A Thanksgiving I can't keep quiet about

On Thanksgiving Day, the turkey aroma just gets those mouth watering juices flowing and the stomach rumbling, but somehow I need to think about what I am thankful for and the list is so long that I can’t possibly name them all. The distraction of the smell makes it difficult but let me give you a few. We have just made a move from Rogers, MN to Sheyboygan, WI, which is a 6-hour drive, 350+ miles but it was a move that was created and orchestrated by the Holy Spirit and was made in heaven to bless the socks off of the Apple family. We could not be more thrilled for the executive team and people of PF Church. What a joy to get to know so many wonderful people who have such a heart for God and a passion for the church!

We left a great number of friends in Rogers at HighPoint church, yet wondered what would this next step be like -- we have been blessed way beyond our greatest imaginations. Turkey aroma might have affected my thought patterns but there is no way I would pass up a chance to thank the leadership and people of PF Church for allowing us to serve them. We are looking forward to an adventurous journey with our new congregation and wonderful friends as we love God and love others together.

NO NEGATIVE IN THE HEART OF A LEADER!

Save us from the pain of the brain drain of leadership issues. Leadership stuff can drain the energy from your emotional tank if you are not careful. Someone said, “A leader should not allow negative things to take up space in their lives.” Scripture shares - Proverbs 4:23 – “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the well spring of life.”

If we want to achieve God’s vision it is essential that we get rid of negative energy asap. There a lot of things that come into our path draining us from being fully energized and dedicated to pursue the vision. These items can be anything from sickness, to conflict, to hurting feelings, criticism and the list goes on and on. If you want to reach your potential in leading others, it is a must that you do not allow negative things it to exist in your heart for more than 24 hours. We need to get rid of it pronto. How do we get rid of things that drain us, stuff that crushes our spirit or negative energy?

First of all, we have to ask the biggest question of all - can I repair it? Is there something I can do to straighten out the issue? Then we need to ask if there is any possibility of changing the situation to keep from this happening again . Last of all, if that does not work, then we need to resolve it by letting it go. It seems that sometimes we have to resolve that there is nothing we can do but call up God to assist us in letting it go. I realize that this step or really any of the steps are not easy things to do but the key is release the brain drain issue and get on with the vision God has called you to. There is a tendency to just ignore or pretend this issue will go away but prolonged energy drains and reduces effectiveness and the suffering will continue to increase in intensity. Scripture says, “A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge but the simple keep going and suffer for it.” Prov. 22:3 – “Don’t bury your head in the sand – kick out the stuff that drain you before your emotional tank shows up empty.” When it is empty it has gone too far and damage has happened, therefore, DO something Now!

What could you give to Jesus this Christmas?

We have just launched a special Jesus offering for Christmas this past weekend. The challenge this Christmas is to give your best gift to Jesus. It is exciting to see what God will do when we believe... We are hoping to fund the following projects: We are going to raise $5,000 for a well in India – We are going to raise $1,000 for in-ear hardware for a language translation system – We are going to raise $5,000 for Benevolence ministry for our community – We are going to raise $5,000 for an Orphanage ministry in Venezuela – We are going to raise $5,500 for a video projector for our children’s ministry – We are going to raise $14,000 for 2 projectors for our sanctuary. The total amount needed to be raised is $34,500. Kickoff was last week and runs throughout Christmas. Don’t miss a great opportunity to give your gift to Jesus at Christmas time. Let it be the best gift ever…

Way too much better than great!

I met a friend on a YWAM missions trip to Monterrey. She taught me this mantra: “Way too much better than great.” Everywhere we went as we would see God do incredible things, she would lead us in this mantra that God is “Way too much better than great.” Here we go - I love the church I am pastoring. I am in the world’s greatest church ever. Words cannot express what my wife and I feel about Praise Fellowship Church. It is way too much better than great! We are so pumped about the staff, board, people, youth, children, services, people who are new and people who have been at the church forever. What a blessing! I can’t believe how blessed we are to be able to serve in such a great church. Today we saw 20+ people make a decision for Christ. It is always cool when that happens. We are fulfilling the plan of God for the reason why the church exists. We have seen 100 people make decisions in 6 weeks. Wow – can you believe that? That is way too cool to see how God is orchestrating this whole deal. His favor is on the church and the leadership. All I can say it is because of what God is doing it is…way too much better than great.
If you are part of Praise Fellowship Church let me hear what you think about our faith community. Let me know what you think?

OBAMA IS OUR NEW PRESIDENT!

I have kept away in getting involved in politics but I need to speak up. I have consistently heard following the election how our new president is an "obamination" to the future of America. Whoever you voted for we have to trust and realize that God is control and nothing happens unless he gives the OK nod. It is not about Obama or Bush or whoever, it is about believing that God is bigger than all this and he is control. Secondly, we are called to pray and support our leaders. We may disagree with them but our best answer is to get involved and to pray.

Brand New Message Series - Financial Peace

You are invited to PF church for a brand new series called Financial Peace. Learn and discover the wisdom of God principles for finances.
If you want Financial Peace then You have to change your life!
If you want to change your finances you have to make changes in your life. I am convinced that success in personal finance is 80% behavior and 20% head knowledge. The challenge will be to get on the on-ramp of spiritual growth and peace when it comes to your finances.

In this series you will learn:
• A proven process for getting out of debt
• How to create a lifestyle of generosity
• In today’s economy, how do we deal with living beyond our means
• How do we deal with the stress of finances
• How do we find peace in today’s economy
• Resources: Books, articles & financial tools
• And much, much more

Spirit's Leading?

I grew up in a Spirit filled church and have been around the block millions of times (well may not millions but a lot) and experienced many moves of God. There is a tension when it comes to humanity and the works of the Holy Spirit. One thing I do know is…not everything that shouts “Spirit-filled” is really from God. This tension is played out in many churches in some Spiritual abuses using the name of the Spirit but it also is played out in a powerful manner when God truly does move upon a human heart. When the authentic word from God is given to the body in an orderly manner, it brings life and freedom to a group of people who truly desire to have an encounter with God. I love it when God uses man to share his “Now” words to hungry hearers who desire to listen and obey. I am bummed when we fake it or try to make it up or the other side of the issue when a group of people don’t value the words that God has spoken to a faith community. My position as Lead Pastor is to shepherd a faith community who will authentically go after experiencing God to the fullest. The only way I can do that is to provide headship and ask God to lead me as I determine what is from God and what is not and then to challenge the faith community that I represent to value the gifts.

The process at PF church is to provide a setting that is safe but helps all to receive and understand what God is doing in the corporate setting. As the lead pastor, I usually sit in the front row and when people have a gift that they feel is from the Spirit, I then provide the covering that is needed to have a safe setting but also that can be shared in an appropriate manner with the faith community. This is done in our setting with first touching base with the lead pastor or whoever is leading the service and he will assist in when it will be used. This is done so that everybody will benefit and all will understand and value the words that will be shared. The result is the NOW Word has been spoken and many can encounter God more fully with hopefully less abuse. I believe gifts of the Spirit are to being given authentically from the Spirit and orderly so that all can benefit. Let’s be a passionate church who desires to hear from God!