Of the many things that make this nation exceptional, loyalty to liberty is high on the list. Freedom is something that seems part of the American soul. It would be an easier task to separate a Frenchman from his baguette or an Englishman from his tea than to take the innate desire for freedom out of the heart of an American.
Our church is growing! We are averaging over 525 every Sunday morning and are starting a 3rd morning service in the fall to accommodate the crowds.
On February 3rd, only 50 days ago, I stood before our church and asked God to do a miracle for us by allowing us to raise $250,000.00 in 7 weeks to begin construction on our new church building – (watch it here: www.nextstepoffering.com/next-step-presentation/). We were very specific, a quarter of a million in 7 weeks. However, by the end of March 24th, we had missed our mark by over $100,000.00.
We actually raised $146,234.00 in cash in 49 days, with additional pledges of $96,476.00, bringing our total to $242,710.00. This is an amazing miracle, and we celebrated as such (here: www.nextstepoffering.com/the-reveal/). But the fact of the matter is, we did not receive what we asked for. We asked God for $250,000.00 in 7 weeks to immediately begin construction on our future facility.
Who are the pastor’s biggest influences in life? In my previous post I mentioned that I have three answers to that question: #1 – The Holy Spirit, #2 – Your Wife, #3 – Your Mentors. In the previous post I wrote about mentors. Today, I will address the pastor’s greatest human influence, his wife.
WOW! OK… so we got some attention with that last post about music. I think we really… wait for it… STRUCK A CHORD.
Here is a link to the previous Music Post: http://www.joshuateis.com/i-love-a-variety-of-christian-music/
There were so many questions and comments on the last post I thought I would post a follow-up. A few things I want to say…
Continue reading “I Love A Variety of Christian Music – Part 2”
Through servant evangelism we may open the hearts of those who may be closed to the gospel otherwise.
I. Living in a Post-Christian America
I am not a doomsday guy! In fact I am probably one of the most optimistic individuals you will come across. So when I say that we live in a post-Christian America I am not succumbing to pessimism and doubt. It’s just a fact. William McRaney says in his book The Art of Personal Evangelism, “The questions and issues for lost people have changed. I am not sure that we are listening to the questions any longer. Is it possible that in our efforts to communicate we are simply shouting our answers at a higher pitch?”[1] I believe he is right. In our culture we have moved beyond a time where everyone believes there is a God and just lacks the details on how to become a Christian. This is why programs like “The Bible” on the history channel are important. Though not every detail is completely accurate, it raises the awareness of the a Scriptures to a pop culture level and allows for a dialogue with some who may have been previously closed to the Gospel.
A legitimate question arises in the heart of a growing Christian when looking at the pastor and his tremendous responsibilities. Who pastors the pastor?
