Clips from Broken Chains Series: Part 3 - God Recycles

If we are broken, God is not finished with us because He will recycle us for a greater purpose!
I hope and pray God blesses you! 





Enjoy The Ride,

Cecil

Every Pastor Needs

4 Types of Friends Every Pastor Needs

Written by: Mike Reighard

Pastors may be the most well-known, loneliest men on the face of the earth. Friendship is a vital part of New Testament ministry and leadership. Without quality, biblical friendships, we are modeling a flawed Christian lifestyle for our church members. Yet, for many, the difficulties of pastoral friendships outweigh the benefits.

Most pastors find themselves in an unhealthy relationship where their wife is their only friend and counselor. If a pastor continues to project his problems onto his wife, she will grow disillusioned and desperate to leave the ministry. I believe a pastor’s wife should be his best friend, but she should not be his only friend.

In my 30 years of ministry, I have learned that every pastor needs at least four types of friends:

The Developer
Your best friend will always be the person who brings out the very best in you. According to Billy Graham, he wouldn’t have made it as an evangelist if he had to minister alone. Over 53 years ago, Billy Graham met his staff and best friends: Cliff Barrows, George Beverly Shea, and Grady Wilson. These three men protected him, strengthened him, counseled with their wisdom, and corrected him when he needed it. He is convinced that without these friends he would have burned out within a few years after his first groundbreaking crusade in 1949 (Just as I Am: The Autobiography of Billy Graham, pp. 125-129).

Developer friends will bring the gift of encouragement to a pastor’s life and bring out the very best in him.

The Designer
We tend to think of mentors as a personal, hands-on coach. The Latin and Greek define them more as “advisors” or “wise men.” Jesus was a master mentor. He ministered to thousands, trained hundreds, equipped twelve, and had an intimate friendship with three men.

The designer mentors us in our marriage, ministry, child-rearing, civic involvement, business acumen, or any area where we need a model. Designer mentors may live near or far, be acquaintances or strangers, or may even be dead. They “design” our lives through Scripture, books, tapes, articles, or seminars.

The Disturber
We need friends who will shake up our status quo. Disturbers ask us difficult questions, forcing us to take a closer look at motivations and ambitions. Disturbers know when we have retreated into our comfort zones, and they call us out to greater effectiveness. God uses disturbers in our lives to become the object of greater force that breaks inertia and propels us to greater achievement.

A biblical picture of a disturber is in Deuteronomy 32:11. In this passage the mother eagle tears up the soft nest to reveal sharp thorns that bring discomfort to the eaglets. Because of discomfort, the eaglets leave the nest and learn to fly. The mother develops her young by repeatedly pushing them out of the nest and catching them until they become skilled flyers. Eagles were never meant to stay in the nest and neither were we. The disturber pushes us to learn to fly.

The Discerner
In a lifetime of relationships, perhaps only a handful of people are willing to play this vital role because it requires mutual vulnerability. More popularly known as accountability partners, discerners bring the gift of spiritual insight into our lives. They know how to speak the truth in love. They know how to exhort and rebuke, seeking to keep their friend on the right track. They are also vulnerable—the true friends who will walk into the room of your life while everyone else is walking out.

Proverbs 27:6 reads, “The wounds of a friend are trustworthy, but the kisses of an enemy are excessive.” Always be slow in choosing your discerners and even slower in leaving them.

If you are a typical pastor without close friendships, I urge you to seek them out. They may keep you in ministry for the long haul, and your wife will thank you.

Enjoy The Ride,

Cecil

The Journey Begins

There is an excitement and anticipation about this small group journey we're about to begin.  Everyone's senses are on high alert including our spiritual antennas.  The prayer is that our hearts and minds are transformed to fill the hole in our gospel.  Witnessing the school supplies giveaway bless so many children and families brought a bigger smile and joy to our faces in my opinion.

This week—WHERE is the Hole?

The Hole in Our Gospel, looks to see if we might be forgetting something in our faith journey. It asks, “What does God expect of us?” Are we missing something that He expects of us? Now let’s be clear. The gospel isn’t missing something. We’ve been missing something that’s in it.

Come out for time of worship, Word, and fellowship!

See you tonight at 7:30 pm

Remix Cafe

657 Meacham Avenue, Elmont, NY 11003.

Enjoying The Ride,

Cecil

Golgotha to Calvary

Closing out a series on Broken Chains earlier this month was enlightening and encouraging. The focus was on how God recycles people, situations, places, etc for good and His purpose.  The picture of Golgotha (the place of skulls) came to mind.  That is the hill on which Jesus was taken to to be crucified.

The soil of Golgotha has soaked up a lot of blood, sweat, and tears from criminals, friends, families, and onlookers. The air has an odor of despair, defeat, and death.  The landscape shows gloom and no life.  There are bone fragments mixed in with pebbles and stones laying on the ground.  There are dried up blood stains on those stones, bones, and soil.  There is an aura about Golgotha that exudes "THE END" ... "GIVE UP" ... and quite literally, "DEATH"! 

When we have those "dead" and devastated ares of our life, what do we see, feel, smell, and sense around us? Do we taste the bitterness of hurt? Do we smell the stink of decaying lives? Do we feel the pain of defeat? Do we see the despair in the eyes of people?

They thought taking Jesus to Golgotha would bring Him to the grand finale.  "Exit stage left" as they say on Broadway. The "place of skulls" was the final "resting" area for criminals found guilty in that day.  But wait ... there's hope even for Golgotha.  Because a day was coming that God had planned, before time began, to enter that place, that situation, that lifeless state and do something about it.  Jesus entered the picture.  Jesus was convicted ... but there was no fault in Him.  A holy God entered a devastated and unholy place.  A righteous God walked into the midst of the unrighteous and gave Himself up knowing the bigger picture. 

Is it our relationships with spouses, children, parents?  Is it our finances?  Is it our health?  Is it our emotions?  Is it the ministry God entrusted with us?  Is it our passion for God?  Is it our families?  Is it our marriages?  Is it our commitment to serve the body of Christ?  Is it our relationship with God? 

WHAT HAS NO LIFE RIGHT NOW?  LET THE RIGHTEOUS, HOLY, AND POWERFUL FATHER GOD, SON JESUS CHRIST, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT WALK INTO THOSE AREAS AND ALLOW HIM TO JUST RECYCLE IT FOR HIS PURPOSE AND GLORY! 

We dont talk about Golgotha anymore but we call it Calvary.  When we allow Jesus to come in and take over He will forever change the identity of our lives.  We are not sinners, defeated, sick, or poor, but we are redeemed, victorious, strong, and rich in Him. 

Enjoy The Ride,

Cecil

Finale from X-Conference

CHURCH SYSTEMS

As the church is the body of Christ, the church systems may be compared to human body systems. The human body is made up of 10 major organ systems. Without all functioning properly the entire body will be affected - weakened. In the same way, the church is made of many systems and if all are not synchronized and functioning properly, the entire church body is negatively affected.

1. Worship Planning – is it maximized?

2. Evangelism – not just "convert" business but DISCIPLESHIP process
a. Prepare for people to come
b. Think big
c. Tick the devil off

3. Assimilation – keep first time “gifts”
a. Relationships
b. Responsibilities

4. Volunteers
a. Lost people need a place to serve
b. 50% church serves 1 hour a week

5. Small Groups

6. Stewardship – part of discipleship proces

7. Leadership Development

8. Strategic – work on church present and future

Enjoy The Ride,
Cecil