulties. Let me encourage you with a few suggestions to keep focused on what matters...
1. In spite of fear, share the love of Christ with someone outside of Fellowship Church at least once each week. Be creative in this. Trust Jesus to guide you.
2. Speak the truth. When you find yourself in an environment where the truth is not being spoken, ask God for the strength to stand for what He stands for.
3. Take responsibility. You will never change your life until you change your life! Shift your focus and make the changes that you know you need to make. Be honest and trust Jesus for strength.
By the way, thank you for your financial faithfulness to Fellowship Church. You allow missionaries such as Imran and Terry to remain on the mission field. They both express sincere gratitude to you for your support!
Loving and Leading,
Jeff Powell
Imran has faced the threat of literal death recently. He told me of a church that was burned and a pastor that was killed. This happened less than 10 minutes from where he lives and ministers in Faisalabad, Pakistan.
Terry (and his wife Arlene) has faced tremendous pressure in being hindered mobility wise in Honduras due to the recent political turmoil with the ousting of the Honduran president. From road blocks to riots, times have been tense.
In the midst of these pressures, both men are standing strong and firm! They are looking for ways to expand and increase the Kingdom of God in the midst of these real and potentially life-threatening difficulties.
Now, you and I may not be facing these types of difficulties but difficulties are difficulties. Let me encourage you with a few suggestions to keep focused on what matters...
1. In spite of fear, share the love of Christ with someone outside of Fellowship Church at least once each week. Be creative in this. Trust Jesus to guide you.
2. Speak the truth. When you find yourself in an environment where the truth is not being spoken, ask God for the strength to stand for what He stands for.
3. Take responsibility. You will never change your life until you change your life! Shift your focus and make the changes that you know you need to make. Be honest and trust Jesus for strength.
By the way, thank you for your financial faithfulness to Fellowship Church. You allow missionaries such as Imran and Terry to remain on the mission field. They both express sincere gratitude to you for your support!
Loving and Leading,
Jeff Powell
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Hang Up the Phone!
I can remember my first use of a phone. It was yellow, had a very long cord and you had to “dial” the numbers. I can also remember my first cell phone. It was a big bag phone. How things have changed! However, there are times when we simply need to “hang up the phone.” Allow me to share a portion of a “Daily Focus” devotional form Alpha Omega Publications (aop.com) that speaks to this...
Distractions-they can eat up a day faster than you know, and there seems to always be plenty to choose from. Many days I've wondered, "Where did the time go?" The time I lost was usually spent on things that seemed beneficial or constructive. One of these was the temptation to answer the phone. After all, it may be an emergency, right?
A ringing phone for me was like a piece of candy to a child-not to be resisted. Besides, who can stand listening to a ringing phone? Being on the phone seemed innocent enough, until my children needed me. Oftentimes, they would have to wait to have their questions answered until I was done talking to a friend. "Just let it ring" became my children's motto.
Do you feel like you are always behind? Pray to ask God to show you what activities need to be eliminated from your daily schedule. Get rid of those that may be worthwhile in themselves, but eat too much of your time each day. "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1).
Lord, help me to prioritize my schedule today and not be taken in by those things that distract me. I need Your wisdom to know what is valuable and what isn't. In Jesus' name, Amen.
I think we can all say “amen” to that!
Loving and Leading,
Jeff Powell
Distractions-they can eat up a day faster than you know, and there seems to always be plenty to choose from. Many days I've wondered, "Where did the time go?" The time I lost was usually spent on things that seemed beneficial or constructive. One of these was the temptation to answer the phone. After all, it may be an emergency, right?
A ringing phone for me was like a piece of candy to a child-not to be resisted. Besides, who can stand listening to a ringing phone? Being on the phone seemed innocent enough, until my children needed me. Oftentimes, they would have to wait to have their questions answered until I was done talking to a friend. "Just let it ring" became my children's motto.
Do you feel like you are always behind? Pray to ask God to show you what activities need to be eliminated from your daily schedule. Get rid of those that may be worthwhile in themselves, but eat too much of your time each day. "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1).
Lord, help me to prioritize my schedule today and not be taken in by those things that distract me. I need Your wisdom to know what is valuable and what isn't. In Jesus' name, Amen.
I think we can all say “amen” to that!
Loving and Leading,
Jeff Powell
Thursday, September 3, 2009
What's Your Purpose?
Information abounds in our day and age. From “tweets” to “blogs” to “texting,” we have information overload. Yet, in the midst of this landscape there are times that we find the golden nuggets of information - the principles and truths that we can really bank our lives on and build our future with. Recently I found one such nugget. Please allow me to share this “evotional” by Ed Young, Jr...
“What motivates you to do what you do? What is your purpose in life? What drives you to serve in the areas that you serve?
There is no doubt that these questions cause you to engage in some serious thinking about your life. Many people tend to go through life without a purpose to drive them. In our society, we often hear phrases like, “Carpe diem” or “You only live once.” We think that serving ourselves is the key to living the best life ever. But we couldn’t be further from the truth.
While Jesus was here on earth, he was not interested in drawing attention to himself. He could have made himself the center of attention in a three-ring circus of miracles and amazement, but he didn’t. He could have leveraged his power for fame, fortune or power, but he didn’t. Jesus’ entire purpose was to point people to the greatness of God.
If we are not careful, the world’s motives will take over our life. When we make it our purpose to bring attention to our own greatness, and attempt to position ourselves in the spotlight, we will find ourselves on an endless search for fulfillment, remaining empty inside. But Jesus came to this earth to model how we can attain the fullness of life. He shows that we should have one purpose, one motivation, one reason for serving and that is to bring glory to God.”
Good stuff from one of America’s leading communicators!
Loving and Leading,
Jeff Powell
“What motivates you to do what you do? What is your purpose in life? What drives you to serve in the areas that you serve?
There is no doubt that these questions cause you to engage in some serious thinking about your life. Many people tend to go through life without a purpose to drive them. In our society, we often hear phrases like, “Carpe diem” or “You only live once.” We think that serving ourselves is the key to living the best life ever. But we couldn’t be further from the truth.
While Jesus was here on earth, he was not interested in drawing attention to himself. He could have made himself the center of attention in a three-ring circus of miracles and amazement, but he didn’t. He could have leveraged his power for fame, fortune or power, but he didn’t. Jesus’ entire purpose was to point people to the greatness of God.
If we are not careful, the world’s motives will take over our life. When we make it our purpose to bring attention to our own greatness, and attempt to position ourselves in the spotlight, we will find ourselves on an endless search for fulfillment, remaining empty inside. But Jesus came to this earth to model how we can attain the fullness of life. He shows that we should have one purpose, one motivation, one reason for serving and that is to bring glory to God.”
Good stuff from one of America’s leading communicators!
Loving and Leading,
Jeff Powell
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