Servolution Starts This Week

I am so digging how The Point is accepting the challenge to serve Westbury.  We have found a lot of needs and we are responding!

WHY SERVE?

1) Jesus did. Our goal as Christians is to become more like Christ every day. As we study God’s Word, we learn about Jesus and the way He lived. Because Jesus loved people, He served them to show them that love (John 13). Our goal is the same, to serve people so they would also come to know Jesus as their personal Savior.

2) The church and its purpose is best expressed outside its walls. We can’t sit inside and wait for the world to come to us. We’ve got to get out in our communities and show people that we care and that there’s a God who wants to heal them.

3) It’s a tangible expression of the love of God for lost humanity. Words can’t always fix our pain. People may know that God loves them, but maybe they haven’t ever experienced God’s love for them in a practical way. We can be a testimony to others of what God can do in their life!

4) It makes us irresistible to the world. When people see our genuine love for each other and others, they can’t help but be drawn to it. Many times, serving can be a way to start conversation with people and give us an opportunity to tell them about the cross.

{Taken from http://www.servolution.org}

You are going to hear about several specific opportunities to SERVE.  Be ready.  It all begins 8.3.10.

Point Softball Character

I am so amazingly proud of The Point’s Softball Team.  Our managers, Nick & Lou, did an amazing job leading a 2nd year team to the Semi-Finals.  We were playing last years Champs, Farmingdale, to see who would make it to the Big Game.  In dramatic fashion we tied the game and brought it to EXTRA innings.  We lost the game.  Love playing Farmingdale – those guys have some great attitudes!

Why am I so proud of our team?

• When we lost (even during the season) – we lost graciously.
• When we won – we won graciously.
• We never fought against our own team.
• We kept our attitudes in check.
• We never gave up or quit.
• We became a group of friends.
• We were consistent in church attendance – in season & off season.
• We always looked good – at least Louis, Nick, Jeff, & Nick G did.
• We represented Christ well.
• We represented our faith well.
• We represented our church well.

Our softball team is a GREAT group of guys who love God … love each other … and love to compete.  Thanks for letting me play a small part in this amazing season.

It feels good to ….

…. WIN!

Last night The Point played in the Softball Quarter-Finals against Valley Stream Blue.  In a surprise to everyone we upset them!  Oh man it felt so good!!!!  We played well.  It is so cool to see our team advance to the Semi-Finals as a 2nd year team!  10 Members of The Point battled it out and rose victorious!

It feels good to win!

We play Farmingdale tonight.  If … no when we win we will be playing on Saturday in the Championship game!  C’mon Point Church, show up tonight at support our guys – 6:30 pm – Wantagh State Park!

Samson – “the weak leader”

Most Christians know the story of Samson.  It is found in Judges 13-16.  He was a Nazarite that was dedicated to God from the womb.  His mother was commanded to “never let a razor touch his hair.”  Samson was extremely strong and the secret of his strength was found in his hair.

Samson gets involved with a prostitute and reveals his secret to this woman – Delilah (that would be warning sign #1).  She nags him so hard.  He is captured by the Philistines.  In the end, Samson kills a ton of Philistines.

But there’s a line in this passage about Samson that is often overlooked.  His strength is gone – “But he did not know that the Lord had left him” (Judges 16:20).  What a sad place to end up – a place where you don’t even realize God is no longer with you.

Christian/Leader/Pastor – never get so consumed with the routine of religion that you abandoned your Lord.  I have met some that do not even realize God is absent ……. until.  For Samson he realized it a bit too late.  He gets captured.

Something happened.  Samson prays.  Good place to start when you realize you are disconnected.  He prays, “Lord, remember me.  Please, God, strengthen me just once more.”

Feeling weak?  Pray!

40%

The alligator’s tail composes 40% of its entire body muscle mass.  It allows the ‘gator’ to accelerate rapidly in the water and to lunge from water to land to catch unsuspecting prey.  The tail is approximately half of its length.  The alligator stores its fat in its tail – this means that an alligator is healthy if the tail is fatter.

Okay, what does this mean?

When an alligator is in the water what is the one thing you don’t see?  It’s tail.  That’s right.  The alligator is waiting and prepping.

In ministry so much of what we do is unseen.  No one sees us praying and reading for personal growth.  No one catches us preparing for our teaching.  No one is usually there for staff meetings.  Few are there for budget meetings.  Few know what we do on late night phone calls or early morning counseling sessions.  The majority of what we do is unseen.

Health is found in the unseen tasks of ministry. If we fail to achieve greatness in the unseen we will never experience lasting greatness.  Never underestimate the power of doing the everyday tasks that no one will ever celebrate!

Jephthah – “unlikely hero”

I am “slow-reading” Judges.  I love it.  Soaking in a ton of good stuff.  What is “slow-reading?”  It means that you are reading for content and quality – not coverage and quantity.

In Judges 11 we come across the Israelites sinning again – they “did evil in the Lord’s sight” – he gets angry with them and allows the Philistines to take control of them – but they repent again.  Seems like this is Israel’s MO – sin, repent, sin, repent, sin, repent.  You get the picture.

“Jephthah, the Gileadite was a mighty warrior.  His father was Gilead: his mother was a prostitute.  Gilead’s wife also bore him sons, and when they were grown up, they drove Jephthah away.” (Judges 11:1-2).

Jephthah is drive from his home.  Then the Gileadites needed him.  A pretty lengthy back and forth takes place. “Will I really be your head,” Jephthah asks.  The elders all reply, “Yes.”  So he leads Israel for 6 years.

Here’s the thing: The most important lesson of this story is found in verse 1.  Jephthah was a mighty warrior!  It didn’t matter who his mother or father were.  His mother was a prostitute – this was an embarrassment to the family.  But still he was a mighty warrior!

Katherine, one of our staff members at The Point, has this quote she has tweeted, “my latter will be greater than my past.”  No matter where someone comes from God still can use them.  I am living proof of that truth!

Ryan Star wrote a song, Right now, these lyrics sum it up …

"Yesterday is history,
Tomorrow may not come.
I'm gonna run to the horizon,
We are strong,
We are young.
I'm gonna lay on the ground,
Feel the rain that's coming down.
And there's nothing anyone,
could do or say to bring me down."

Inescapable

Have you ever felt trapped by something?  I have.  Sometimes it is good and other times it ca be very bad.  Recently I have found myself trapped by God’s calling. In a good way.  I can’t get away from it.  I can’t run from it.  I can’t avoid it.  It is everywhere.  In fact, people hear about it all the time.  I can’t shut up.

When God places His dream in your heart it is inescapable.   There are some people that run from God’s calling only to find themselves on Miserable Street.  Yes, I have met them.  They have a negative comment for every positive circumstance.  Nothing makes them happy.  It is almost as if someone sucks the energy out of you after you talk with them.

My advice: Embrace the inescapable!

Discover what you were made for and live it out!

50 Million

We took the Duck Tour.  I would highly recommend the 90 minute tour of Miami South Beach.  It is a “tour bus” and a “tour boat” all in one.  Very cool experience.

We were able to see from the water a 50 million dollar home ($745,000 in property taxes / year).  Wow.  Home of Dr. Phil – not that Dr. Phil – this Dr. helped create the “smoker’s patch.”  It sits on 6+ acres of property.  Amazing!

Miami

Yesterday we spent the day in Miami.  I love Miami (S. Beach).  It is such a trendy place to be.  Beach is beautiful and the architecture is amazing!  Plus there is such a great vibe there!

One of a Kind

Whenever I get on vacation our family tries to do the “one of a kind” things.  You know those experiences you just can’t find in NY.  We flew in Sunday night to Ft Lauderdale and spent Monday at the Beach and the Pool.  Awesome waves!

Unique – we try and avoid chain restaurants so we can embrace the local culture.  Sometimes we may cave in to a Starbucks run.

Yesterday we went to Billie Swamp Buggy Tour.  It was an hour long tour on this unique buggy that drove on land and through parts of the swamp.  Malachi and Abigayl loved it!  It was amazing.

We were able to see so much wildlife.  Too much to mention, but it was amazing and worth the 1hr+ drive from Ft. Laudy.  It is a must experience when here.

Only disappointment –> We could not do the airboat ride b/c Abby is not old enough =(  Next time!