What Are You Dreaming About?

When the clock strikes midnight on December 31 of each year, a new year begins. And with a new year comes the hope of a better year than the one before. Dreams left unfulfilled in the previous year have a new opportunity to be realized. Every year presents for us the opportunity to reflect, evaluate, and prayerfully dream again about what could be in the coming months ahead.

I have recently been reflecting on Ezekiel 11:19. This verse came to me in a time of prayer when I was greatly distressed over the condition of my heart before the Lord’s presence. In prayer, I began asking God to change my heart and as He does many times in answer to my prayer, He led me to His Word in Ezekiel 11:19. This verse says, “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.”

Throughout the end of 2011 and into 2012, my prayer has been that the Lord would do such a thing in me. I confess, all too often my heart is divided over some things good and some things not so good. At times I feel as though my spirit has grown empty and cold. And sadly, there are moments when I feel as though my heart is as hard as stone.

The closer I walk with Jesus the more deficient I find I am and the more dependent I see I am upon His grace. As one year is closed and another begins, I find myself crying out to God with greater passion, sadness, and humility than ever before. However, in the midst of my brokenness over my imperfections, He infuses me with the hope that He has indeed given me a new spirit and that my divided heart is made whole in His hands. That is hope worth dreaming about for 2012!

Dreaming Again,

Jeff Powell

Thinking About Christmas

As we think about the real meaning of Christmas, Jesus, I thought it would be very appropriate and fitting for us to review some of the prophecies made about Jesus many years before His birth and life. May we today, many years after His birth and life, not forget the meaning of Christmas!

Isaiah 7:14 says: Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Isaiah 9:6-7 says: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

Micah 5:2 says: But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.

Jeremiah 23:5 says: “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up to David a righteous branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.”

Jesus has been born! Thank you Lord for the life He lived, the death He died, and the power of His resurrection. Thank you that He lives today. May He be alive in us I pray!

Merry Christmas,

Jeff Powell

A Different Kind of Thank You

As I thought about how I could say “thank you” to all of you who made One Story Live From Bethlehem the success that is was, I realized that I could do no better than a wise man who thanked the people of God years ago for their labor of love.

This wise man said:

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God.”

Fellowship Church, that is exactly how I feel and think about you!

Thank you Apostle Paul for penning these words years ago to the church at Philippi in Philippians 1:3-11.

Loving and Leading,

Jeff Powell

How to Change...

Last week I wrote on the subject of CHANGE and some of the indicators that exist to let us know that we must make some changes. So what do you do when you know a change needs to be made in your life? Great question. One of the steps I have regularly taken in my life when I know a change is needing to be made is to pray. I know it sounds simple, but it is harder than you think.

Here is a window into my prayer life recently when I knew a change needed to be made. I prayed in my journal:

“Oh Lord, I come before you heavy in heart and mind. My spirit seems so willing, but my flesh so weak. I ask you forgive me of the sins of my flesh and the sins of the my life - both conscious and non-conscious. It appears to me that the conscious being more heavy than the non. Commitment has been relegated to convenience - forgive us I pray. Purge my inmost being I pray with the convicting and comforting presence of the Holy Spirit. Please forgive me for the pride of my life - haughtiness rather than humbleness. I want an immediate fix, but your grace oh Lord HAS to be sufficient for my great weakness. I find it hard right now to delight in my weaknesses so that your power might rest upon me. Help me oh God to be surrendered and humbled to Your will. Please allow Your power to purge my inmost being of everything that is repulsive to You oh Lord. Please guide my desires and my steps oh Lord. It is You that I love and that I long for in Jesus name. Please lead me to the quiet waters and restore my soul oh Lord I pray. My trust is in Your grace in Jesus name. Amen.”

Here is the real deal: Many times we know what changes we need to make, but simply lack the desire and discipline to change. So take the challenge, pour out your heart to the Lord through prayer. Like me, you will find that He will fill you with the desire and the discipline to change!

Loving and Leading,

Jeff Powell

CHANGE: You make it happen or it forced upon you

Change either happens to us by force or we create the needed changes in our lives. Creating changes in our lives is MUCH EASIER than having changes forced upon us. Here are some indicators that it is time to change your life...

1. Pain - when there is physical, emotional, or spiritual pain in your life or in your relationships, it is time to change something. Pain leads us to change.

2. Boredom - when a lack of motivation and overall sense of boredom is in your life, it is time to change something. Boredom comes many times from a lack of challenge concerning what you are doing. When that happens, there is no “faith room” anymore. Change is a must.

3. “I never have enough time” - when your plate is so full that you are feeling like you can’t get all done that you want to get done, change is a must! Something must be removed so that you have time to do what is needed.

4. Spiritual Dryness - when the passion for Jesus COMBINED with the daily disciplines (prayer and Bible reading) of seeking Jesus are gone, something has got to change. Everyday is a new day to live for Jesus. Without passion AND discipline, we won’t truly live for Jesus!

5. It is easy to sin - when the convicting power of the Holy Spirit is absent, change is a must, before it is too late! Without sensitivity to sin in our lives, we potentially head to a major “life crash.” If sinning is getting easier, rather than harder, please make a change by allowing another believer of the same sex into your life to help hold you accountable to what is pure and right. As you make a change to move away from sin and towards righteousness, the convicting and comforting presence of the Holy Spirit will return to you!

How do I know these are indicators that it is time to change your life? Because I have personally experienced them all! If I can help you, please don’t hesitate to let me know.

Loving and Leading,

Jeff Powell

Thankful Everyday

I am convinced that the words from scripture are so true: “Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)

Our lives are the sum of our daily thoughts. You want a negative life, think about the negative. You want a positive life, think about the positive. You want a Christ-centered life, think about Jesus. You want a grateful life, think about what you are thankful for! Allow me to suggest a few things that we can be thankful for EVERYDAY...

1. Life. You are here to live another day. Each day is a precious gift. Don’t minimize it and don’t regret it. Life may not be all you want it to be, but you still have breath to breathe and for that you can be thankful!

2. Purpose. Because you are here to live another day, that means God is not finished with you and Satan has not succeeded in taking you out. Even if you don’t fully know what your purpose for living is, you can still thank God that He has a plan for your life!

3. Relationships. Yeah, I know some are good and some are bad. And I also know that some create much hurt and pain. But without relationships, we simply could not exist in life. Take some time today to be thankful for the relationships you have that allow your life to be what it is today!

4. Jesus. Okay, you knew this one was coming. Jesus is our rock. He is our foundation. He is our life. No matter how bleak things may get, He is constantly there and forever King. That my friends is worth being thankful for!

Happy Thanksgiving,

Jeff Powell

What are you believing God for?

In the Bible, Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is being sure what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Here are a few observations I see about this verse:

1. For faith to truly be faith, it involves things we have not yet seen. Thus the term, “take a leap of faith.”

2. For faith to truly be faith, hope is a key emotion. We don’t place faith in faith, but rather in what we are hoping for.

3. For faith to truly be faith, there must be a target, a goal. And this goal must be solid and specific. Note the words, “sure” and “certain” in Hebrews 11:1.

4. Faith is now (“Now faith is...”). Let go of yesterday and embrace what lies ahead. Today, you can have faith!

Here are some questions to challenge you:
- What are you presently hoping for?
- What certain things would you like to see in your life?
- What negative emotions are robbing you of hope right now?
- Are you looking backward or forward to what is to come in your life?
- What are you trusting God for in 2012?

I want to agree with you for the things you are believing God for. Turn in the insert in your share. Remember, WE > ME!

Loving and Leading,

Jeff Powell

When Faith & Reality Collide, part 2

FAITH and REALITY collide all the time. Concerning our own finances, making the commitment to be Biblical tithers with 10% of our income probably did not initially make sense on paper! And yet, God supplies. I know in my own life, even though Jane and I's expenses have increased and our pay has decreased, God has led us to increase our giving to 13% all during 2011 - did it match reality on paper? No way, but God has met all of our needs as we have obeyed Him by faith. And what about you? What percentage has God led you to give? Is it just 10% or is it more? And regardless of the number, did it make sense naturally to you? Probably not.

So what is the key to all of this? To ensure as best we can that we are being led by God and not just by what we see with our natural sight. Hard to do? YES! It would be much easier to simply look at life and draw conclusions based purely on what we see naturally. But God wants us to walk by faith. If we pray, God will speak and we will have an opportunity to walk by faith in what He is saying and not simply by what we see with our natural sight.

The Lord is wanting us to look for His voice and leading - that my friends is a much harder task than just looking at reality. But history proves that is the best path to take!

Here is the challenge: Take time to pray and hear from God. And when God speaks, act in faith. Remember the 10 lepers in Luke 17:14 - it was "as they went" that they were healed. It will be the same for us: as we go in obedience to what God has spoken, we will see His blessings in our lives!

So the next time FAITH and REALITY collide, which is probably sooner than we would like, let us choose FAITH!

Loving and Leading,

Jeff Powell

What to do when FAITH and REALITY colide!

At times, I struggle balancing what I see in the realm of reality and what I hear in the realm of the spirit - they don't always match up!  And to be honest sometimes I either doubt God or doubt my hearing from God!  However, I know three things:  1) Without faith it is impossible to please God.  2) In order for faith to be truly faith, it will require a challenge and stretch. And 3) the Bible is filled with examples of God calling His children to trust in His leading, even though His leading went contrary to what reality was.  

For instance, just take Gideon and his 300 men or Joshua and the wall of Jericho or Moses and the Red Sea - each instruction from God to be quite honest was ridiculous in the realm of the natural, but each was right on and each required a large dose of faith.  Or take Jesus’ instruction to the lepers to simply go to the priest.  Or His instruction to Peter to simply catch a fish in order to pay his and Jesus’ tax - all of these instructions did not match up with the realm of reality that each faced.  Going a bit further, take the instruction to Ananias to go to the house Saul was staying at - how ridiculous considering that the last Ananias knew, Saul was coming to arrest all the followers of Jesus!  

On and on I could go.  I mean come on, Joshua just marching and shouting to defeat Jericho?  Moses and a rod to cross the Red Sea?  Gideon and only 300 men to defeat an entire army?  In each case if we were totally honest, the leading from God did not match up to what they were facing in reality, but that is where the truest expression of walking by faith and not by sight is truly seen.

Here is the challenge: Take time to pray and hear from God.  And when God speaks, act in faith.  Remember the 10 lepers in Luke 17:14 - it was "as they went" that they were healed.  It will be the same for us:  as we go in obedience to what God has spoken, we will see His blessings in our lives!

Loving and Leading,

Jeff Powell

The Bible As A Textbook...

I hope you have enjoyed the past several weeks being reminded of the principles our nation was founded upon!

In 1782, the United States Congress voted this resolution: "The congress of the United States recommends and approves the Holy Bible for use in all schools."

William Holmes McGuffey is the author of the McGuffey Reader, which was used for over 100 years in our public schools with over 125 million copies sold until it was stopped in 1963. President Lincoln called him the "Schoolmaster of the Nation."

Listen to these words of Mr. McGuffey: "The Christian religion is the religion of our country. From it are derived our notions on character of God, on the great moral Governor of the universe. On its doctrines are founded the peculiarities of our free institutions. From no source has the author drawn more conspicuously than from the Sacred Scriptures. From all these extracts from the Bible I make no apology."

Of the first 108 universities founded in America, 106 were distinctly Christian, including the first.

Harvard University, chartered in 1636. In the original Harvard Student Handbook rule number 1 was that students seeking entrance must know Latin and Greek so that they could study the Scriptures:

"Let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life, John 17:3; and therefore to lay Jesus Christ as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning. And seeing the Lord only giveth wisdom, let everyone seriously set himself by prayer in secret to seek it of Him (Proverbs 2:3)."
For over 100 years, more than 50% of all Harvard graduates were pastors!

May we get back to the foundation of our nation!

Jeff Powell

America's Foundation

I believe it is imperative for us to know where our nation has come from! Consider these words by John Adams, our second president, who also served as chairman of the American Bible Society.

In an address to military leaders he said, "We have no government armed with the power capable of contending with human passions, unbridled by morality and true religion. Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

How about our first Court Justice, John Jay?

He stated that when we select our national leaders, if we are to preserve our Nation, we must select Christians. "Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers and it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian Nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers."

John Quincy Adams, son of John Adams, was the sixth U.S. President.

On July 4, 1821, President Adams said, "The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity."

Calvin Coolidge, our 30th President of the United States, reaffirmed this truth when he wrote, "The foundations of our society and our government rest so much on the teachings of the Bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in these teachings would cease to be practically universal in our country."

May we not forget the foundation of our nation!

Jeff Powell

Was George Washington a Christian?

Picking up from last week about the founding of our nation...

Consider these words that Thomas Jefferson wrote on the front of his well-worn Bible: "I am a Christian, that is to say a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus. I have little doubt that our whole country will soon be rallied to the unity of our Creator and, I hope, to the pure doctrine of Jesus also."

Consider these words from George Washington, the Father of our Nation, in his farewell speech on September 19, 1796:

"It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible. Of all the dispositions and habits that lead to political prosperity, our religion and morality are the indispensable supporters. Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that our national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."

Was George Washington a Christian? Consider these words from his personal prayerbook: "Oh, eternal and everlasting God, direct my thoughts, words and work. Washaway my sins in the immaculate blood of the lamb and purge my heart by the Holy Spirit. Daily, frame me more and more in the likeness of Thy son, Jesus Christ, that living in Thy fear, and dying in Thy favor, I may in Thy appointed time obtain the resurrection of the justified unto eternal life. Bless, O Lord, the whole race of mankind and let the world be filled with the knowledge of Thy son, Jesus Christ."

May we not forget the foundation of our nation!

Jeff Powell

"Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death"

For the next several weeks, I thought it would be wise to “re-educate” us about the founding of our nation. Marcus Perry recently sent me this e-mail...

“The founders of this nation handed us a treasure that was bought and paid for with humility, persecution, and prayer. They gave us a running start. They gave America the opportunity to be the greatest and most benevolent nation this world has ever known. We have been a beacon for hope throughout the world. God forgive us for our complacency and compromise. I pray we're not too late to turn back the tide.”

Did you know that 52 of the 55 signers of The Declaration of Independence were deeply committed Christians? The other three all believed in the Bible as the divine truth, the God of scripture, and His personal intervention.

Patrick Henry, who is called the firebrand of the American Revolution, is still remembered for his words, "Give me liberty or give me death." But in current textbooks the context of these words is deleted. Here is what he said: "An appeal to arms and the God of hosts is all that is left us. But we shall not fight our battle alone. There is a just God that presides over the destinies of nations. The battle sir, is not of the strong alone. Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death."

These sentences have been erased from our textbooks.

Was Patrick Henry a Christian? The following year, 1776, he wrote this: "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For that reason alone, people of other faiths have been afforded freedom of worship here."

May we not forget the foundation of our nation!

Jeff Powell

Less Boring Sermons Guaranteed!

Have you ever wanted to hear from God? Recently Windy shared a blog with me by Steven Furtick (www.stevenfurtick.com). Here are parts of it...

There's a secret to listening to sermons that dramatically affects what you will get from them. I call it the perception principle.

The perception principle goes like this: I can only receive someone on the level that I perceive them.

This is true for God, and for every human relationship you have. The way you choose to see someone determines how you will treat them and how you will receive whatever they have to give you.

Negatively, this means that if you perceive your wife to be a nag, that's the way she's always going to sound to you. Even when she really isn't being one. If you perceive your husband to be a loser, that's how you're going to receive him. No matter what he does.

Positively, it means that if you perceive someone to be wise, what they say will sound wise. If you perceive someone to be 'cool,' everything they do will look cool.

Here's how this matters when you're listening to a sermon. How you perceive the person preaching will determine what you're able to receive from them. And ultimately from God.

If all you see is a guy with good ideas and not a guy with a message from God, that's all you'll ever get. If you go in skeptical of every word, you're probably going to find fault.

On the other hand, if you perceive your pastor to have a message for you from God, you're probably going to be a lot more attentive and engaged. If you go into a sermon expecting to hear a word from God, you're probably going to get one.

I don't care who your pastor is...the principle is the same. Perceive them to have a message from God for you, and that's what you'll get.

Show up ready to hear from God, and don't be surprised when you do.

Expecting to hear from God,

Jeff Powell

Better Than Chicken Nuggets...

Although I like chicken nuggets, there are other nuggets that I like even more. I love nuggets of truth that I can “chew” on throughout the day. This is one of the reasons why having a devotional time is so important. Recently we began providing you a devotional guide called “The Word For You Today.” Each one is short, simple, and will spiritually feed you. If you haven’t yet picked up your copy for the months of September, October, and November, please do so today!

Just a few weeks ago, we received a letter from a person that had just gotten out of jail. I think you will be blessed by reading it...

“While being incarcerated in jail there was a book that this girl had - the name is The Word For You Today daily devotional. I would like to have it again. Can you send the next edition for Sept, Oct, Nov? That book is read good. It helps me spiritually. I enjoy reading it. It helps me get through some hard times. It is refreshing to my day especially when I wake up in the morning. It helps me start the day off with God in my heart, mind, and soul. Thank you very much. Please send one.”


It was our joy to send a devotional book to this person!

Fellowship Church, don’t forget to get your daily devotional booklet....and more importantly, don’t forget to read it daily:)

NOW, please welcome with open hearts, Harrell and Lolita Hemingway on Sunday, September 25. They are missionaries in the Philippines that we support each month. You will be blessed by them today!

I am looking forward to being back with you Sunday, October 2. Please continue to pray for Tyler and me as we are in India.

See you next Sunday,

Jeff Powell

What would we do without our church family?

I do not know what a person would do without their church family. Here is a testimony of one of our members....

“I work for the Federal Government and returned last week from an eventful business trip to Washington, DC. I hate to fly and prefer to take Amtrak when I have to travel for work. My train trip up was uneventful and I had planned to return to Florida “right after my meeting” on Thursday taking the Thursday evening Amtrak back to Florida! I really did not want to be in Washington, DC on 9/11!

It rained the whole three days I was there, causing major flooding to occur. When I got to the Amtrak station on Thursday evening, Sept 8th after my all day meeting, we sat on the train for three and a half hours before they decided the train tracks were under water. They would have to put us up in a hotel till the next day, “maybe” getting out then (maybe not). Sept 11th was drawing nearer!! When we got to the train station the next day, Sept 9th the tracks were still under water. We “might” get out Friday or Saturday, Sept 10th!?!? Wow, Sept 11th was drawing nearer, and the thought of me sitting in Union Station on 9/11 really was causing me “major” stress! Add to that the news saying that there were credible terrorist threats now for NY AND Washington, DC.

I was emailing my friends (many of whom are part of my church family) and received the bible verse Proverbs 3:5-6! It made me feel better. Then I thought about Paul and how he … “Focused on Christ and NOT his circumstances”. I was “at peace” the rest of the trip, prayed a LOT and got the “LAST” seat on the train out late Friday evening. The tracks were still under water, so they had to bus us to Richmond, Virginia to catch it. I got home Saturday, September 10th!!!!! God is Great!!!!!”

Thank you Ruth Franklin for sharing this with your church family! And hey, if you don’t yet have a church family, Fellowship Church would love to be that family for you. We are place where REAL relationships begin!

Thankful for each of you,

Jeff Powell

Our Sad September Snow

Our Sad September Snow

Morning broke once more, with pure and simple trust
We believed the door was closed, and the lock free of rust
But sadly, we were wrong. We were out there in the gale
Our ship did toss in a sea of tears, with torn and tattered sail

The planes, they came in low, streaking fast across the sky
They whistled past the structures, caught in the public's eye
First one, and then the next, but a few minutes apart
and in those tragic moments, they broke our country's heart

The explosion seemed like fiction. The fire and the smoke
We all drew in the toxins, and gave a sickly choke
The buildings soon fell down. That scene we all remember
when ashes hit the air, and it snowed in our September

Steel dropped like meteors. Glass like hot rain
We heard our brother's screams, and felt our sister's pain
Dear God, why did it happen? Dear God, what made it so?
Dear God, what brought our September this cruel and vicious snow?

Lord help us in our task. Lord help us in our prayer
Lord guide us to our friends who need our gentle care
Lord take us by the hand, and tell us where to go
Lord lead us through the blizzard of our sad September snow

Our family members are gone. With grief we hang our head
We place our hand to our heart, and mourn our country's dead
But we owe them our pledge. They must see that we still thrive
We must show them and this world that justice is alive

This country is not lost. Our flag is still up high
Those things we love so dearly in truth can never die
Let wisdom be our compass, and someday we will know
how and why we suffered this gray and dismal snow

Time will not diminish it. The memory long will last
The image will still be there in years yet to be passed
And children in the future will read about this day
when it snowed in our September, and the world lost its way

9/11/01: We will never forget

Written 9/12/01, by Vincent Spada

Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, Nobody, or Someone Else?

This past Sunday, one of our members gave me some inspirational words. I could not resist sharing them...

“Four People”
Everybody
Somebody
Anybody
Nobody

There was an important job to be done, and Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody, when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

Somebody Else -
There’s a clever young fellow named Somebody Else. There is nothing this fellow can’t do. He’s busy from morning till way late, just substituting for you. You’re asked to do this, or asked to do that. And what is your ready reply, Get Somebody Else. He’ll do it much better than I. So much to do in this weary old world; so much and the workers are few. And Somebody Else is weary and worn just substituting for you.

Next time you’re asked to do something worthwhile, just give this ready reply; If Somebody Else can give time and support, my goodness then so can I!

Loving and Leading,

Jeff Powell

I have found God's will for all of us!

Have you ever wondered what God’s will is? I have searched. I have read and prayed. And I have finally found the answer!

What I am about to share with you is 100% God’s will for your life. It is completely true. Here it is: “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Is this easy? Sometimes. But what about when the circumstances are tough?

Will we thank God when we are tired and exhausted?

Will we thank God when we have failed at something we worked hard to accomplish?

Will we thank God when others criticize us?

Will we thank God when finances are tight?

Will we thank God when we don’t have the answers we need to life’s pressing questions?

Will we thank God when our physical body is inflicted with sickness?

Will we thank God when all hope seems lost?

This my friend is God’s will for you and me: That we would give Him thanks in everything we face in life. When we do this, we will discover His peace and presence in spite of our tough circumstances!

Giving Thanks,

Jeff Powell

No Excuses!

I declare today the day of NO EXCUSES! Now, I know our minds are the masters at making excuses, but when you read this, you will see that today is really a day of NO EXCUSES. This past week I received this encouragement from one our members. Keep on reading and you will agree that today is a day of NO EXCUSES...

“Jacob was a cheater, Peter had a temper, David had an affair, Noah got drunk, Jonah ran from God, Paul was a murderer, Gideon was insecure, Miriam was a gossiper, Martha was a worrier, Thomas was a doubter, Sara was impatient, Elijah was moody, Moses stuttered, Zaccheus was short, Abraham was old, and Lazarus was dead.... Now, what's YOUR excuse? Can God use you or not?

God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the CALLED!”

We have no excuse - God has called each of us. 1 Peter 2:9 tells us “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

May we declare God’s praises today because today is a day of NO EXCUSES!

Loving and Leading,

Jeff Powell

Seeing In The Storms

On Tuesday, I was blessed to be with the youth of our church. We had planned to go scalloping in the Gulf, but due to a weather system, we opted for the lake. The first several hours were filled with sunshine and smiles from the kids having fun doing water sports behind three boats.

Then it happened. The sunshine disappeared and the sky became dark with clouds. Finally, the clouds gave way to pelting rain drops. Wisely, we decided to call it a day.

As we made our way from one side of the lake to the other, it was not only difficult to see, but also a challenge to keep our eyes open as the rain drops stung our faces.

This got me to thinking about life. At times we enjoy the pleasure of sunshine filled days. But then there are times when life seems dark and difficult. And it seems that the pace of life stings us with every inch of advancement. Allow me to share with you two “life rain drops” that can hinder our sight and tempt us to stop moving forward:

1. Failure - yes it stings, but we must get back up and keep moving forward. Yesterday is over. Today is a new day in Jesus!

2. Unforgiveness - we think that we are punishing the one who wronged us by not forgiving. However, the only person being punished is the one that does not forgive. Make a choice to forgive today, it is the only way forward.

By the way, none of the boat drivers closed their eyes and we all made it back safe and sound (smile).

Loving and Leading,

Jeff Powell

A Time To Weep & A Time To Laugh

I could not resist sharing this humorous story with you that I recently received from one our members...

“Two little boys, ages 8 and 6, are excessively mischievous. They are always getting into trouble and their parents know if any mischief occurs in their town, the two boys are probably involved.

The boys' mother heard that a preacher in town had been successful in disciplining children, so she asked if he would speak with her boys. The preacher agreed, but he asked to see them individually.

The mother sent the 6 year old in the morning, with the older boy to see the preacher in the afternoon. The preacher, a huge man with a deep booming voice, sat the younger boy down and asked him sternly, "Do you know where God is, son?"

The boy's mouth dropped open, but he made no response, sitting there wide-eyed with his mouth hanging open. So the preacher repeated the question in an even sterner tone, "Where is God?! Again, the boy made no attempt to answer. The preacher raised his voice even more and shook his finger in the boy's face and bellowed, "WHERE IS GOD?!"

The boy screamed & bolted from the room, ran directly home & dove into his closet, slamming the door behind him. When his older brother found him in the closet, he asked, "What happened?"

The younger brother, gasping for breath, replied, "We are in BIG trouble this time!" "GOD is missing, and they think WE did it!"

Ecclesiastes 3:4 tells us there is “a time to weep and a time to laugh...” I hope you can laugh a little today!

Jeff Powell

An Explanation of Life...

I have always believed that laughter is good for the soul. Recently, I received a funny fictitious explanation of life...

On the first day, God created the dog and said, "Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. For this, I will give you a life span of twenty years."

The dog said, "That's a long time to be barking.. How about only ten years and I'll give you back the other ten?" So God agreed....

On the second day, God created the monkey and said, "Entertain people, do tricks, and make them laugh. For this, I'll give you a twenty-year life span."

The monkey said, "Monkey tricks for twenty years? That's a pretty long time to perform. How about I give you back ten like the dog did?" And God agreed....

On the third day, God created the cow and said, "You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer's family. For this, I will give you a life span of sixty years."

The cow said, "That's kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years. How about twenty and I'll give back the other forty?" And God agreed again....

On the fourth day, God created humans and said, "Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. For this, I'll give you twenty years."

But the human said, "Only twenty years? Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, and the ten the dog gave back; that makes eighty, okay?" "Okay," said God. "You asked for it."

So that is why for our first twenty years, we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves. For the next forty years, we slave in the sun to support our family. For the next ten years, we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren. And for the last ten years, we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone.

Smiling...and hoping you are too,

Jeff Powell

Do It Anyways

Recently I received some inspiring words from one of our church members. The words are credited to Mother Teresa. I think you will be inspired as I was when I read them...

“People are often unreasonable, irrational and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten.
Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.
Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.”
Loving and Leading,

Jeff Powell

Be Motivated!

Here are some words that have motivated me...

Attitude determines my altitude in life.

I can see the glass as either half empty or half full.

You will never change your life until you change your
life.

You make your choices and your choices make you.

Success is a journey, not a destination.

FEAR can be False Events Appearing Real.

I must feed my faith and starve my doubts.

If I don’t set boundaries for my life, others will.

What I truly believe is reflected by what I do.

My children are not mine, I am their temporary
caretaker.

Goals must be written down and viewed regularly.

Focus can work for me or against me.

I can lead people to life giving water, but I can’t force
them to drink it!

I cannot fix people, I can only serve them.

Be motivated today!

Jeff Powell

This Just Might Shock You

On June 9, 2011 James Macdonald wrote a thought provoking blog about church government. I want to share some from his blog since we are currently in transition from a Congregational form to an Elder form of government....

1) Congregational Meetings Are Forums for Division: When church life is going well, the leaders of a church struggle to get a quorum for decision making. When things are going wrong, every carnal member lines up at a microphone to spew their venom and destroy the work of Christ in the church. Satan does want to rip church unity to shreds like a devouring lion (1 Peter 5:8).

2) Voting Is Not Biblical It may be a tradition of some wonderful streams of church history, e.g. Baptist, but it is not biblical. There is not a shred of biblical evidence for a congregation voting on what its direction should be, but many church members believe it is their ‘God-given right’ to stand in judgement over the Pastors and Elders that are seeking to lead them.

3) Eldership Is Sometimes Unpopular Elders are responsible to “shepherd the flock” (1 Peter 5:2), which is often a very dirty job. Calling out sin, dealing with those who have fallen and seeking their restoration (Galatians 6:1-4), these responsibilities put Elders in positions where doing the right often means doing the unpopular.

4) Congregationalism Crushes Pastors Statistics tell us that a pastor typically leaves a church because of 8 people. I could retire now if I had banked a hundred dollars for every time a Pastor wept to me on the phone or in person about the crushing weight of a local ‘church boss’ who would not listen to Scripture or reason or God’s Holy Spirit.

5) Priesthood, Not Eldership of All Believers Sadly, this has led in many congregations to the Eldership of all believers—where each person, regardless of training, giftedness, fruitfulness, experience, etc., considers their thoughts about the future of a given congregation to be of equivalent value. Satan uses this expectation to create in people a demand to be heard, an insistence that their thoughts on the future of a church—no matter how quickly formed, or singularly held—receive validation equal that of a Pastor/Elder.

Thanks James for sharing! May God continue to lead us as a church body in this transition to Elders!

Loving and Leading,

Jeff Powell

A Backyard Mission With Two 7 Year Olds!

A few weeks ago, I took the bold step to camp out with Austin and Joshua Hosey in the backyard. Even though it was hot, I was ready to brave it for these two young men. Okay, so I did run an extension chord and set up a fan for myself in the tent:) As light turned into night, it became time for us to go to sleep so I said our prayers and told them good night. Not even 15 seconds had gone by and the two were still talking. After another 10 minutes I quieted them down again. Again not even 15 seconds and they were passionately discussing all the wild animals that could be roaming outside. I let another 10 minutes go by and repeated our previous routine for the third time. And again, they repeated their routine. By this time I knew if any of us were to get any sleep we would have to move indoors, so I made the bold call to head inside and my brave campers joyfully followed!

Inside the fun continued until finally these two adventuresome kids went to sleep. As I thought about this “camping” experience, I began to think about our “missions” experiences. You see for Austin and Joshua, camping was never the goal, just a means of accomplishing the goal. Their goal was have tons of fun together and imagine many adventures together - all of this they did from the comfort of my home...and the tent, during the day:)

In the same way, the goal of missions as a church is not to just take trips or to just send money. No, our goal is to see these areas touched and changed by the love of Jesus. Going and sending are just two ways we accomplish this goal. We go to and we send monies to these lands, but let us not forget the goal - to see people touched by the love of Jesus! In September of this year, I plan on going again to India to further accomplish this goal. Some of you may physically join me. Others of you may help by giving. All of us will take part in furthering our goal to see lives touched by the love of Jesus in this foreign land!

Going and Sending,
Jeff Powell

People Watching At An Airport...

Recently I was in the Tampa Airport waiting for Tyler and Allie. As I was waiting, I made an intentional effort to “watch people.” Some were sad, some were glad. I noticed a father telling his daughter goodbye. Moments later a wife gave a passionate kiss to her departing husband. Later in my wait I observed a few college aged people excited to go through the gate to their plane. I also observed several traveling families with young children. I took pity on them....and those that would be near them :)

In the midst of all these relationships, I also noticed many who were alone. All were serious looking and focused. Could it be that they were focusing on their destination ahead? Or could it be that they were just tired? Or could it be that they had just left their last hug or kiss or goodbye before their journey began? I will never know. What I do know however, is that even in a busy airport, it is obvious that we humans are created for relational connections.

A life lived alone is a very alone life. A life lived with the mask of “everything is okay all the time,” is a life that is robbed of true community. A life lived only for oneself is a life void of true meaning and value.

Here at Fellowship Church we are seeking to become a place where REAL relationships begin. This will only happen as we intentionally connect with each other. And this cannot happen only on Sundays in corporate worship. The solution? Link up with a small group! You will find a place where REAL relationships begin!

Loving and Leading,
Jeff Powell

Blindness, A Brick Wall, And Sight

“Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.

The men talked for hours on end. And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods.

As the man by the window described a park with a lovely lake, ducks and swans playing on the water, young lovers walking arm in arm, grand old trees gracing the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the scene.

One morning, the nurse arrived to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse made the switch and left him alone. Slowly he propped himself up to take his first look outside.

He strained to turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his roommate to describe such wonderful things. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall!” - Author Unknown

When troubles hide your sight, what do you see? When confusion hides your sight, what do you see? Prayerfully during these and all other times, we will always see God’s great and glorious ways for us by faith!

Jeff Powell

Helping Our Sight

I am getting older and with age, my eyesight is not what it used to be. I now wear glasses when I drive and when I watch TV. Having my physical sight diminish has reminded me that over time every organization naturally loses sight of what is most important. Just like my glasses restore my physical sight, being reminded of the purpose behind an organization can restore lost “sight” to that organization.

Fellowship Church is a living organism and a functioning organization. So that our organizational sight remains focused, I want to remind us why we exist. Prayerfully everything that we do involves at least one of the following:

1. Leading others to become followers of Jesus (evangelism).
2. Helping those that are followers of Jesus to know Him better (discipleship).

We seek to accomplish this through praying together, worshipping together, serving together, studying the Bible together, reaching out to others together and giving together. This all leads me to a final component:

3. Togetherness in all that we do (fellowship).

Through everything that we do we are becoming a place where REAL relationships begin! We want this to happen through Vacation Bible School July 18-22, One Story Live from Bethlehem on December 10 & 11, Small Groups, Ministries, and Worship Services that occur every week, and Missions in India!

Evangelism, Discipleship, and Fellowship - that is the vision! I hope you see clearer now than you did a few minutes ago :)

Jeff Powell

Preaching in Pakistan

Technology is amazing. The advances that have been made are nothing less than marvelous. Our ability to communicate has exponentially increased (facebook, e-mail, blogs, twitter, etc...). Technology in and of itself is neutral - neither positive nor negative. It is what we do with technology that determines whether it has a positive or negative affect on us.

One such technology that I am excited about is Skype. Through this free service two people can video conference with each other through the internet. Over the last few weeks I have utilized this technology to communicate with Imran Sadiq in Pakistan. It has been a great blessing to share the word of God with Imran and to pray with him all while being able to see him in real time!

Fellowship Church, we are taking our missions to another level through technology. On June 10, I will preach a live message to Imran’s church. I will be in my office here in Florida, they will be in their church building in Pakistan. The message that I will preach will be in celebration of their church’s 1 year anniversary.

At a time when persecution is increasing all over Pakistan, we as a church family have the opportunity to stand with our brothers and sisters in that part of the world. On Friday, June 10 at 11:30AM, I will preach a message that will prayerfully encourage and equip them to stand strong in the face of opposition. Please join me in praying for this special event. And please pray for our brothers and sisters in Pakistan, pray that the boldness of Jesus would overcome all fear!

Thank you in advance for praying!

Jeff Powell

Who Gets the First Pancake?

Laughter is good medicine for the heart. I thought I would share with you some funny things children have said...

A little boy was overheard praying: "Lord, if you can't make me a better boy, don't worry about it, I'm having a real good time like I am."

A Sunday school class was studying the Ten Commandments. They were ready to discuss the last one. The teacher asked if anyone could tell her what it was. Susie raised her hand, stood tall, and quoted, "Thou shall not take the covers off the neighbor's wife."

A Sunday school teacher asked her children, as they were on the way to church service, "And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?" One bright little girl replied, "Because people are sleeping."

A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, 5 and Ryan 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. "If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, 'Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.'" Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, "Ryan, you be Jesus!"

A wife invited some people to dinner. At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and said, "Would you like to say the blessing?" "I wouldn't know what to say," the girl replied. "Just say what you hear Mommy say," the wife answered. The daughter bowed her head and said, "Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?"

Laugh a little today, it is good for you!

Jeff Powell

small things, LARGE IMPACT

Small things add up to large things. Think about it: 100 small pennies add up to $1. 100 small dollars add up to $100. Ten $100 bills add up to $1,000. On and on we could go, but I think you get the point!

It is the same way in churches: Small things add up to large impact. Paul said it this way in 1 Corinthians 12:12, “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.” In the Kingdom of God, when small things are joined together, big impact occurs! When you meet together in your small group, big things are happening. When you meet together in your small team of ministry, big things are happening.

This week I was reminded of the big impact small things make. At my request, Joseph Matcha sent me a detailed list of some of the needs the 92 India Oprhans have: Soap for a month ($125). Oil for a month ($14). Tooth Paste for a month ($82). Tooth Brushes ($42). Underwear for 92 children ($45). Shampoo for a month ($82).

For $390 all the basic needs of the 92 children could be met! And for $303 per month the needs of the 92 children could CONTINUE being met (soap, oil, tooth paste, shampoo)! Talk about small things making a large impact!!!

It has been said that as the church grows larger (in number), she must also grow smaller (in group organization). Remember, small things do indeed add up to large impact! Together, we make a difference through our giving and our serving!

Thank you for making a BIG impact,

Jeff Powell

What Did He Say?

Quotes challenge us and inspire us. Remember, JFK saying “Ask not what your country can do for you, but....” Remember Dr. King saying “I have a dream....” Here are some quotes from the most influential man who ever lived:

“If anyone would come after me he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

“But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean.”

“I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. "

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

“I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”

Thank you Jesus for daring to speak words that would challenge, words that would inspire, and words that would give life!

Jeff Powell

What Do You See?

Vision is the ability to see. Have you ever thought about how a child sees things in relation to God? Recently I received some questions & thoughts from children to God...

“Dear God, I went to this wedding and they kissed right in church. Is that ok?”

“Dear God, Instead of letting people die and having to make new ones why don’t you just keep the ones you got now?”

“Dear God, I bet it is very hard for you to love all of everybody in the whole world. There are only 4 people in our family and I can never do it.”

“Dear God, Maybe Cain and Abel would not kill each other so much if they had their own rooms. It works with my brother.”

Vision can be funny and it can be wrong. I want to help our vision concerning Fellowship Church. Prayerfully everything that we do involves at least one of the following:

1. Leading others to become followers of Jesus (evangelism).
2. Helping those that are followers of Jesus to know Him better (discipleship).

We seek to accomplish this in a variety of ways: We pray together. We worship together. We serve together. We study the Bible together. We reach out to others together. We give together. This all leads me to a final component:

3. Togetherness in all that we do (fellowship).

Through everything that we do we are becoming a place where REAL relationships begin! We want this to happen through our Women’s Conference May 13 & 14, our New 3-week Bible Study Class on May 15, 22, & 29, VBS on July 18-22, One Story Live from Bethlehem on December 10 & 11, Small Groups that are meeting every week in homes, and Missions in India!

Evangelism, Discipleship, and Fellowship - that is the vision!

Jeff Powell

The National Debt and The Kingdom of Heaven

As much as I can stomach it, I keep up with politics and governmental affairs. Recently, the big debate in our national politics has been over the growing deficit and debt ceiling. Now before you stop reading, please understand I am not about to bore you on all intricacies and implications of this debate. However I will say, I was shocked to be reminded again that for every dollar the U.S. government spends, we borrow 40 cents! Try running your business or personal budget like that - you would not last long!

Now all of this has gotten me thinking about the value of a single dollar as it relates to the Kingdom of God. I am happy to tell you that every dollar that is spent on the Kingdom of God ends up being multiplied by God! Rather than a debt and deficit growing for every dollar we invest in the Kingdom of God, the exact opposite happens: Every dollar that is spent on the Kingdom of God results in a surplus - praise God (see 2 Corinthians 9:6-15)!

The reality is that at times we see this surplus and at other times we don’t. I am happy to share with you that recently I was able to see this surplus from your investment into God’s Kingdom. While I was in India with Joseph Matcha, he shared with me some of what our monthly church support means to his ministry. Did you know that $50 a month supports one pastor and his family? For little more than a dollar a day, one pastor has his housing, food, and medical needs met! Did you know that for one dollar a day, one orphan child receives housing, teaching, food, clothes, and medical care? Talk about surplus from giving one dollar!!!

The debate is over concerning investing in the Kingdom of God - every dollar invested/spent for God’s purposes results in a surplus! May we as a church and as a people continue adding to Heaven’s surplus.

Loving and Leading,

Jeff Powell

Praying for One Another

Prayer is misunderstood, misused, or not used at all. God has provided prayer as a great avenue for us to connect with Him. Through prayer we can release burdens to the Lord and through prayer we can receive blessings from God. Where is prayer best practiced in the church context?

“When we talk about the gifts of the Spirit, we tend to limit them to speaking in tongues and prophecy. But we must not forget that healings and miracles are also gifts of the Spirit.

In a congregation...it is increasingly difficult for the pastor to pray for all the sick. This is not because of the lack of willingness, but because it is increasingly difficult to devote adequate time to pray for a growing number of needs.

Yes, the pastor can pray for as many sick people as he wishes, but the Bible also says that we need to pray for one another (James 5:16). This is a duty that all believers should practice as part of their priestly role.

The best place to pray for each other is in the cell (small group). It is the place where people know each other intimately, can fully share what’s happening in their lives, and where emotional ties are established. Personal healing also takes place in this atmosphere as believers pray for one another.

In the larger celebration services, the pastor can make a general prayer for all the sick, even for those who are not present. But in the cell, each believer can confess faults to one another, place hands on the sick, and then pray for the gifts of healing. The cell is the ideal place for believers to serve each other through their spiritual gifts.”
Thanks Mario Vega for sharing this with us! I hope that each of us are connected to one of our small groups (cells) so that all of our prayer needs can be met!

Praying,

Jeff Powell

If you....

Recently I received an e-mail from one of our members that I want to share. These are questions from Jesus to us.

“If you never felt pain, then how would you know that I am a Healer?

If you never had to pray, how would you know that I am a Deliverer?

If you never had a trial, how could you call yourself an overcomer?

If you never felt sadness, how would you know that I am a Comforter?

If you never made a mistake, how would you know that I am a Forgiver?

If you never were in trouble, how would you know that I will come to your rescue?

If you never were broken, then how would you know that I can make you whole?

If you never had any suffering, then how would you know what I went through?

If you never went through the fire, then how would you become pure?

If I never corrected you, how would you know that I love you?

If you had all power, then how would you learn to depend on me?

If your life was perfect, then what would you need me for?

Love,
Jesus”
Thanks Adela for sharing!

Jeff Powell

Giving Your All

Vision is what allows us to get from one place to the next. Have you ever thought about God’s vision? Normally we don’t think of God in terms of movement. We think of God as certain, fixed, and final. However He is also filled with movement (vision) that has yet to be completed.

God’s vision is for humans to know Him through Jesus Christ and then for those humans that know Him to make Him known to others!

This vision can only be completed by GIVING. Jesus said that “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. God gave first. We then follow Him by giving of ourselves. It is that simple.

Are you giving of your time by reaching out and inviting others to a relationship with Jesus? Are you giving of your treasures so that others will continue hearing the saving message of Jesus? Are you giving of your abilities so that others will see God through your servanthood?

I believe that you can do all three through Fellowship Church: Easter Sunday, April 24 is a natural opportunity for you to give your time by inviting others to attend with you. Saturday, April 16 is the BIG SERVE and your participation will allow God to be seen by our community through your servanthood. April 24 is our Bring Your Best offering where we will give of our treasures to God’s work!

Giving,

Jeff Powell

Bring Your Best

People are unique. People can drive us crazy. People can amaze us. People inspire us. People can bring the very best and very worst out of us. And people are God’s greatest creation!

All over the world, there is a common thread of humanity. We look very different from each other depending on which part of the world we come from. However basic human needs remain the same. We all enjoy comfort and despise pain. We all require food and water to live. And we all are in need of the saving grace of God expressed through Jesus Christ!

Through Fellowship Church people all over the world are being touched by the love of Jesus through our missions support. Through your giving, we are able to directly support missionaries in the Philippines, India, Pakistan, and all over Central America.

Every year during this time, we collect a monetary offering on Easter Sunday called Bring Your Best. Easter Sunday is a day that we celebrate God giving His best to us in Jesus. In like manner, we too want to give God our best in the form of a love offering. Part of this years Bring Your Best offering will support building the second floor (four additional rooms) of Pastor Joseph Matcha’s home to enable his ministry in India to have adequate office and storage space as well as lodging space for missionaries and widows.

People have needs all over the world. And you can make a direct difference in the lives of people on the other side of the world through your generous giving to the Bring Your Best offering on Easter Sunday, April 24. Thank you for having a direct impact in people all over the world. Through you, people are being touched by the love of Jesus!

Loving and Leading,

Jeff Powell

Bring Your Best VIDEO!

Bring Your Best Final from Jeff Powell on Vimeo.

BIGGER & smaller

As our world has grown BIGGER, it has also gotten smaller. We can now get places faster than ever before. And communication is nearly instant across the world.

As a church, I believe that as we grow BIGGER, we too must become smaller. Now on the surface this sounds like a great contradiction: How can we become both BIGGER and smaller at the same time?

As Fellowship Church grows BIGGER numerically, we must make an intentional effort to develop a network of real relationships. This can most successfully be done through Small Groups. A person cannot know everyone in Fellowship Church, but they can know those in a Small Group! So if you aren’t yet connected to a Small Group, get connected to one today.

In like manner, as Fellowship Church grows BIGGER in the number and scope of ministries that we engage in, the only way to successfully organize for diverse ministries is through a network of Small Groups. For instance, we are gearing up as a church family to engage in the BIG SERVE on April 16. As of right now we have approximately 8 projects lined up spanning many miles across our community. The only way we can successfully engage our community through an event such as the BIG SERVE is through the organizational structure of Small Groups. Small Groups allow us to quickly mobilize people in an area of need in our community.

If you are not already connected to a Small Group, I hope that you will get connected to one soon. And I hope that you are planning on being a part of the BIG SERVE on April 16. Your church and your community need you on that day!

Growing BIGGER and smaller,

Jeff Powell

Inspired By You!

People inspire me. And people no doubt inspire you. What types of people bring us inspiration?

Bold people inspire us. We are all passionate about something. Life is too short to be lived quietly. Followers of Jesus, “live out loud” for their King!

Loving people inspire us. It is easy to tell someone you love them. It is much harder to show someone that you love them. Love requires action. Human actions either confirm or deny words of love.

Honest people inspire us. In the moment, it is much easier to tell a lie, than tell the truth. Followers of Jesus tell the truth, even when it is difficult to do so. Honesty is the best route to take all the time. For instance...

An elderly woman walked into a local church. An usher greeted her at the door. “Where would you like to sit?” he asked. “The front row please,” she answered. “You really don’t want to do that,” the usher said. “The preacher is really boring.” “Do you know who I am?” asked the woman. “No,” said the usher. “I’m the preachers mother,” she replied. “Do you know who I am?” asked the usher. “No,” she said. “Good,” he said as he disappeared into the crowd! Yes, honesty is the best policy!

Jesus lived His life boldly and now calls us to do the same. Jesus loved others with actions of sacrifice and service and now calls us to do the same. And Jesus was honest to all that He encountered and now He calls us do the same. The remaining question is will we be people who inspire others through our boldness, love, and honesty?

Inspired by You,

Jeff Powell

What Is Our Vision As A Church?

I have been asked why I go to foreign countries to engage in ministry. My response has been Psalm 96:3, which says, “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.” This is the vision that I seek to live by.

In the same way, we as a church have a vision. This vision is Matthew 28:19, 20. Jesus said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.”

As a church we seek to exist according to this vision by...

1) Focusing on those that have not yet accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.

2) Publicly baptizing people in a celebratory manner.

3) Offering age-appropriate environments where the Word of God can be learned and applied to everyday life.

What role do you play in helping our church fulfill the vision?

First, you can invite people to attend with you. Easter is a great opportunity to do this. Start praying now about who God would have you to invite to attend with you on April 24.

Second, if you have not been baptized, consider following Jesus’ command to be baptized as His follower. Baptism expresses outwardly what has happened on the inside of you - that Jesus is in you! It is also a picture of our past sins being buried and us receiving new life in Jesus.

Finally, if you aren’t connected to a Sunday Morning Bible study or a Weekly Small Group, make that a priority!

Thank you for helping us fulfill the vision,

Jeff Powell

Mission Possible

If you have ever watched any of the Mission Impossible movies or TV shows, you are probably familiar with the lead in to the teams next mission. It went something like this..."Good morning. Your mission, should you decide to accept it is to...As always, should you or any of your team be caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions. This tape will self-destruct in five seconds. Good luck."

The reality is we all have a mission. It goes something like this... “Your mission, should your decide to accept, is to be the salt and light wherever your day may take you. You are to be a living example of my love for you and the world. It won’t always be easy, but as always, should you be caught as one of my followers, rest assured that I will personally be identified with you - you will not be alone! This mission is to be shared with everyone who follows me. I will give you the strength you need to complete the mission, God.”

Our mission needs to be lived out in our home, on our job, at our leisure, and in all of our relationships wherever we go. In a week, I will be traveling to the countries of Pakistan and India to continue being on mission for Jesus. This particular journey will not be easy and does have a higher than usual risk factor.

Thank you in advance for going with me through your prayer support. I plan on posting a few audio updates and real time pictures during the journey so that you can pray with real time information.

Don’t ever forget, you too have a mission to live out in your everyday life. The question is will you accept the mission?

On Mission,

Jeff Powell

Assembly Required

I recently came across a blog that reminded me again of the need for us to be connected relationally to each other. Here is a portion of that blog by Steve Cordle...

There are many today who would say “My spirituality is private, I have my own beliefs, and I don’t need to be part of a church to believe in God, and I can pray anywhere I am.”

And that is partially true: we can indeed (and should) pray in all sorts of places, and church membership is not required in order to believe in God.

However, God’s intent for us is much more than to believe he exists or to pray from time to time. God’s intent for us is to become spiritually mature, and in order to do that we need to be connected to other people.

Ephesians 4:13 describes God’s goal for us: “…we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

The passage mentions many other people who are involved in our maturing process. In verses 4 and 12 Jesus followers are called “the body of Christ”. That tells us we are not isolated spiritual free-agents, but connected parts of a whole.

If our only connection with other believers is in a corporate worship service, we will not have as much opportunity as we need in order to mature spiritually. The connection we require is both ”shoulder to shoulder” and “face to face”.
I want to encourage you to get some “face to face” time this week with other believers. A great way to do this is in one of our five small groups!

Blessings,

Jeff Powell

Rejoicing...

Here sits a man who is tired and worn down. Physically he is drained. He has been to what we call “hell and back.” Those he once trusted have abandoned him. He is alone. On the one hand he is ready to give up. On the other, he is ready to press on. You could say, he is at times conflicted.

His accommodations offer him little relief. He has no climate controlled environment. He can’t choose his diet. His freedoms are severely limited. His resting place offers no reprieve. He is in jail.

And yet, rather than complaining, he is actually rejoicing! On the outside as we look in we may be tempted to conclude that this poor soul has entered a disillusioned and delirious state mentally due to what he has experienced. Surprisingly however, that is not what is going on. No, this man has tapped into a source of joy that physical discomfort cannot drain.

The man I am talking about is Paul. And while Paul faced these difficult circumstances, he wrote a beautiful book in the Bible called Philippians. It is four chapters long and has been nicknamed the book of joy - written while Paul was himself in a dark, deadly prison.

No matter what you face today and tomorrow and the next, I want to encourage you to read the little book of Philippians this week. You too can discover the source of joy that no amount of discomfort or uncertainty can drain!

Rejoicing,

Jeff Powell

Believing That It Should Be!

Vision is direction concerning what could be fueled by the belief that it should be! Here is what could be at Fellowship Church fueled by the belief that it should be...

April 16: Big Serve - we will gather to pray together and then serve our community together in tangible ways to express the love of Jesus to others. If you are aware of local needs that we could possibly help meet, please let us know.

April 24: Easter Sunday and Bring Your Best Offering - we will give God our best in the form of a financial offering. We hope to collect in either cash or pledges $25,000. This will support facilities, children’s ministries, Big Serve, orphans in India, and One Story Live from Bethlehem dramatic presentation in December.

Weekly: Small Groups - currently we have 5 small groups that are meeting. If you are not yet connected to one of these groups, I encourage you to visit one soon. Our goal this year is to see these 5 groups grow into 8 groups.

Please pray that God will lead us to Big Serve projects that would glorify Him on April 16. Pray that God will provide $25,000 through the Bring Your Best offering on April 24. And pray that our 5 small groups will grow into 8 small groups during 2011.

This is what could be at Fellowship Church fueled by the belief that it should be! Together, let’s pray it through!

Praying,

Jeff Powell

Missions Update from Pakistan

We are blessed as a church to be connected to God’s work all over the world. I recently received an update from Pastor Imran Sadiq in Pakistan.

“We are thankful for you and Pastor Charles. With funds we purchased the Laptop for our Bible School & God's works. And on 7 to 8 December we held Evangelistic service & Church leadership seminar in our Church. More than 200 people attended. People received blessings, salvation, healing, restoration, the Holy Spirit touched lives and the Lord brought breakthrough.

My brother I am also thankful to you, family and Fellowship Church for your best wishes & love for 2011 and monthly financial support for spreading the gospel through Cable TV channel. My Church is growing day by day. Souls are coming to Christ, the Spirit of God is moving and the Lord is adding to the brothers & sisters in our Church. Sunday school is growing and we are praying for more teachers.
In 2011 we will start Youth group and Bible Study and Women cell group meeting and more evangelistic services and leadership seminars to reach the unreached areas.
Say our greetings & love to your family, church and all brothers & sisters. God richly bless you. Imran Sadiq”Thank you for supporting God’s work through

Fellowship Church - your giving makes a difference!

Loving and Leading,

Jeff Powell

Laughter Is Good For You

Email is a wonderful way to communicate quickly. However if you are like me your inbox can get pretty full with “junk mail.” And sometimes if we are not careful we can send an e-mail to the wrong person. I recently read a funny story that illustrates what I mean...

“An Illinois man left the snow-filled streets of Chicago for a vacation in Florida. His wife was on a business trip and was planning to meet him there the next day. When he reached his hotel, he decided to send his wife a quick email.

Unfortunately, when typing her address, he missed one letter, and his note was directed instead to an elderly preacher's wife whose husband had passed away only the day before. When the grieving widow checked her email, she took one look at the monitor, let out a piercing scream, and fell to the floor in a dead faint.

At the sound, her family rushed into the room and saw this note on the screen:

Dearest Wife, Just got checked in. Everything is prepared for your arrival tomorrow.”

Life is too short to take yourself too seriously. When was the last time you did something foolish that you can now laugh at? Here is the challenge, share that with someone else, it just might brighten their day...and it will keep you humble!

Loving and Leading,

Jeff Powell

Investing Wisely

In life we invest in our health, our families, our homes, our education, and our pleasures. We also need to invest in God’s Kingdom through giving. Although giving is not the only way we can invest in God’s Kingdom, it certainly is an important one. Jesus told us that we could determine the condition of our heart based on our giving! He said, “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Luke 12:34)

Through our ONE Story theme for 2011, we have plans in place to reach our community and world with the love of Jesus like never before. We are expanding our international outreach in India. We are expanding our Bible Study opportunities. We are expanding our leadership training. We are expanding our facility improvements. We are expanding our staff. And we are expanding our local community outreach. I look forward to sharing these plans and much more with you at our church wide dinner on January 30. As you remain faithful in your giving, people will be touched by Jesus!

I want to encourage you set a percentage of your income that you will give to God’s work during 2011. If you already are a percentage giver, I encourage you to challenge yourself by increasing the percentage that you give. Whatever you decide to give, remember that God promises to bless those who give generously (see 2 Corinthians 9:6)!

Thankful for you,

Jeff Powell

India Ministry

Together, we are making a positive difference in the world. Here is a recent update from Pastor Joseph Matcha in India:

“After your visit in November, wherever I went God used me powerfully. I had a tremendous leading of the Holy Spirit in me as you prayed for me. After your visit I myself experiencing great revival in my ministry.

In every Christmas meeting there were 500-600 people in attendance. On December 31 and January 1 we had a huge attendance of 2,500 people. Thanks to your visit and prayers, my ministry is fruitful.

In the New Year service we presented a tricycle to a handicapped girl. She was born handicapped and 2 months ago she received Jesus Christ. She used to come church with great difficulty and used to cry in the presence of God. On January 1 she was baptized and when we presented the tricylce to her, her happiness knew no bounds. She was praying to God to ease her difficulty as every time she came to church, she needed to be carried by men. This Sunday she came on her tricycle to the Church.

I am praying for your second trip to India along with your family. I pray that day will come soon as we are expecting more blessings from your teaching and by your visit to my ministry. Give my wishes to your church and sister Jane and my love to your children.”

Thank you for praying and thank you for giving. Together we are making a positive difference in the world!

Thankful for you,

Jeff Powell

What Can You Do?

Years ago a man was walking along the beach one morning. He noticed that thousands of starfish had been washed up on the beach. Ahead of him was a gigantic rainbow. At the base of the rainbow stooped a little boy, gazing at an object in the sand. Eventually, he flung the object far beyond the breaking surf.

The man went up to the boy and asked, "Son, what are you doing?" The little boy answered, "I'm throwing starfish back into the sea because if I don't they're going to die." "But there are thousands of starfish. In the larger scheme of things you're not going to make much of a difference to all these starfish." The boy looked up at him, stooped down to pick up another starfish and flung it back into the ocean. "It's going to make a big difference to that one" he replied.

Life is short. Life is full. And life needs you to do your part!

Life is made up of billions of people - all who need the refreshing and saving love of Jesus. Is it a tall task? YES! Will we give up in despair or will we do our part? None of us can “rescue” every human being that needs help, but each of us can do our part.

We can pray. We can encourage. We can share. We can open our lives to others. We can invite. We CAN make a difference!

Will you do it? I trust you will!

Seeking to do my part,

Jeff Powell