Steve Caronna

OK...Thanksgiving break is over!

Last Weekend was a very special time in the life of Living Word as our founding Pastor Eddie Crabtree was here to minister on our 20th anniversary.  It was great to hear him talk about the early days of Living Word and how everything started.  I appreciate him and Debbie so much!  (Debbie wasn't able to come this time...she'll be with us soon)  They spent 7 years of their life and ministry building a foundation for Connie and I to build on, and everything Living Word is today can be traced back to the foundation that they built.  After Sunday service Pastor Eddie had lunch with the families at Living Word who were here when he was here and was their pastor.  He brought copies of his first Living Word message given on Nov. 16th, 1988, as well as copies of the first newspaper advertisements and a poem written by none other than Dave Scheyer!  The event ended up with our sharing a 20th anniversary (unhealthy) cake!

Starbucks Outreach

Every 3rd Thursday we shut down the office and the staff goes out to 40 businesses in the immediate area and takes orders for Starbucks drinks...on us!  It's just a great way to let the community know that we care about them.  Some who were not receptive at first (WHO could turn down free Starbucks???) are now excited about the third Thursday...and some people have actually changed their work schedule to be here on that day!  Here are some of our great staff getting coffee orders filled:

 

On another note, Connie has been training "Leading Ladies" for over a year now.  These are ladies who have made the commitment to lead other ladies through small group activities.  I'm so proud of all of the ladies who have made the commitment, taken the classes, and passed the tests!  If you're interested (and you're a lady!), Connie will train more in 2009.  Watch for details!  Here's a picture of Connie teaching the last class:

 

So what's it like to visit a new church for the first time?  The experience can range anywhere from a little scary to downright creepy.  Church is not supposed to be like going to anything else in the world...a ball game, a concert, or a class.  Supernatural things are supposed to happen!  But let's not lose sight of what newcomers can and can't relate to, and how our goofy ways of going about things can be so unrelatable by those we're (He's) trying to reach!  Watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7_dZTrjw9I

Great Weekend

How's this for God showing off:  almost 1100 at Church again this weekend, 10 people committing their lives to Christ, and 34 people Sunday night baptized in the Spirit with their prayer languages!  Acts 2:41-47 says that if we will create the atmosphere, God will add to the Church!  It's the "daily" adding to the Church that I long to see next!

I am really excited about the Christmas series coming up..."Vantage Point".  We're looking at the Birth of Jesus from 4 different viewpoints, and we'll each be able to see ourselves in the Christmas story!  Invite your friends.  Almost EVERYBODY will go to Church somewhere this Christmas.  Invite them to YOURS!

I just had the honor of praying at the Golden Corral annual military dinner.  Wow.  To be there with over 1,000 service men and women and their families was huge for me.  Let's continue to pray for the brave men and women who protect our freedoms every day, and don't forget to say "thank you" to a vet!

Maturity In MInistry

I know that you don't read this expecting me to copy other people's blogs, but Micah's blog today was so good that I HAD to copy it.  I really took a lot to heart as I read his entry, and I think you will learn from it also:

wow!  When being in ministry and interacting with so many people I have so many opportunities to show my lack of maturity. I also have a huge opportunity to see others lack of it as well.  Here are a few lessons on how to be a grown up that I have applied to my life.

Emotional maturity
Not easily getting feelings hurt when others don’t think of me before they act/speak
Holding my tongue until I understand what happened and what the intensions were.

• Grow emotionally by having quiet times talking things over with God.

Intellectual Maturity
Realizing you don’t know everything.
Learning from your mistakes the first time.
Learning from other's mistakes

• Grow intellectually by spending time having leaders correct you.

Moral/spiritual Maturity
Doing right because it’s right (not rationalize)
Being other centered regardless of what is fair

• Grow spiritually by reading the Word

PMT Planning Week

The management team has started work today on the 2009 plans.  Great things in store!  We have such a great management team in place, and they are all praying and working diligently to determine the direction of the ministry next year.  Please pray for us this week:

That we have heard clearly the direction we are supposed to go and the way we are to go about implimenting God's Vision at Living Word;

That we are able to cast a compelling Vision to the rest of the ministry in a way that helps everyone see how we all fit into our part of the Vision;

That we have supernatural strength as we sit through hours of planning meetings;

That our thoughts and hearts are clear to receive from God;

That Jesus is lifted up and draws all men unto Himself!

Murphy lesson

Murphy, Connie's Yorkie, loves the trash.  It's a little hard to figure out as she sits by the kitchen trash while you're preparing a meal, with that look on her face that says, "Why are you throwing all of that good stuff away?  Why can't I have it?"  She will get up on her hind legs without touching the rim of the trash can.  She looks like a Velociraptor from "Jurassic Park" crouched ready to strike!  Of course, she doesn't realize that in that trash can there are scraps from foods for human consumption that are actually dangerous for dogs, as well as sharp can lids, plastic bags, etc.  She also doesn't understand our obsession with her staying away from it.  While I was trying to cook spaghetti the other day, I must have said, "Murphy...NO!" about twenty times.  When I am preparing something that she can have, I will put a little in her dish.  But she doesn't understand that keeping her out of the trash is for her own good.  The interesting thing to me in all of this is that Murphy will NEVER understand what's wrong with the trash.  For the rest of her life, she will have to trust us that it's bad for her, without ever understanding why.

God is trying to keep us out of the trash.  There's stuff out there that's just not good for us.  The problem with us as humans is that often before we obey, we feel like we have to understand.  The mature believer is the one that obeys without having to understand.  The way we know the trash is 1) His Word.  There are those things the Bible says are not good for us, EVEN WHEN THE WORLD TRIES TO TELL US THAT THEY'RE LEGAL...THAT THERY'RE OK.   The viewpoint of others can confuse us, so we just need to trust God without necessarily understanding it.  The second way we know the trash is by the inner witness of the Holy Spirit.  We all know that inner voice that says, "That may be ok for everybody else, but NOT for YOU!"  Let's learn to trust the Holy Spirit even if we don't understand why.  "One Day" it may all make sense to us, but don't make that a condition for obedience. 

Stay out of the Trash!

Great Letter

Jennifer Tobler wrote this open letter to President Elect Obama, and posted it on her blog.  I thought it was so good that I would share it with you here.  If, of course, you voted for President Obama, this won't apply to you necessarily, but I think you will appreciate it anyway:

Dear President Obama,

Congratulations, though I didn’t vote for you.  I didn’t want you as the President, and I am a little concerned about the future of our country with you at the helm.  But here we are.  The people of this great country have cast their vote, and a large majority of those people have put their vote and their faith in you.  But this is just the first step.  You have simply overcome the first hurdle.  You have proven yourself a good campaigner.  Now the task set before you is to prove yourself as President.  The concerns many Americans have with your experience level, your associations, and your questionable actions are valid and will remain fresh in our minds as you navigate the murky waters of the Presidency.

However, no matter what we believe, feel, or think, you are now the President of the United States, our President.  And as the President of OUR nation, we will stand behind you.  We will pray for you. We will support you.  We may not and most likely will not agree with everything you do, just as we would not agree with everything that anyone does.  But no matter what the disagreement, we will stand with you, perhaps not on the same side of the argument, but stand with you nonetheless in building our country, raising ourselves out of the problems we face, and creating a better world for our children to inherit.

Congratulations, God bless you, and God bless America!

Spreading The Wealth

Recently, there's been a lot of talk about 'spreading the wealth around".  I must confess that I am not a big fan of taking money from people who have earned it, and giving it to people who didn't.  Don't get me wrong, anyone who knows me knows that I am a generous person and believe in helping people...when, of course,  it will make a difference in their lives.  But I don't like the idea of someone holding a gun to my head and MAKING me do it!

In "putting our money where our mouth is", who REALLY believes in spreading THEIR wealth around?  That's easy to talk about WHEN IT'S SOMEONE ELSE'S MONEY!  I have included some research done by my friend Tim Stevens at Granger Church.  Very revealing:

 

If I were giving the four candidates a grade based soley on their charitable giving (considering all tax returns released), it would look like this...

These percentages include ALL the giving from ALL the tax returns released by ALL the candidates. No available years were omitted.

What Now?

The national election for president is over.  Many people are excited about the results, and many are not...and many are just glad that it's over, no matter who won.  This has certainly been an exciting few weeks leading up to Nov. 4th. 

The bad news:  we did not elect a pro-life candidate.  Protecting the life of the unborn should have been at the top of the voting agenda of every believer.  The Church must continue to champion that cause! 

The good news:  it really IS possible for a black candidate to become president of the United States.  To some of you, that's not a big deal.  But I remember as a boy going into a restaurant with a sign out front:  WHITES ONLY.  I remember seeing separate restrooms for blacks and whites.  I remember the year our school finally let the two black families down the street let their kids come to school rather than making them go to the "black" school 10 miles away.

The good news:  John McCain really is an American hero.  Not just for what he endured in Vietnam, but also for the moving attempt at unity last night during his concession speech.

The bad news:  John McCain ran what may go down in history as the worst campaign ever.

The good news:  Barak Obama is a tremendous communicator.  I only wish John McCain could have articulated his position half as good.

The bad news:  I just wasn't crazy about either candidate, even though I voted for what I felt was the best chance to protect the unborn, as well as our values.

The good news:  JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!  No matter who is the president of the United States, the Bible is clear about where WE stand IN HIM!

PSALM 47

Praise to God, the Ruler of the Earth

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

¹     Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!

     Shout to God with the voice of triumph!

²     For the Lord Most High is awesome;

     He is a great ^aKing over all the earth!!!

³     ^bHe will subdue the peoples under us,

     And the nations under our feet.

⁴     He will choose our ^cinheritance for us,

     The excellence of Jacob whom He loves.      Selah

⁵     ^dGod has gone up with a shout,

     The Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

⁶     Sing praises to God, sing praises!

     Sing praises to our King, sing praises!

⁷     ^eFor God is the King of all the earth;

     ^fSing praises with understanding.

⁸     ^gGod reigns over the nations;

     God ^hsits on His ⁱholy throne!!!

⁹     The princes of the people have gathered together,

     ^jThe people of the God of Abraham.

     ^kFor the shields of the earth belong to God;

     He is greatly exalted.

 

The good news:  This is the Church's finest hour!  Matt. 16:18 says:

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it!! And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

The New Testament Church flourished under severe Roman occupation and persecution.  Do we think we're too good for that?  I realize that persecution doesn't sound like fun, but we need to get our eyes off of the world, and particularly which political party can advance the cause of Christ.  The truth is...that's NOT the agenda of either party!  Yes, there are Christians on both sides of the aisle, but neither the RNC or the DNC as organizations are Christian, and the ungodly are also entrenched in both!

So what are we as the Church supposed to do now?  The main things:

1. 1 Tim 2:1-2 says, " Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, ^2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence."  We are to PRAY for president elect Obama!

2.^   Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.  ( 2 Tim 4:2)  We must be ready to give an account of the hope that lies within us!  Regardless of what "fairness doctrine" or "hate crimes" legislation is passed, we MUST be true to HIS WORD!  We don't hate anyone, and certainly will be fair to everyone, but we will not compromise the Gospel!

3.  We must stay busy doing the Work of the Kingdom.  Don't get sidetracked from our mission, to spread the GOSPEL to the whole earth, beginning here at home with those we know!

4.  STAY FOCUSED!

5.  STAY FOCUSED!

6.  STAY FOCUSED!