40 Days of Love - Prayer Requests (Weekls 1-3)

Debbie and Becky have done an excellent job leading our church in prayer. Please visit our prayer room this week and continue to pray daily for 40 Days of Love. Debbie and Becky wrote the following the prayer requests for weeks 1, 2 and 3: -- Pray for….. 1) Successful planning, promotion, and presentation of weekend services. 2) Exponential thinking and growth. 3) The success of small groups; wisdom and knowledge for hosts and discussion leaders. 4) Successful planning and holding of Reverse Trick or Treating, Trick or Trunkin’ and Celebration Sunday and the sharing with those in need with Thanksgiving baskets.

Sober 7 Years by the Grace of God

Today, by the grace of God, I have been sober 7 years. My heart is full of gratitude.

40 Days of Love - Memory Verses

Oct. 11 - Matt 22:36-40 36"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37Jesus replied: “'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.‘ 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. ___________________________________________________ Oct 18 - 1 Cor. 13:4-8a 4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ___________________________________________________ Oct 25 - John 15:12-14 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. ___________________________________________________ Nov 1 – John 13:34-35 34"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." ___________________________________________________ Nov 8 - Matt. 5:43-45 43"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies[i] and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. ___________________________________________________ Nov 15 – James 2:8 & 12-13 8If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself,"[a] you are doing right. … 12Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment! ___________________________________________________ Nov 22 - 1 John 3:16-18 16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. ___________________________________________________

40 Days of Love - Five Commitments

Get the book - The Relationship Principles of Jesus

Read a chapter a day in Tom Holladay's book "The Relationship Principles of Jesus". We sold out last Sunday but a new box of books arrived today. We are selling them at cost $8. One per family unit. If you don't have the money we will give it to you free. It contains 40 chapters of practical Bible teaching on the most important thing in life - loving God with all your heart and loving people like you love yourself. Make sure you pick up your copy this Sunday and read a chapter a day.

40 Days of Love - communicate by phone and email before this Sunday

No one left behind – no one overlooked– everyone gets a personal invitation to join a small group during 40 days of love. 99 people need to be invited. Each one needs a prayerful and personal invitation to join a small group for six weeks. All 99 invitations need to be extended by Sunday. To accomplish this we have to communicate by phone and email. Act today. Don't wait. Make phone calls your assistant small group leader, your group members, elders call your ministering shepherds and vice-versa. Print your list of 99 people and carry it with you and use your phone for Jesus. You also need to send emails to let everyone know your progress. When you respond to emails make sure you “reply to all” so everybody can track progress. Lets communicate with each other during the next 4 days - that's all we have - 99 in 4 days! I feel so urgent about this - I am concerned that some of the 99 people will be overlooked. We have to communicate with each other. Start today.

40 Days of Love - Four things to remember when inviting people to join a small group

When you invite people to join a small group remember four things - Be prayerful – pray for them before you ever approach them. Be winsome - do not use pressure anybody – do not be pushy be pleasant, persuasive – and if they say no – that’s fine – at least they received a personal invitation – they may join next year – just plant the move on. Be a witness – when needed, briefly share your own experience in small groups – tell them how it has helped you Rely on God – ask God to love people through you - quietly, silently say in your heart “I am doing this for you Jesus – give me success”

40 Days of Love - a message for our leadership team

OK. I did some math and if my calculation is right - here’s the situation. · 99 people are not in a small group (63 individuals + 36 couples = 99 people). · 33 leaders are inviting (5 elders + 18 small group leaders/assistant leaders + 6 ministering shepherds + Jeanie + Jon + Jeff = 33 leaders) · 99 divided by 33 = 3. · Theoretically, if each leader invited 3 people to join a group for six weeks – no one would be overlooked – and many would join a small group. I recognize the limitations of my logic. Some of us will invite the same people, one invitation could result in 2 people joining because 36 of the 99 are couples, and so forth. Although the math above is not exact – it was a helpful exercise for me because it breaks it down - makes it seem doable. Our goal is reachable. 33 leaders praying for and inviting 99 people to join a small group for six weeks – we can do this! No one left behind. No one overlooked. Every member will receive a personal invitation to join a small group for six weeks. Below are the people who are currently not in a small group. Start working with each other today. Love, Jeff

Leadership Conference at Southeast Christian (Oct 23-24)

The 2009 leadership conference at Southeast Christian Church is October 23rd -- 24th. It will be a great conference. I hope that our ministry leaders and small group leaders will be able to attend. For information regarding the conference just click on this link - http://www.southeastchristian.org/

From Virginia Beach

I worked on my presentation as I set in the Beach Coffee House in VA Beach. I love coffee houses - this was a good one. Tomorrow I will be presenting at Old Dominion University in Norfolk Va. It's a national conference for the Association for Assessment in Counseling and Education (AACE) which is an organization of counselors, educators, and other professionals that advances the counseling profession by providing leadership, training, and research in the creation, development, production, and use of assessment and diagnostic techniques. It's a privilege to present at AACE. I spoke at their national conference last year in San Antonio TX and they invited me back for their 2009 conference. Another good thing just happened. David Olson has me listed on his website along with other researchers - now I'm listed along with the rest - to see it go to https://www.prepare-enrich.com/ - click "research" then "research articles" then "Research with Ethnic and Cultural Groups" and you'll see my name beside David Olson's. Olson followed my study by analyzing the data I used in my dissertation and found similar results. Some time ago he published it in his newsletter and now it is on his website. Just in case you don't know, David Olson is a guru - a leading researcher in the field of marriage and family assessment and therapy. I am so amazed because God did it again for this ol'Boone County boy. God is so good to me and I love him with all my heart. I know he's the one who opens these doors. Ok, got to go to pre-conference meetings. Tonight I will put the finishing touches on my presentation. Kim and the girls emailed family pics and I am putting them in my ppt so I can show everyone pics of my family.

Beginning Sunday October 18 - Take the Journey with Us

Beginning Sunday October 18 Take the Journey with Us Our church family will begin a 40 day journey together. We will focus on the two great commandments….Love God, Love each other. There is conflict, divorce, violence, prejudice, abuse and division all around us. It is obvious that we need to know how to build healthy relationships and that is what 40 Days of Love is all about. Questions You May Be Asking: What is 40 Days of Love? 40 Days of Love is a completely new church-wide, six-week personal growth emphasis featuring a group based study series, daily devotional readings from the Bible, and weekend sermon messages from Jeff. In addition, to help us grow together we will study the same meditation verse daily. And, because a primary goal of 40 Days of Love is to put what we learn into action, groups will also choose a practical “Reaching Out in Love” project to do together. Is 40 Days of Love something I can bring my friends who don’t go to church? YES! 40 Days of Love is focused on how to love as Jesus did, so it will have an impact on everyone, whether you’re a seeker, a stumbler or a saint! We all have a desire for deeper, more authentic relationships, so this is a perfect study to invite any friend to join. Discussions on topics such as forgiveness, selflessness, and kindness will hit at the heart of what we all need to renew and strengthen our relationships.

Pictures of my family

Vacation in the Bahamas

A few weeks ago we (Kim, the girls and me) took a cruise on Carnival Sensation to the Bahamas. The ship was huge - 4 football fields long - it was like a maze of fun. Swimming pools. Hottubs. Comedy. Four different bands - playing everything from Hendrix to Allman Brothers to Reggae to disco - We danced. We ate. We shopped on the ship and off - we went to Nassua. We paddle glass bottomed kayaks. We went snorkling and saw a million different fish - that was amazing! Unbelievable - a whole world of life teeming under clear blue water. We read Psalm 104 and we thanked God for a memory maker vacation for our family!

Phil on Aristotle

The post below was written by my friend Phil Richardson. He shared it with me during a phone conversation. It was so good I asked him to repeat it and explain it to make sure I understood. Then I asked him to send it to me an email. I wanted his thoughts in writing so I could think about it. I have thought about it - I carried a printed copy in my pocket for a week and read it many times. It has many implications for the church and personal relationships. It's something to remember. Something we can use. Below is what Phil wrote ... _________________________________________

Aristotle taught that one must have these three things in order for people to listen to what we say. Ethos - refers to an ethical nature. We must have credibility in order for people to take seriously our message. We must "practice what we preach" and "walk the walk." Pathos - refers to a caring nature. It's an appeal based upon emotion. "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." Logia (or logos) - refers to the logical appeal or message itself. If we have both Ethos and Pathos, people will be more apt to listen carefully and be persuaded by our message. In my opinion, one failure of the church is to demonstrate both Ethos and Pathos to the world. Many see the hypocrisy and failures of prominent leaders, or even people they know in their own world who act one way when they are being religious, but it never permeates into the rest of their lives. The failure to show Pathos has also put up obstacles to belief. Many have been hurt by the church and feel condemned by it, rather than drawn to it for healing. The church is viewed by some as very stern, but uncaring. We preach nice sermons and have nice church services. But we don't really extend ourselves to people in the world. And if we do, there are strings attached for our own benefit."

NACC Praise Team - You are Awesome! We love you!

Matt and the Praise Team are outstanding worship leaders. During the past few years they have added instruments including accoustic and electric guitars, a base guitar and electric drums. The transition from Acapella only to a full band was smooth. I think our background as an a ccapplla has actually improved the quality of our praise and worship. Think about it. Most churches start with a full band (or key board - depending on tradition) and tend to sing the melody without a lot of harmony. But the NACC Praise Team has tight harmonies - it is absolutely beautiful. Five or six amazing singers blending their voices - they are awesome! Four years ago we had no instrumentsand sang only vocal music. Our long tradition of vocal music had several disadvantages (e.g. God likes instrumentation, invites their use, etc) which are a few of the reason we made the transition. But, what many people over look, are the advantages - tight harmonies has enhanced the quality of music. We have a great band and we also have great vocals - it's really unique! The following was written by a one of our praise team members who just got back from Nashville. I am not sure who wrote it. Jeanie put it in the bulletin and sent it to me so I could post it on my blog. We are so thankful to God for our Praise Team and Band. We are proud of them. Read the following paragraphs which describe their recent trip to Nashville to record. ____________________________________ This past week, our praise team..Matt, Kevin, Keri and Teresa traveledto Nashville, TN and recorded at Lipscomb University. This was byinvitation only. CD auditions were sent in from all over the UnitedStates. There were a total of 156 people invited (39 quartets fromacross the US) and only 11 quartets received an "A" rating. Our PraiseTeam was the only one from WV and was one of the "A" ratings. WE ARESO PROUD OF THEM AND WANT TO SEND OUT OUR CONGRATULATIONS.I asked Keri to write a description of the weekend. Please read aboutthis exciting two day event. We were one of less than a 1/4th of that number who were given an"A" rating and invited to participate anytime in the future with otherprojects (no audition necessary). In the past, they have not heldauditions and have recorded with many more participants, but thedecided to change things this year and the feedback from thoseorganizing the event was that they will never go back, since it wassuch a success to work with fewer (and perhaps more prepared) people. In total, we recorded 25 songs over two days and spent 8 hours in the"studio". We ended up recording each song at least 3 times (and somemore!) As you can imagine, this was ALOT of singing to do in a shortperiod of time. We sang all the songs in the Collins Auditorium atDavid Lipscomb University, on our feet so we could get our lungs fullof air! We were not individually mic'd like in the CD we made here, sothe CD itself will have a choral group sound to it. On a side note, wespent the night enjoying the lovely accommodations at Elam Hall atLipscomb and I think Matt and I should get 'extra credit', since wedrew the short straws and ended up on the top bunks!! :-) All the songs we sang (except maybe 2 or 3) were songs we knew andsongs we have been singing for the last 6 or 7 years, but when I spoketo many of the other participants, I was surprised to learn that thesewere not songs they sang at their churches - they were too "new" forlack of better explanation. It seemed like we were in the minority forhaving a praise team at our church. We met people from all over thecountry, but I remember meeting people from Oklahoma, Arizona,California, Ohio and Tennessee. We were the only WV gr oup there! The CD that we created is part of a series of recordings publishedby Acapella Ministries. The working title is current "Victorious God",although, they might change it to "Only God". Our song leader wasKeith Lancaster, former member and later producer for AVB (AcapellaVocal Band) and John Bynum was the project coordinator. The purpose ofthe project was to create a 'workshop in a box' for churches andworship leaders to improve and continue to develop their acapellaworship ministries. The CD, I imagine, will be for sale on it's own,but it will also be part of a set that will include sheet music and atraining tape (a very raw 4-part CD that can be used to teach peoplewho don't know how to read music how to pick out and hear their part). It was a full two days for us and I know we came back a littletired, but it was a very enjoyable and fulfilling experience. Our onlycomplaint was that we didn't get to hear ourselves singing, since wehad earphones in the whole time. When we were done on Wednesday, wetook off the ear phones and we sang 2 or 3 impromptu songs just forthe fun of it, and the experience of being surrounded by so manypeople using th eir talents to glorify God was both humbling andamazing. We were exhausted by this point, but I think we would havekept on singing if the opportunity had been there! I also think I speak for all of us when I say that we appreciatedthe support that we received from everyone, and also some of thefinancial support to make the trip more cost effective for uspersonally. This speaks volumes about how much everyone appreciates the music ministry at Norway, and although we get out and do thesethings, we know they would not be possible without God's guidance andthe support we receive from the congregation.

How to Be a Dad Your Children Will Love

This Sunday is Fathers Day. We are going to be talking about how to be a dad your children will love. I love these pictures of Ryan, Will and Matt with their children. These pictures capture what I want to say this Sunday. The love between dads and children is wonderful. God the Father is our model. Fathers want to be for their children what their Heavenly Father is to us. 1 John 1:3 1How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. I like the way Eugene Peterson translates this passage in the Message - "What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we're called children of God! That's who we really are. But that's also why the world doesn't recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he's up to. But friends, that's exactly who we are: children of God. And that's only the beginning. Who knows how we'll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we'll see him—and in seeing him, become like him. All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus' life as a model for our own."

Shayna Won the Camper of the Week Award

Shayna went to church camp this week at Howes Mills. She goes every year. But this year she went to the middle school week of camp and she did not know anyone. Many people would shy away from going to a camp where they didn't know anybody. Not Shayna. She was excited about going. A few days before camp while riding in my truck she said "I can't wait! I am going to get to meet a whole new group of people. I am going to make friends with people I've never met - it's so exciting. It's like a fresh start!" She was smiling so big when she said that. Shayna always smiles and her smile is absolutely beautiful. So Shayna went to church camp last Sunday and she came home today. But before she came home she was awarded camper of the week. How about that! She did know a soul on the first day but she knew everybody before she left - and everybody knew her. They nicknamed her "Africa" because the t-shirt she wore the first day of camp had "Africa" on it. That's my Shayna! She shines like a star, has a warm outgoing personality, she has a great sense of humor and she makes you laugh. She is fun to be with. She's great in sports, in school, she's a great friend - she is outstanding and awesome and best of all, Shayna is full of Jesus. That's right, Shayna loves the Lord with all her heart and that is the reason Shayna shines. Shayna shines because Jesus shines in her. I'm so proud of Shayna - not only for winning camper of the week - she is a wonderful daughter and she is growing up to be a beautiful young woman inside and out. I love her so much.

Easy and Effective Evangelism - Tell your story

My favorite style of evangelism is story telling. Jesus loved to tell stories called parables. It was Jesus' favorite style of teaching. Matthew said that "Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable" (Matthew 13:34). Now story telling is not the only style of evangelism. There are many different styles - Rick Warren identified six styles of evangelism. What follows is Warren's six styles with examples and theme verses. 1. Confrontational style (strong, stern preaching with warnings and rebuke) - Example – Peter’s sermon in Acts 2: 40With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." Theme verse - 2 Tim. 4:2 2Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. I believe John MacAuthur (http://www.gty.org/) fits this style because he frequently warns and rebukes people with careful instruction. 2. Itellectual style (Apologetics) - Example - Paul with the philosophers in Athens - Acts 17: 18A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. … 19Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus,… - Theme verse - 2 Cor. 10:5 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. Paul's sermon on Mars Hill is a classic example of the intellectual style. I also think of Ravi Zacharias (http://www.rzim.org/). I have heard his lectures and debates via podcasts at prestigious universities - he is brillant and God is using him to reach thousands of unbelievers. 3. Missional style (“go and do” evangelism) -Example – Dorcas - Acts 9: 36In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor. Theme verse - Matt 5: 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Do you know who writes and promotes this style? My friend Fred Peatros (http://fredpeatross.blogspot.com/). Last spring I went to the Innovation3 a conference in Dallas and heard several presentations on being missional i.e. an externally focused "go-and-do-church". 4. Invitational style (“come and see” evangelism) - Example – Philip invited Nathanael - John 1: 46"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip. Theme verse - Luke 14: 23"Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. 5. Relational style (friendship evangelism) - Example – Matthew’s party - Luke 5: 29Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. Theme verse - Luke 15: 1Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. 2But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." 6. Testimonial style (story telling evangelism) - Example – The blind man Jesus healed - The blind man said in John 9:25 "One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" Theme verse - 1 John 1:3a 3We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us ... Now, all of these styles are important and needed. It is a mistake to promote one style and argue that it is the best and only way. God wants you to adopt the style that fits you. For me, I love the sixth style - testimonial. When testimonial is combined with missional (servant-evangelism) and relational (friendship styles). It fits who God made me to be and I love to use it. I think God wired me that way. I like to build friendships with unbelievers, and then, when the time is right I'll share my story. Waiting for the right time is essential. The Holy Spirit will prompt you when the time is right. When you feel His inner nudge share your story. Keep it short and sweet and by all means smile. Then change the subject. Don't pressure, don't condemn, just plant a little seed and wait to see God work. Focus on friendship and service before and after. If you visit Steve Sjogren's website (http://www.servantevangelism.com/main.cfm) or Jim Henderson's website (http://doableevangelism.com/) you will find great ideas on how to build friendships with people who don't know Christ. The best way to make friends is to be their servant. Then, after you build a high level of trust in your relationship - tell your story. Stop thinking that you can't share Christ. You can tell others what Jesus has done for you. It's simple. It's scriptural. And it's sucessfully (btw - those are the first three points to my sermon this Sunday). Jesus told his disciples to tell their story. After Jesus healed the man possessed by a legion of demons do you remember what happened? Mark 5: 18As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." 20So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed. I have told my story to thousands of people across the country and God has used it to give people hope. I get a little nervous before I tell them. I worry about what they will think of me when I tell them I am are recovering alcoholic. Will the reject me? Will they think I am bad? Will they stop being friends? So I have to fight through all those fears in order to get the courage to tell it. I don't know why I worry like that because I have never had anyone reject me when I tell my story. My story doesn't drive people away it draws people closer to Christ. My story was published in Wineskines Magazine a few years ago and this week it is posted on our churches website (http://www.norwayave.org/). This Sunday I am going to encourage our church to tell their story. There are so many stories that need to be told. Stories about how God helps people recover from grief and loss and divorce and physical illness and emotional problems. Your story demonstrates the love of God - don't keep it a secret. It's easy and effective evangelism. Share your story and watch God work.

From San Antonio

I am writing from San Antonio. I was today's keynote speaker for the Texas Association of Health Care Volunteers. There were over a 1,000 people in the audience and boy did they respond. I pack these presentations with the best principles, stories and jokes that I have collected over the past 25 years and mix it all with music as I play my guitar and sing. I also us media clips from movies and and such. Today I used Team Hoyt. I like speaking to different audiences. Today I spoke to hospital volunteers, Sunday I will preach the gospel of Jesus at church, Monday I teach Stress Management to my students at Marshall, Tuesday I will provide training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for counselors at the Pike County Recovery Council in Waverly Ohio. I like the variety. I especially loved today because - well, I can't decribe how it felt - sort of electric, alive, connected - you know what I mean? I could feel it man. They smiled, cried, clapped several times during my talk and they laughed really loud. When people laugh or cry it opens them up and then, just at the right time, I stick a little truth in them. You know what I mean? Well, anyway - they bought my music CDs and hugged me - I thought they were going to kiss me! I wish it was like that all the time - it's not. Some times I'm on and sometimes I'm off. One of the reasons people responded today is that I told them about my fall (which was not to topic I was speaking on but it fit perfectly and it was at that point that God started moving in a way that I could feel and see - I think the Christians in the crowd could feel God moving too. So I gave a little three minute summary of my fall and how God was helping as am a recovering alcoholic. Afterward people waited in line to tell me their pain - stories dad or mom or husband or son or daughter - how they were struggling with alcohol and drugs or other vices. I just listened and express concern for them. Well, anyway, God did it up good today and I give God the glory for it all. I hope he does it again soon.

After I spoke I went to the riverwalk. O', by the way, the convention where I spoke was at the largest hotel in San Antonio and it was right on the river walk. So after I spoke I found a good deal on t-shirts for the girls. I always bring back tee-shirts for my girls and I also bought a nice shirt for Kim. Then I went to the Alamo which was near the Marriott. I walked back to the river walk and heard a good band - the music was really different - fusion/Latin/Native America - I don't know what to call it but it was good music and a lot of people on listening on both sides of the river. I was hungry so I ate a great big delicious New York Strip with a bake potatoe and a salad at a nice resturant right on the riverwalk.

I am ready to go home. I miss Kim and the girls. They are coming home from the beach tomorrow as I travel home from Texas. Kim and her parents to the girls and their cousins to Myrtle Beach. I'm going to take them again this summer. OK. I have got to stop blogging and get back to my sermon - been studing worship all week and hope to finish it tonight so I will have it for the flight. I decided too extend my "Grow" series with one more sermon - it would not be complete without it. I am calling it "Evangelism for Dummies - an easy and effective way to witness to friends." I am excited about it. But now I am going to finish this week's sermon on worship. Later.

Discover Your Spiritual Gifts

What is a spiritual gift? A spiritual gift is a God-given skill or ability that enables Christians to be fruitful and fulfilled as they edify the body of Christ. Some people confuse the gifts of the Spirit with the gift of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit. These three are not synonymous. The gift of the Spirit (Acts 2:38) is the Holy Spirit himself, who indwells every Christian. The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) are the Christ-like qualities that the Holy Spirit produces in us such as love, joy, peace, patience, etc. But the gifts of the Spirit are God-given skills or abilities that enable every Christian to be fruitful and fulfilled as they edify the body of Christ. ........................................................................................... Don’t wait on some church program to use your spiritual gifts. Ask God to help you use your spiritual gifts every day as you go about your normal routine. Use your gifts at home, work, school, and community. If you want to volunteer for a ministry a church that’s great, but don’t wait for the church to organize something for you. Think, pray, experiment, and fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you (2 Timothy 1:6). Listen for feedback. Consider the results. When you use your gifts asked simple questions like: Did it help someone or something? Did it glorify Jesus Christ? Was it fruitful? Was it fulfilling? If you answer yes to one or more of these questions you may be on track. It’s really exciting and I hope you will share with me what you learn about yourself and your spiritual gifts. But it’s really up to you. It’s a special, on-going conversation between you and Jesus. You’re not relying on the church to organize a program. You have a dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ and you are eager to learn what he wants you to do and how he has gifted you to serve. So, I encourage you to take risks, stretch, grow, and begin to discover and use your spiritual gifts. Click on this link and you will find 101 ways to use your spiritual gifts http://www.servantevangelism.com/matrix/matrix.htm - - Below are brief descriptions of some of the spiritual gifts are discussed in Scripture. ........................................................................................... Administration: 1 Corinthians 1.28 The special ability that God gives to certain members of the body of Christ to understand clearly the immediate and long-range goals of a particular unit of the body of Christ and to devise and execute effective plans for the accomplishment of those goals. This gift is a leadership gift and is often characterized by people who lead the body by steering others to remain on task. These people generally are concerned with the details of how to accomplish tasks, and tend to be masters at delegating specific tasks to other people according to their gifts and talents. Scriptures: Luke 14:28-30; Acts 6:1-7; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Titus 1:5. ........................................................................................... Craftsmanship: Exodus 31.1-5 The special ability that God gives to certain members of the body of Christ who practice a craft with great skill. Although this gift is not mentioned in the New Testament, the Lord said of Bezalel in Exodus 31.1-5 “I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts- 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship.” ........................................................................................... Evangelism: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to readily share the gospel with unbelievers in such a way that men and women often become Jesus’ disciples and responsible members of the Body of Christ. This gift is a practical gift. While the task of evangelism is an important spiritual exercise that all Christians should be involved with, God gifts certain members with an ability to have unusual sensitivity to someone who is ready to accept Christ, and will generally have greater success in leading people to Christ than other Christians. People with this gift should be active in training others to share their faith. Scriptures: Acts 8:5-6, 26-40; Ephesians 4:11-14; 2 Timothy 4:5. ........................................................................................... Encouragement: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to minister words of comfort, consolation, encouragement, and counsel to other members of the Body in such a way that they feel helped and healed." This gift is a communication gift. Those who use this gift within a teaching or ministry situation are often driven to give practical application to their insights. Often, those gifted in this gift desire step-by-step plans of action to help others mature in Christ. Encouragers often find it natural to discover insights from personal experience when validated and amplified in Scripture. Scripture: Luke 3:16-18; Acts 11:23; 14:22; Romans 12:8; 1 Timothy 4:12; 5:1; Hebrews 10:25. ........................................................................................... Faith: 1 Cor 12.8-10 The special ability that God gives certain members of the Body of Christ to discern with extraordinary confidence the will and purposes of God for His work. Those with this gift often scare other people with their confidence. People with this gift are often very irritated by criticism, as they consider it to be criticism against God and His will. Probably the biggest danger for those with this gift is that they often try to project their gift onto other people. Scriptures: Acts 11:22-24; 27:21-25; Romans 4:18-21; 1 Corinthians 12:9; Hebrews 11. ........................................................................................... Giving: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to contribute their material resources to the work of the Lord with liberality and cheerfulness. While all Christians should practice the discipline of giving, God gifts certain members of the body to give remarkably greater amounts of their income with liberality and great joy. You don’t have to be wealthy to have this gift. People with this gift have an acute awareness that all they have belongs to the Lord and they are merely stewards, therefore they know that God will supply their needs and richly bless them in their giving. Scriptures: Matt 6:2-4; Mark 12:41-44;Luke 21:1-4, Rom 12:8; 1 Cor 13:3; 2 Cor 8:1-7; 9:2-8; Phi 4:14-19. ........................................................................................... Helps: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to invest the talents they have in the life and ministry of other members of the Body, thus enabling those others to increase the effectiveness of their own spiritual gifts. People with this gift often enjoy doing routine tasks in order to free others to do the ministry God has called them to do. People with this gift are often not looking for recognition for the work they do. Scriptures: Mark 15:40-41; Luke 8:2-3; Acts 9:36; Romans 16:1-2; 1 Corinthians 12:28; 2 Timothy 1:16-18. Note: The gifts of Helps, Mercy, and Service are often confused. Helps focuses on Christian works and freeing others to accomplish their God-given ministries. Mercy focuses on people in distress and reflects God’s love and compassion. Service focuses on accomplishing tasks that may otherwise go undone in order to move the greater goal of the ministry or church toward completion. ........................................................................................... Hospitality: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to provide an open house and a warm welcome to those in need of food and lodging." Those with this gift have an acute awareness of visitors and have a desire to make all people feel welcome. People with this gift enjoy visitors in their home, and are usually not bothered if someone stops by and their home is not spotless. Scriptures: Acts 16:14-15; Romans 12:9-13; 16:23; Hebrews 13:1-2; 1 Peter 4:9. ........................................................................................... Intercession: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to pray for extended periods of time on a regular basis and see frequent and specific answers to their prayers. Those with this gift often feel compelled to pray for specific requests when they are made known. Gifted intercessors have a greater occurrence of specific answers to prayer than most Christians. Many intercessors experience times when God moves them to pray for situations when they are not entirely sure what they are praying for. Scriptures: Luke 22:41-44; Acts 12:12; Rom 8:26-27; Col 1:9-12; 4:12-13; 1 Tim 2:1-2; James 5:14-16. ........................................................................................... Knowledge: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to discover, accumulate, analyze, and clarify information and ideas which are pertinent to the well-being of the Body." Those with the gift of knowledge love to be at home in a book or studying. Those with this gift will often spend countless hours researching information. These people are interested in ideas and problem solving through gathering information and studying. The primary method of learning with this gift is reading and studying books and other written materials. Scriptures: Luke 1:1-4; Acts 5:1-11; 1 Corinthians 2:14; 12:8; 2 Corinthians 11:6; Colossians 1:10; 2:2-3; 1 Tim 2:15. ........................................................................................... Leadership: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to set goals in accordance with God’s purpose for the future and to communicate these goals to others in such a way that they voluntarily and harmoniously work together to accomplish those goals for the glory of God." People with this gift are often focused on the greater goal of the group and are not overly concerned with the details. Leaders delegate tasks and details to others to accomplish the greater goal. Leaders are visionaries. Leaders have followers-a visionary without followers is not a leader. Scriptures: Romans 12.8 Luke 9:51; Acts 6:1-7; 15:7-11; Romans 12:8; 1 Timothy 5:17; Hebrews 13:17. ........................................................................................... Mercy: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to feel genuine empathy and compassion for individuals (both Christian and non-Christian) who suffer from distressing problems, and to translate that compassion into cheerfully done deeds which reflect Christ’s love and alleviate the suffering.” Scriptures: Matthew 20:29-34; 25:24-40; Mark 9:41; Luke 10:33-35; Acts 11:28-30; 16:33-34; Romans 12:8; Jude 22-23. Note: The gifts of Helps, Mercy, and Service are often confused. Helps focuses on Christian works and freeing others to accomplish their God-given ministries. Mercy focuses on people in distress and reflects God’s love and compassion. Service focuses on accomplishing little tasks that may otherwise go undone in order to move the greater goal of the ministry or church toward completion. ........................................................................................... Missionary: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to minister whatever other spiritual gifts they have in a culture other than their own. Those with this gift find it easy or exciting to adjust to a different culture or community. Missionaries find great joy working with minorities, people of other countries, or those with other distinct cultural differences. Those with this gift have a strong desire to be a part of the fulfillment of the Great Commission around the world. Scriptures: Eph 3.6-8, Acts 8:4; 13:1-4; 22:21; Romans 10:15; 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 ........................................................................................... Singing/Music - The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to present personal witness and inspiration to others through singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs and/or playing instruments. Scripture: Eph 5.19, Col 3.16, Psalm 96:1-9, Psalm 100:1-2, Psalm 149:1-2. Psalm 33:1-5, Psalm 150. ........................................................................................... Pastor: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to assume a long-term personal responsibility for the welfare of a group of believers." Those with the gift of pastoring have a great need for long-term relationships. Shepherds will sacrificially give themselves to other people in such a way that they are built-up in their faith. Shepherds take personal responsibility for the successes and failures of those in the group that they invest themselves in. You do not have to be an elder to have this gift. Scriptures: John 10:1-18; Ephesians 4:11-14; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; 1 Peter 5:1-4. ........................................................................................... Prophecy: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to communicate a message of God to His people with authority and urgency. Those with the gift of prophecy will often feel as though they have a word from God that will guide, warn, or rebuke the Body of Christ. Prophets are concerned about evangelism and will have a desire speak strongly against evil in society or in the church. Prophets have a great sense of urgency to their message. Unless paired with the gifts of exhortation or teaching, prophets will often not feel the need to explain their message, but will expect immediate response. Scripture: Luke 7:26; Acts 15:32; 21:9-11; Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12:10, 28; 14:3, 24-25, 29, 36-38; Ephesians 4:11-14. ........................................................................................... Service: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to identify the unmet needs involved in a task related to God’s work, and to make use of available resources to meet those needs and help accomplish the desired results." Those with the gift of service enjoy doing routine tasks. Those with this gift enjoy menial tasks and do them cheerfully. Service-oriented people would rather take orders than give them. Scripture: John 12:26; Acts 6:1-7; Romans 12:6-7; Galatians 6:2, 9-10; 2 Timothy 1:16-18; Titus 3:14. Note: The gifts of Helps, Mercy, and Service are often confused. Helps focuses on Christian works and freeing others to accomplish their God-given ministries. Mercy focuses on people in distress and reflects God’s love and compassion. Service focuses on accomplishing tasks that may otherwise go undone in order to move the greater goal of the ministry or church toward completion. ........................................................................................... Teaching: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to communicate information relevant to the health and ministry of the Body and its members in such a way that others will learn. People with the gift of teaching enjoy studying the Bible and related materials in order to communicate what they have learned to other Christians. Those with this gift find it easy to organize vast amounts of information in such a way as to make it easy to communicate, understand, and remember. Scriptures: Mat 7:28-29; 28:19-20; Acts 15:32; Rom 12:6; 1 Cor 12:10, 28; Eph 4:11-14 ........................................................................................... Wisdom: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to know how given knowledge may best be applied to specific needs arising inside and outside the Body of Christ. Those with this gift have an excellent ability to apply spiritual truth to everyday life. Often, people in the church naturally seek out people with this gift when they are facing complicated spiritual problems. When a person with this gift considers past experience, they realize that they often make good and correct decisions and judgments. Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 12.8; Proverbs 4:5-8; Acts 6:3, 10; 15 ........................................................................................... Note: Encouragement or Exhortation, Prophecy, and Teaching are considered the communication gifts. The distinctions for each gift are often confused. Often, gifted communicators have a mix of these gifts. Encouragement or Exhortation focuses on personal and practical application of the message or truth being communicated. Prophecy focuses purely on the message or truth to be communicated. Teaching focuses on bringing thorough or adequate understanding of the message or truth being communicated. Note: The gifts of Helps, Mercy, and Service are often confused. Helps focuses on Christian works and freeing others to accomplish their God-given ministries. Mercy focuses on people in distress and reflects God’s love and compassion. Service focuses on accomplishing little tasks that may otherwise go undone in order to move the greater goal of the ministry or church toward completion. ........................................................................................... References Discover Your Spiritual Gifts (1995). Peter Wagner .......... He Gave Gifts: Bible Study Guide (1992). Charles Swindol .......... Purpose Drive Church (1997) Rick Warren .......... Spiritual Gifts Discovery Tool (2004). www.cforc.com .......... Team Ministry: A Guide to Spiritual Gifts and Lay Involvement (1990) Larry Gilbert

Lead Singer for Inside Out

You see the man in the middle? He was the lead singer for Inside Out - the best band in Cinci. His name is Phil Richardson. I heard Phil's band and they were awesome! Phil and I have been friends since I was 18. In the early 80s we were roommates in Nashville. Today Phil lives in Cinci but we talk often. He's my music guru - he's introduced me to a look of good music. Just yesterday I was in a second hand record store chasing down some old music as I was talking to Phil on the phone.

Three Doors Down

My daughter Shayna and I went to a Three Doors Down concert a few days ago. Amber went with her boyfriend Tyler and Tori was competing at a track meet. As soon as we walked in Shayna and I smiled at each other. There's nothing like a rock concert - the lights, the sound the roar of the croud - it makes us smile. We had great seats and had a great time. We like a lot of 3 Doors Down including Train, Citizen Soldier, When I'm Gone, Its not My Time, Kryptonite, and so on. The girls are at an age when we share similar taste in music. Seems like every time we ride in my pickup we are trading songs. I love it.

Finish strong

I want to explain something and then say something. First, I want to explain our approach to evangelism. Our approach to evangelism is service oriented (showing God's love through kindness, meeting needs, inviting, etc) and it is sort of seasonal. We share Christ in season and out but I love when the season hits. I view summer and winter as "out of season" and fall and spring as "in season". During the sunny days of summer people vacation and during the cold days of the dead of winter they tend to stay in. In-season hits in the fall about September (when school starts) and climaxes with Christmas. Then the winter lull. The spring season begins around the last of Feb - peaks at Easter, then lingers till mid-May. This is important to understand (for me at least) because it helps us plan ahead. We have a strategy for sharing Christ -- it's sort of like a fall and spring campaign. We've prayed about it, we're excited about it and God is blessing it! God has poured out a double blessing on our church this spring. God has sent us many people who are either searching for God and/or a church home. You have done an excellent job bringing your friends to the assembly and many of them keep coming back. In fact, nine families and two singles and four Marshall students keep coming back. Praise God! Second, here's want I want to say. We need to finish strong. We began this spring "campaign" together in late Feb. Remember, you responded by praying and bringing a friend and they came - 370+ people on Easter! Many of them stayed. But the summer lull is almost here. The Marshall students will be leaving, families will be going on vacation, etc. all this is good and natural and we plan for it. But we need to finish strong. Here's how - three things. 1) Strengthen your relationships with newcomers. Show them the love of God. Do simple little acts of kindness over and over. Don't preach or pressure them. Build a bridge so Jesus can walk across and save them. Invite them to join a small group. Encourage them. Pay attention to their needs, hurts, etc. Cry with them, laugh with them, stay in tune with them and when the time is right put in a good word for Jesus. Share your story. If they ask to study the Bible and you need help call one of the elders (or me). 2) Pray for them. Pray they make a commitment to Christ. Pray they make our church their home before June. Ask God to keep them from drifting away and draw them to himself and us. We'll show them the love of Christ. Just pray for them. 3) Pray for me - this Sunday I will be preaching about fellowship and I want our newcomers to respond. I am going to interview two people (Jason Moore and Megan Hensley) and they are going to share why they made Norway their church home. Then I am going to preach Acts 2. Pray I do a good job. Lets finish strong. Love, Jeff P.S. We're already working on summer outreaches - we are so excited about it and will share it with you soon.

Allen and Jeanie are headed for the 2009 NEXT Saddleback Conference in Cinci

This weekend Allen & Jeanie Meadows are attending The NEXT Saddleback Small Groups Conference at the Vineyard Church in Cincinnati, OH. Karen McClanahan and Debbie Starkey will be driving up on Friday night for the session on Small Group Leaders Saturday. They will be learning from the best small group trainers in the country. Below is the conference synopsis.

This small groups conference is focused on connecting people to Jesus and each other. The conference is designed help lead our church to a deeper level of fellowship with God and people. Allen, Jeanie, Karen and Debbie will hear presentations and workshops like ...

· Learning how God helped us get 100% of our Sunday morning attendance connected in small groups

· Learning from prominent Christian leaders like Erwin McManus and Joseph Garlington who will be presenting live at the conference.

· Interacting with a team of effective leaders/trainers of small group ministries in one of 60 workshops for churches of all types and sizes

· Small Group Saturday - a special mini-conference just for small group leaders

Sounds exciting! We appreciate Allen, Jeanie, Karen and Debbie for attending the conference. They plan to be back Sunday. Say a prayer for them - pray for travel mercies, much learning and be sure to pray that we can incorporate the what they learn into our small groups. Jeff

Mike Shepherd's Turkey 2009

Yesterday a good buddy and I went Turkey Hunting. We hopped on his 4-wheeler about 5:30am. It was a perfect morning. We walked up the creek and separated. Just before day break Mike hit his call one time. About 10 minutes later he started calling and it wasn't long before a gobbler responded. He must have been about 200 yards away. Mike hit his call just right and he responded again and again. Then Mike stopped and everything got real quiet. Pretty soon I saw three turkeys coming right at Mike. Two hens and a gobbler. That old gobbler jumped up on a log 25 yards from Mike and BOOM! Mike took him in one shot. Now, if you knew my friend Mike, you'd understand. He's a marksman - a national champion at nationwide shooting matches - he typically scores in the top 5 shooters in international matches - no kidding! Shooters come from all over the world and he competes against them and wins. So, when that old goobler jumped up on that log he had no idea who he was facing. Mike shot him and I saw it all. We laughed, did a fist bump and back pats, we took pictures and a nice video. Mike's going to give the turkey breast to a neighbor and it will be good eaten. It was an exciting hunt.

Listen like Jesus (a six day challenge)

The sign read “You ain’t learning nothin’ when you’re doing all the talkin’.” It reminded me of two Bible verses. “Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19). Everybody knows that one. But my favorite verse on listening is less famous. It is tucked away in the OT book of Proverbs. Solomon wrote “Answering before listening is both stupid and rude (Prov. 18:13 The Message). I love that verse but I often violate it. How about you? Let’s try something new – OK? For the next six days (from now till Sunday) let’s try to listen like Jesus. When someone asks you a question don’t be so quick to give a pat answer. Avoid monologue – go for dialogue. Seek first to understand, before you’re understood. Answer questions with opened-ended questions. That’s Jesus’ style. Don’t merely listen with your ears. Listen with your heart. Listen with your eyes. That’s the key. William Glasser found that 70% of what people communicate is through body language, 23% through tone of voice and only 7% through words. If you’re not listening with your eyes you are missing most of what’s being said. Be eager to listen. Speak less. Ask good questions then be quiet and listen like Jesus. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see what Jesus sees and hear what Jesus hears. Give away attention. Everybody’s craving it because few people are giving it. It cost you nothing but it means everything. Try it for the next six days and you’ll be amazed at how many hurting people God sends your way.

Be an inviter

Andrew was always bringing people to Jesus. Check out three frequently overlooked passages and see if you can spot what I’m talking about. The first passage is John 1:40 Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah." 42 And he brought him to Jesus. The second passage is John 6:8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, 9 "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" And the third passage is John 12:20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus." 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. Andrew brought Peter, a little boy and some Greeks to Jesus. That’s all it takes. Just find a friend and bring them to Jesus this Sunday. It’s friend day. It’s Easter. They will come if you ask them. Just say “Will you be my friend this Sunday.” Be like Andrew. Be an inviter.