Fall in Love Sunday

Today we are wrapping up our Relational Rehab Series.  It has been amazing.  We are finishing with the “starting block” of all healthy relationships —- LOVE.

I am going to challenge The Point to FALL IN LOVE WITH JESUS this morning.  It’s pretty simple.  I am a simplistic person, but I believe our perspective, our choices, our dreams, our lifestyles are all attached to our LOVE for Jesus.  There is no way around it.

We are changing our order and allowing time for us to come face to face with Jesus today … and respond to Him.  Can’t wait!!!

10.10.10 – “Serve & Sit”

I can’t believe we are only 2 weeks away from 10.10.10.  The hype is building.  I am not sure if everyone knows what is taking place, but it is going to be amazing!  We are kicking off our “Relational Rehab” series that Sunday – after all, everyone needs a little rehab!  It is going to be a fun series – great opportunity to invite family and friends to experience The Point!

We need some help.  We are asking our volunteers to “serve” in one service and “sit” in the other on 10.10.10.  What does that mean?  If you serve at the 9:15 am – we would like you to sit in the 10:30 am or if you serve in the 10:30 am come and sit in the 9:15 am.  We are pushing this very hard.  A mass mailing to 2 mile radius of our theater.  Newspaper ads.  Personal invites.  This will allow BOTH services to feel FULL … making our guests feel VERY comfortable and the energy to be cranking.

This is an opportunity for our church and not an obligation.  You are not just volunteers – you are an expression of God’s love to everyone that walks in the theater doors!!!  Let’s break the 200 barrier on 10.10.10.

Staff Advance

On Monday we did our first ever Staff Advance Day at The Point.  Not a retreat, but an advance – “moving our church forward.”  We took a little field trip to The Veterans Memorial in Eisenhower Park – 8500 men and women have served this country from Nassau County.  It is such a peaceful place.

There is one monument erected to the “Four Immortal Chaplains” – On February 3, 1943 four chaplains handed out life-preservers when their ship was hit an enemy U-Boat fired a torpedo into the middle of the ship.  There were no life-preservers left for the 4 chaplains.  They gave their’s away so others could be saved.  They were arm in arm singing hymns as the ship sank.

I challenged our staff to be willing “to give our lives so that others can be saved.”  If 4 chaplains can offer life physically, then 4 pastors at The Point can offer life spiritually!

Our church is advancing!!!!!

Northway Church

I had the amazing opportunity of speaking at Northway Church – a multi-campus church that meets in Clifton Park, Colonie & The Berkshires.  What an amazing job Buddy Cremeans & his staff has done.  The church is definitely a happening place to be.  Labor Day weekend did not keep people out of God’s House.  Saturday night I spoke at the 5 & 6:15 pm service and then Sunday at the 9, 10:15 & 11:30 am services.  Wow.  I was exhausted, but I loved every minute of it!

The Colonie Location.

The Point Church – we sent the video to my church!

One of the things that I loved about Northway is how excited the people from this church were.  Volunteers were so pumped about serving.  Every person I spoke with had a story – when they started attending?  how Northway has impacted their life?  The energy was infectious.

Keep up the great work Northway!!!  Scratch the itch!

The Point Partners with Park Avenue

The Point church converged on Park Avenue School this morning to give out 400+ backpacks to the 1st grade & Special Ed.  Wow.  We saw so many smiles from the students and received too many “thank yous” from students & faculty.  What a morning to continue our Servolution series.

Here’s a few pics from the day …

Point Church – WE did it!  Thanks for your time, donations and prayers!

Baptism

Two weeks ago I had the privilege of baptizing one of my dearest friends.  It was about 1 year ago that his wife took the plunge and went public.  It is so exciting to be part of people’s spiritual growth.

So proud of you – Jeff & Chris!!!!!

Even more lessons from the Jonas Brothers

The phenom has caught on. I can’t believe that the posts I have written about JB has drawn more readers than any post over the last 2 years.  Unbelievable.  Who would have thought that comparing the Jonas Brothers to Church would be so catchy.  Anyway … let’s continue.

Here are my final lessons …

1.  Never settle.
I love that JB was willing to take a risk.  They stepped out of the comfort of Wyckoff, NJ and landed a huge following across the nation.  Church – don’t settle.  Step up and do something HUGE for God.  Let’s fill some stadiums of worshippers of God.

2.  Honor your fans/members.
I have watched musicians for a lot of years.  Most that succeed will always honor their fans.  They will say things like, “We love you NY.”  That don’t mention anyone by name but identifying with their location goes a long way.  Honor the people in your church – staff, volunteers, members and attenders.

3.  Provide reminders of the experience.
I can them tokens.  They are “altars” that are built to remind people of the experience.  The altar was never about the location it was always about what God did!  JB gives out t-shirts, glow sticks, posters, pictures, calendars, bags and more.  Churches must place things in the hands of their people that remind them of their mission!

4.  Longevity matters.
I am not sure how long the average teen band lasts, but JB has been around for 5 years.  That seems long for a teen sensation.  But they are always writing music, performing & acting.  They are looking to last.  Pastor – bloom where you are planted.  Don’t wish or hope for something “greener” – outlast and watch how God causes the growth!

5.  Mission mobilizes.
JB gives to some amazing initiatives.  One of them is Convoy of Hope.  When things went down in Haiti Joe Jonas sent $30,000.  It also inspires others to give.  Nick Jonas has diabetes and helps raise awareness and funds.  When the church gives to missions it inspires the people to grow larger and make a more significant impact locally and globally.

6. Multiple Streams of Impact
Churches are typically one-dimensional – meaning that we typically focus on Sundays alone, but we must impact our communities 365.  Acts teaches us that every day the “Lord added to the church” – it grew every day.  God, give me that kind of church.  JB has music, tv shows, movies and more giving them a larger platform.  We must be creative and launch multiple streams of Kingdom Impact.

Okay. I promise. That’s the last “Lessons from Jonas” posts.  I guess you can officially call me a JOBRO.

More Lessons from the Jonas Brothers

I never thought I could learn so much from a band, but the more I apply what I saw at a concert to what I see in churches I get some pretty random thoughts.

So here’s a few more lessons:

1.  There is a disconnect between Sunday and the rest of the week.
It is crazy to think that a church could sing the same song for 1 year and people still need the lyrics on the screen in order to sing-a-long. That means that the music we sing is never making it out of our church services – people are not listening to the songs we sing in church in their homes or while driving the car.  We are majorly disconnected.  How do we bridge that gap?

2.  The church promotes too much.
Sitting at the Jonas Brothers concert they promoted one thing all night – it was ONE IDEA/CONCEPT – Camp Rock 2.  It is all every person who had a mic pumped and promoted.  Fans screaming every time the word “Camp Rock” was said.  Churches should narrow the focus too, by minimizing efforts and focusing on their vision and values.  Camp Rock 2 is coming out Sept 3.  How do I know that?  They repeated it 200 times.

3.  People will pay for things that move them.
Tithing the untouchable topic in the church today.  Why don’t people give?  I think there are a million reasons, but I can tell you that when people’s lives are changed by the presence of God they are compelled to.  I bought 2 pretzels and 2 drinks for $24 at the concert … ouch.  The average Christian gives less than 2% of their income to the church of their choice.  I am so glad God is not stingy with me!  Help me never to be too cheap for Him.

4. Life matters.  Talk about real life.
I have met a lot of people who have a lot of information.  They can break apart a verse of Scripture and say it in Hebrew/Greek, but they can’t make it relevant to life.   Jonas Brothers sing about dating/love/life – churches should talk about it.  Church cannot be only about information it must be about life transformation.  How does this relate to my life?  Where I am?

5.  Redeem Technology.
Churches are often catching up (at least ours is) with the latest.  Churches should be setting the pace and in the forefront of creativity.  We serve a creative God who desires for us to be creative. There are tools out there that have yet to be tapped.  We must use every form of media to get the most important message out – the message of God’s love!

6.  Passion starts on the stage.
The Jonas Brothers brought some big-time energy.  I love seeing Christian young man – raised in the church – successful.  They have a passion for each other, their music and their fans – and man it shows.  I guess the questions is, “Our we that passionate about our Christ, our churches and our people?”  Can people see it?  They must see our passion for God in everything that we say and do.  Passion starts with the leadership.  Worship should have passion.  Teaching should have passion.

You can learn in any environment.  So glad I went to the concert with Mary and Malachi.  I have some NEW, FRESH ideas that I am bringing to The Point because of it.

FREE to Serve

Galatians 5:13:  “For you have been called to live in freedom–not freedom to satisfy your sinful nature, but freedom to serve one another in love” (NLT).

Service all starts with love … a love for Christ, a love for the Church, a love for our Community and a love for others!  I believe our willingness to serve is directly connected to LOVE!

When we fail to do all that God has wired us for we will feel empty inside … and we can try and fill that emptiness with relationships, money, alcohol, sex or anything else … but at the end of the day we still feel empty because we are not doing what God made us to do!

Here’s a thought I read recently:  “Most people wish to serve God, but only in an advisory capacity only.”

Check this verse out … Deuteronomy 10:12:  “And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (NIV).

REAL SERVICE comes from 2 places:

• Heart … the place where ‘belief’ happens
• Soul … the place where ‘behavior’ happens

Let me give you a spiritual equation:  Belief + Behavior = Full Life Service (Ministry)

No where in this passage do we read about OUTCOME … we read about investments in simple SERVICE to God with every thing that we have.

That’s why we must SERVE.  We believe Jesus served but we must behave like Jesus too!  It’s not either-or, it is both-and.  Find someone and serve them with love!

“A servant enjoys being a ladder-holder, not having to be a ladder-climber” (Dino Rizzo)

Sunday Recap

Wow.  Sunday can be an extremely long day at The Point.  It is exhausting, but well worth the effort and energy that everyone puts out.  Nick Osso rocked Servolution Part 2 by talking about “Finding the Needs” – 1. Ask  2.  Look  3.  Listen.  Pretty simple, but powerful.  Micki, Sebastian and Danny rocked worship – acoustic style!

Then we hustled off to our Pool Baptism.  25 people showed up.  1 got baptized.  Only 1?  Yep, but it is well worth it.  Water Baptism is never about the volume of people it is about the voice of a person screaming, “I Love Jesus.”  So privileged to baptize my friend, Jeff Owen.  Awesome!!!

The day started at 6:15 am and I landed home at 8:30 pm.  I came home and crashed hard.  Long day, but well worth the work.