Frustrations of a Leader.

Here is a list of things that brings frustration to leaders. This list isn't exclusive to the church world but is universal to leaders in all organizations...

1. When a leader on the team doesn't lead.
2. When someone commits to the team and vision and then un-committs.
3. When people agree to a task and then don't follow through.
4. When people kill momentum by talking.
5. When people accept the status-quo.

We Shine

Click "We Shine." ^
Listen. Enjoy. Listen again. Rock your head.

Simple is...

Easy

Clean

Non hectic

Not complicated

User-friendly

Not elaborate

Inconsequential

Easily understood

Bare

I think you get the point. Is your life, ministry, church simple? If not, you may want to simplify!

Today!

Neighborhood Storm
2:00 PM (Meet at the churches East Entrance).
Three Neighborhoods in one day!!!

The weather is suppose to be 60 degrees so it will be a great day to get outdoors to spread the word!!!

Great Weekend

Happy Friday! I am really excited about the events that we have scheduled for this weekend. Tomorrow, Saturday, January 26 we are doing our first Neighborhood Storm Outreach event at 2:00 PM (we will meet at the churches East entrance). Everyone is invited to come as we need as many people as possible to help us launch our outward direction. This is the first of many outreaches that we have planned for this year.

On Sunday, January 27 at 10:30AM the "Forward Conference" will begin. This is going to be the greatest week of the year so please come expecting God to do great deeds in our midst. The "Forward Conference" starting times are Sunday at 10:30AM and Mon. - Wed. at 7:00PM.

Things we can learn from Daniel...

Supplemental Reading - Daniel Chapter 2

Like many of us, Daniel found himself living in a society that was filled with wickedness and self indulgence. This was best displayed when the king built a 90 foot statue of HIMSELF and made a decree that all the people had to bow down to worship or their lives were at stake (Ch. 3). Daniel's friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego found themselves to be the ONLY people who would not bow to worship the idol! Even though this story happened thousands of years ago, Daniel and his friends set an example for us to follow today as they "Stood Up in a Bow Down World!"

Here are a few things that we can learn from the book of Daniel.
1. They refused to give into worldly temptations.
2. They continued to Praise God - even when the world did not get it.
3. They sought God’s insight and wisdom in the situation. Just as Proverbs 2:6 states, “For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

ET PRIMARY POLL!

JUST FOR FUN - OK so I thought it would be cool to take our own poll for the Oklahoma Primary which will take place February 5, 2008! So, please go to the polling place which is conveniently located in the menu to the right and vote for your candidate.

Forward Conference

Go read Scott's blog.

Our youth pastor Scott Oltmans is now blogging click here to read it.

I hope you enjoy reading "Into The Heart."

A Sound Doc!

We had a great weekend here at Evangelistic Temple as I taught the first part of "What does a Healthy Church look like?" I shared my thoughts that a Healthy church must teach a sound doctrine!!! This thought comes from Titus 2:1 where the Apostle Paul encouraged his young, minister apprentices to teach the complete teachings of Christ! I re-ensured our congregants that as we move forward and continue to bring change to the church that we are anchored by the doctrine that Jesus is the center of our (churches) existence. We must keep him first.

Good, sound doctrine begins and ends with Christ. In Revelation 21:6 the scripture supports this thought, "And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment." As our church continues to grow into the healthy-church that God has for us - we are more committed than ever to keep Christ the center of our existence! There may be non-essential beliefs that churches and church members disagree on, but we must be in unison on the premise that Christ is Lord of our lives, families, and churches!!!

Kiss a Frog!

As a leader one of the most exciting things that I get to witness is the growth of God’s people. Watching that young, newly saved person grow and flourish into a fully devoted follower of Christ brings much joy and excitement to the church.

I want to encourage you to take a moment today to “Kiss a Frog.” I know that sounds gross! But think about how many princes and princesses that are in your church and community.

Currently their hearts may be tough - like the skin of a frog. They may lash out (with their tongues) at those around them - like a frog that catches flies. And, they may have ‘spiritual’ warts that are causing others to avoid them – like a frog with real warts. Those 'frogs" may be wainting on their princess to "kiss" them. So I ask - have you taken the time to kiss a "frog" lately?

If a leader will take the time to invest into someone else any frog has the potential to change into a beautiful leader in today’s church. Any frog can become a prince or princess if a leader will take the time to invest into their life.

For more about this subject please visit the originator of it at Jeanne Mayo!

FORWARD CONFERENCE

I am pleased to invite you to our first-ever Forward Conference which will be January 27th thru 30th as we welcome special guest Lynn Wheeler.

Rev. Lynn Wheeler is founder and president of Lynn Wheeler Ministries, INC. This international ministry has blessed thousands of youth and adults in camps, crusades, and conferences. You will enjoy this effective ministry that combines personal experiences, a sense of humor and solid “Bible-based” messages.

Rev. Wheeler is a graduate of Central Bible College in Springfield, MO. Upon graduation he served four years as a Youth Pastor at one of the largest Assemblies of God churches in the nation. His ministry there gave him added insight that makes him an effective evangelist.

Lynn recently released his first book titles, “Living Free.” He has also co-authored three books, “Parenting”, “Revival Sermons”, and “Trusting God during Difficult Times.” They will each be a blessing to you.

Again, I invite you to hear Rev. Lynn Wheeler during the Forward Conference on January 27-30. Services begin at 10:30AM on Sunday the 27th and 7:00PM nightly the 28th thru the 30th. I encourage you to come with a great expectation of what God will do in your life during the Forward Conference!

Awesome Weekend

We had another awesome weekend here at Evangelistic Temple. God is certainly at work here and I am so amazed by what He is doing in the lives of our people. Again, we had another great turn out for the second week of Connection Groups!!! I think we had 128!!! Thanks to everyone who is getting involved in a Group!!!

The future is bright as we are making preparations to officially change the name of our church to Crosspointe Church. This change should take place March 2, 2008!!! This will be a service that you won't want to miss!!!

I hope to see you Wednesday night.

What must a pastor do...

Here is a list of things that every pastor must consider...

1. Pray daily
2. Build people
3. Train and equip leaders
4. Cast vision
5. Sell the vision
6. Re-sell the vision
7. Create a plan to make the vision a reality
8. Implement the plan
9. Watch the vision become reality
10. Stay focused

Connection Groups (repost)

I am so excited about the starting of Connection Groups! It is truly a new way of doing discipleship and I know that it is going to revolutionize that way we do ministry.

WE NEED YOU!

I invite you to prayerfully consider getting involved in Connection Groups, the new discipleship ministry here at Evangelistic Temple. Connection Groups are the next level. They are the new standard of discipleship and will move our people from being biblically informed to life transformed! It will be a place where truth meets life. People gather together not just to “talk” about things and accumulate more Bible knowledge. It is a serious submission to the authority of God’s Word by obeying what He commands. Within Connection Groups, we invite people to experience God in a personal way within a community setting, no matter what their relationship with God is at the moment. People are connected to meaning rather than mere activities. At the end, Connection Groups are life transformation to the extent that saints are reproduced. It is both church health and church growth!

How to be involved!

First, we need Connection Group Leaders and Facilitators to lead groups! Our desire is to have multiple groups for Men, Women, Adults, Marrieds, College Students, Young Adults, Singles, and Addiction Recovery. You may not be a bible scholar, but you don’t have to be to lead a Connection Group! If you are interested please visit the Connection Group table to pick up a Leaders Application. At your convenience please complete the application to the best of your ability and return it to the church office. Secondly, to faithfully fulfill the purpose of our church we need you to get involved into a group of your choice. We will release a detailed list of each group at the beginning of December as we hope that you will find the right one to be a part of. Please prayerfully consider joining a Connection Group to connect to people and connect to God!

Connecting to People and Connecting to God!!!

We did it!!!

Yesterday a dream of mine became a reality. Our church leadership has long dreamed about a day when we could offer a wide-spread discipleship ministry that would impact our churches spiritual growth. Last night we launched what we call Connection Groups which is a new way of discipleship for our congregation. This is a major change for us since we've long offered Sunday School as the means of spiritual growth. We recognized that the risk of change was enormous but felt so confident that God was leading us to launch Connection Groups that we decided to give it a try. Now that we’ve seen what God’s intent was we have been simply amazed!

Giving God all the recognition we had over 130 people in a Connection Group yesterday. I want to thank Frank Taylor our Connection Group Director and the many leaders who led a group. This wouldn't have been possible without you! Thanks for your dedication.

I have re-posted an old blog so give you a better idea of what Connection Groups are all about.

Overcoming Depression

"Blessed is the man who perseveres (or endures) under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." James 1:2

I’ve only been back in the state for a few hours and I have already sensed a great depression seeping into the lives of many Sooner fans after the disappointing showing at the Fiesta Bowl. So in the spirit of bringing encouragement and hope I’ve decided to list a few thoughts on how to overcome depression.

Many people in today’s society find themselves battling depression. It is a reality. In fact, in a recent Comorbidity Survey, about 14 million Americans had a serious depressive episode in the previous year; while more than 16 percent (about 35 million) experienced such depression over their lifetimes. In the first Comorbidity survey 10 years earlier, this figure was less than 15 percent.

Here are a few thoughts on how to effectively overcome depression.

1. Remind yourself that Jesus is the Hope of the World.

Peter 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” – (ESV)

2 Thessalonians 2:16 “God our Father loved us and by his kindness gave us everlasting encouragement and good hope. Together with our Lord Jesus Christ,” – (God’s Word)

2. Shift your focus away from your problems and onto Jesus.

Psalm 42:11 “Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God - soon I'll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He's my God.” (God’s Word)

3. Remember that Jesus loves you.

Psalm 42:8 “By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.” (ESV)


Psalm 34:18 "The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. (19) Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all." (ESV)

A Time to Rest

I have such a wonderful family and it has been great spending the holidays with them. My parents had about 45 people gathered at their house on Christmas Eve. Yes, it was crazy but a lot fun!!! We have spent a week with Jennifer's family in St. Louis, MO where it is freezing cold! We've had a blast with them. Haleigh received so many gifts...we need a U-Haul to get home!

I am so thankful for a great church that allows me to rest. I needed a break more than I realized and taking time off has been refreshing. Thanks to all the staff who picked up the slack and covered for me. God rested and we should too.

Jennifer and I are reading through the Bible together. We are in Genesis 6. To learn how grandiose our God is one should read through Genesis. You should join us in reading through the Bible in a year.

Happy New Year and Go Sooners

Revolutionize Part II

Mark 5:36 "But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe." (ESV)

Christ said not to fear but it is so difficult to overcome fear. Fear of the unknown is the enemy of change. Here are three things that keep us from changing...

1. FEAR of the unknown
2. FEAR of others
3. FEAR of newness

In the end fear will always choke out faith. Keep the faith built up and fear will diminish in your life!

Revolutionize Part 1

In Psalm 55:19 the Bible reads, "God will listen. The one who has sat enthroned from the beginning will deal with them. Selah They never change. They never fear God." - God's Word Translation

Change is a scary thing. It is even more scary leading people through a period of change. Here are three things that have helped me as I led our church through some major changes recently.

1. Focus on the End.
2. Take a Risk.
3. Believe in the Change.