Monday Reflections

-Thanksgiving was fun...good time with Kelsey's family
-Good to see Kelsey's grandma this past weekend...been a long time
-Started a new series...We Are...talking about family
-Reading a book...Multisite Church Road Trip...good stuff
-Wishing I didn't have a headache again today! Medicine from last week, doesn't seem to be making my eyes better...
-GREAT time with Jerimae today...LOVE THAT GUY!
-Lots of sick people around church yesterday...
-Great time of singing...challenging message...
-FIGHT FOR YOUR FAMILY...it's the only one you've got
-Tough challenge for people at the end of the message...being willing to forgive...to let go...freeing if you're willing to go there...TOUGH to go there
-PRAYING HARD for approval THIS WEEK for our building stuff
-I'm bummed that I'll miss hanging out with the pastor gang again tomorrow...miss those guys!
-Kels took her gma back to Indy yesterday becasue gma didn't feel well...hope she feels better
-Funny how I just had some time off, but hardly spent any of it with Kels...
-Played some serious NBA-LIVE with Jaden and Kels' brothers
-I stink at video games!

Monday Reflections

Mondays are hard...busy...lots of switching gears as I go from task to task. Interesting day...

-Services yesterday were very good...God moved!
-It was good to share my heart yesterday morning...
-Sin really is like mold...sometimes it is hidden behind the walls and sometimes it is OBVIOUS to everyone
-God is so unbelievably holy...perfect...the slightest sin would soooooooooooooo noticable compared to him.
-Jerimae is POURING himself into other worship leaders...we had our 4th guy in 4 weeks leading (Jerimae-Colin-Marty-Mike)
-Mike did a GREAT job leading us to God
-I love Chris Tomlin's Amazing Grace
-Communion was great last night
-We are BEGGING God for favor from the building department
-We got word today that there is a possibility that they will approve things this Wednesday...PRAY!
-DId I mention PRAY?!
-I wonder who the first to come to Christ will be in the new building!? Cool to think about!
-My class tonight had great discussion
-Mondays are a lot harder after I preach...before I was teaching again...Monday a.m. was a time to debrief...now I'm "ON" with teaching kids...it was an adjustment today
-I love God more today than ever in my life

Blitzed!

A breath of fresh air...that is what I would call this morning's blitz. The chance to go out and serve families...to share Jesus in a simple and practical way. Someone asked me a couple of days ago if "they could bring their kids with them." My thought...ARE YOU KIDDING ME, OF COURSE!! I LOVE going out with Kels and the kids...Love serving people TOGETHER! I feel refreshed...kinda funny...get up early on Saturday morning...run around like a madman...drive around the city trying to find people's homes...give food to families...AND IT CHARGED ME UP! "Thanks for the opportunity God...LOVE IT!"

5 Lies of Satan

Tomorrow morning we complete our series on the 5 Lies of Satan...looking forward to speaking and sharing my heart with people. Every time before I speak, I am concerned about the impact...I don't want to just share information...don't want to just give facts and be done...I LONG to see the Spirit of the living God IMPACT the lives of the people who come. If they come then they are seeking God to some level...I don't take that lightly. Tomorrow, I begging God that people would be open to examine their lives...to search for the areas they just let slip by and the areas that they let slip, but those are leading to something worse...little by little...Can't wait for the morning!

No Distractions Allowed

I usually turn off my phone when I'm at school...there is good reason for that. My students deserve my best and if I hear my phone my mind won't be on them. As I left school today I turned on my phone and had a text from Rusty...our building was broken into last night. They broke the glass window in the door and went in. Praise God nothing was taken...they couldn't get the lights on! (When we left after Prayer Encounter, I had thrown all the circuits...didn't know which was which, so I did them all!)

Here is the thing though...I am not surprised this happend and happened today. I am prepping for my message this Sunday on the last of our "5 Lies of Satan" series...the message title: "At least it's not a BIG sin." I went to bed last night thinking about it...I woke up this morning thinking about it...actually I woke up and the main illustration I'm going to use Sunday came to my mind...it is a deeply personal one...SO, I WILL NOT STOOP DOWN to these distractions...will NOT allow Satan and his pepole to have their day...Nehemiah said it best "I'm about a great work and CANNOT COME DOWN!" No distractions...

Sharing your faith...

Last night I posted about wanting to share my faith this week...THEN, I walk into our building for Prayer Encounter and the electrician was working...GREAT GUY! I hadn't met him before and intro-ed myself and he started asking questions and talking about his view of God. Sounds like there has been some tough stuff in his life...he isn't sure that God is real. I encouraged him to pray and ask God to show himself...and if he sincerely asks, God will respond!

Here is the best part...I got to have the conversation because Rusty and Don had already talked to him earlier in the day...they didn't give quick answers...they listened and shared about how God has impacted their lives...they were real...they wrestled through questions with him...they really stirred up his heart! Then tonight I had the chance to share and then listen to Don share his heart too. It was GREAT! I never get tired of hearing people search for God...

I have often said that if God has changed your life you have enough information to share your faith. God doesn't expect us to be able to answer every question...he wants us to be available and to use what we know and then to learn more about him. TODAY...Rusty and Don listened...they shared their story...they made an impact...I LOVE WATCHING THE CHURCH WORK!

BTW...did you catch that...If God has changed your life...YOU HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION to share with other people! So what are you waiting for...GO SHARE!

Is it Saturday yet?!?!

A lot of people have this question because they CAN'T WAIT for the weekend...I have this question because I can't wait for our Blitz Saturday!! We have an outreach on Saturday morning...we connected with Boy's and Girl's Club and have 50 families that we are going to take groceries too. People have called all of them and asked for 5 items that they need and then we purchased those, a turkey and a few "extras" for each family. THEN on Saturday we get to deliver them to the families! I LOVE THIS BLITZ! Providing for practical needs of people. Another cool part of this is the idea came from students in my Grace College class!! COOL! SO...is it SATURDAY YET?!?!?!?!?!?

My thoughts...

Whatever comes to mind...

-I just got off of Skype with Dave Griffith in France...Great to hear from him!
-Ran tonight for the first time in months...was ok
-My son could outrun me right now in a 5K...Jaden ran a 5K a few weeks back on a treadmill...did it in under 28 minutes! HE IS 6 YEARS OLD!
-I love music...the way it can just grab your heart
-Peace Be Still by Rush of Fools is still my #1 song right now...
-Breakthrough by Jerimae is a close 2nd...sometimes I just play those 2 over and over on my iTunes
-What is God came back tonight...am I ready?
-I pray that Luke comes to Jesus before the rapture!
-My eye is still a mess...can't see well...had more tests today
-God is perfect...holy...bigger than my imagination...
-Since I hurt my foot in January I have put on 23 lbs...I'm pushing 200!
-Starting to read a book called "Mulitsite Church Road Trip" Get to do a blog-tour with the authors in December...kinda cool...
-What would happen if Grace Community Church grabbed the vision of multisite...no really grabbed it...not just Jim and some of the leaders, but the church...What kind of mess could we make for the enemy?!
-I really like dreaming about what I just wrote!
-WHEN WILL THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT GIVES US THE GREEN LIGHT!!
-We have amazing volunteers at Grace
-I'm dreaming of a day when we right here in South Bend have 3 campuses...make that 5...One right where we are now...one in downtown...one on the west-side (here we come Williams')...one in Granger...one in Mishawaka...AND let's cross the boarder into Michigan and get one in Niles...WHY NOT! THERE ARE 175,000 PEOPLE WITHIN 5 STINKIN' MILES OF OUR CAMPUS...WHY NOT?!?!?!?!
-What would happen in THE church, if the people obeyed God with their $...what if...
-My heart BREAKS for my students...their people...beautiful people...some with great struggles...some with deep hurts...some with HUGE smiles...
-If Aldo doesn't come back to school soon and give me one of his HUGE-BRIGHT SMILES...Get healthy young man!
-What would these kids do without teachers like Mrs. Werner and Mrs. Evans...these ladies LOVE their students...the invest part of themselves in their students...it's an honor to teach with them
-Tell me this...what in the WORLD would I do without Kelsey! Aside from Jesus...BEST decision of my life was asking her to marry me 14 years ago THIS MONTH!
-Kelsey is doing the Book Fair...reading in the kid's classrooms...organizing and cooking the teacher's luncheon AND STILL our house looks amazing and we had an amazing dinner tonight...HOW DOES SHE DO IT?!?!
-Chloe placed in her last swim meet...AND better yet...took time off of her times AGAIN.
-I have not met a student yet who works harder than Chloe...I had to get on her about being to hard on herself!!
-Jaden Blake Boucher...THAT YOUNG MAN IS GETTING STRONG! Wrestled with him for 40 minutes today...Whoa...dude's a stud!
-Luke would like to be his brother...everything Jaden does...Luke does...the good, the bad, the disgusting!
-Do we realize that people are watching us in the same way that Luke watches Jaden...
-Do we realize that GOD is watching us...even closer than Luke watches Jaden!
-ARE YOU STILL READING THIS?!?!?!?
-I am really having fun writing all of this tonight...cheap therapy!
-I am grateful tonight that I have men who have invested themselves in me...that have poured themselves into me...I long to do that for others
-If we pray for something and God says no...are we o.k with that?
-My knee just started hurting...BUT at least it was because I exercised!
-If I could have it my way...EVERYONE in this community would give their lives to Jesus
-So...who am I going to talk to about Jesus tomorrow?!
-God...thanks for your grace...something I sure didn't deserve, but you gave it anyone...thanks.
-"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:7)

Why?

I was in a conversation today and was reminded of this question: WHY IN THE WORLD are you a pastor, Tim?! AND another question that was asked of me several years back before I became a pastor by a friend: "Tim, is it about church planting or about church planting in South Bend?" The question was and still is a no-brainer...it is about South Bend, IN. I LOVE THIS AREA...I LOVE THE PEOPLE...I want to die doing this work. That's how I feel today...honestly. With the ups and downs...the victories in lives and the tragedies...(hey...someone remind me of this post in the low times!) I love what I do...I love pouring myself into the people in our church and our community. "Thanks God for giving me my dream job..."

Back in the groove...

About 12 weeks ago I started teaching after school classes at Perley...It had been 3 years since I had taught a music class...I felt very awkward...it felt forced...didn't really feel "in the gear." Things have started coming back to me little by little...I can feel a rhythm again when I'm in the classroom...it feels good! How true is this of our spiritual lives too...if we don't work on our relationship with God...if we don't spend time...then we never get in that groove...it just feels awkward...know what I mean...We must take time with God...take time to know him better...SO quit reading this post and go spend some time with God!! I'm going to dive into the book of Esther tonight...

Monday Reflections...

We had a guest speaker yesterday via video...Darin Holsopple, a teacher with Fairfield Schools, gave a message on creation...FANTASTIC JOB! He really stirred in people and his PASSION was obvious. I LOVE seeing people using their gifts and passions...very cool!

Our Sunday was a good one...Marty Myles led our worship with Yoder being out of town...cool to see him there...GREAT heart for Jesus and worship. (Any church out there looking for a worship leader...give the guy a call...he's open!) Great heart...the cool thing about our worship time over the past few month especially...it has become much more than music...more than just a prep for the message...truly an experience of God and an act of worship to God...Jerimae has done a GREAT job pouring into his team and then them leading us.

I love to see people step up too...we had to fill in some gaps because of people being gone or sick and BAM! people just step up to serve. FUN TO EXPERIENCE!

Building update...still waiting for final approval...wrestling with when to start...well...some of that is out of our hands...without approval from the city we can't go with full-steam-ahead...I would LOVE to start on Christmas Sunday...we'll see!!!! "GOD...show us your favor with the building dept!!!!"

BTW...I just love being married and being a dad...I love discipling my kids...it is HARD sometimes, but I just LOVE it! (Not sure why this popped in my head, but thought I'd share!!)

Until later...

I LOVE CHURCH PLANTERS!

I just got off the phone with Mike...a church planter...I just LOVE talking with guys who are starting churches...their faith...their questions...their passion...LOVE IT! This is the 2nd guy I've spent time with in the past week...Pray for Mike at Virginia Beach and Jeremy here in Mishawaka...both guys are starting churches after the first of the year...both guys love Jesus...I CAN'T wait to hear their stories of how God brings things together.

Another thing hit me while talking with Mike today...they are looking into meeting in a theater and he asked me about how many volunteers it takes to get set-up and tear-down done...I realized again what an amazing group of people we have right now...they work SO hard and make things happen so quickly! I'm so proud of our team...I can't wait to get there in the morning and hang out and serve with them!

Goals...

Why set goals? How do you set goals? I have been thinking about my goals for the past couple of days and then got an email from Jim, our lead pastor, asking for a year-review...good timing I guess! So how do you measure how things are going in your life...Personally? Spiritually? With your family? With your job...with ministry?

I personally list out 5 key areas that I want to work on each year and then make goals for each...
1. Personal
2. Visionary Leadership
3. Evangelism and Outreach
4. Training Leaders
5. Shepherding People

Once I get my key areas, I write out measurable goals for each one...for Personal Goals I make goals for my physical health, spiritual disciplines, family...I break each area down into measurable goals...WHY? Because if we don't have a target then we aren't aiming at anything! How can we possibly measure success if we don't have something to compare it too. I review these goals monthly and write up something so I can track how I'm doing...It helps me to keep focus...to re-focus...

I do the same thing for our church...set out goals for the year and every month I review them...it's cool to see God work through these goals...how he adds things to it...how he comes through...

HEY...I best get back to it...I reviewed my goals today and there is A LOT to get done!! ;0)

I dreamed of this day...

Most of you probably won't get this...many of you will make fun! BUT...I have dreamed of this day happening...no not the part where I didn't feel well for most of the day...the part when I was looking outside in the front yard...I just wanted to see what was happening...to see if it finally would happen. AND IT DID...here is the background...when I grew up there weren't a lot of kids around (I used to think poor people lived in house that were close together! Funny...I LOVE living with houses close together now...and I don't feel too poor...) So, I would play in the backyard and play football...there wasn't another team there, just me...scoring touchdowns...hearing the crowd roar...breaking tackles...it was fun! (And easy to go undefeated!!) I have dreamed for MANY years of watching my kids someday do the same thing...and it happened today. Jaden was in the front yard playing football...he had no idea that I was watching him from inside the house (SO DON'T TELL HIM! YOU'LL RUIN HIS and MY FUN!). He was scoring touchdowns...passing to himself...breaking tackles...SMILING A LOT...he even put stuff in the yard so he would have to make "moves" get around them...I so enjoyed watching his free-creative spirit out there...made me remember "back in the day." Made me wonder if my parents ever stopped at the window and watched like I did...THANKS JADEN for making me smile today!

Thoughts...

Teaching my class on Monday nights at Grace College has really opened my eyes...opened them to the fact that MANY young people have not been discipled...mentored...one of my students was very honest last night and said in front of the class, that he knows he needs to be mentoring others, but he himself has never had that...never had someone invest in him personally...walk with him...challenge him...so I thought about it...how did Jesus do it? He shared with many, but invested himself personally in a few...Grace Community is a place where we desire to do things the way Jesus did...its not about tradition...the way things have always been done...so it made me think...what is happening, really happening here at Grace...I have been on a couple week journey thinking about this...haven't talked to anyone about it yet...(well, until this post!)...the bottom line is I want to make sure that our people are on a journey of becoming more like Jesus...I long to see them truly ROOTED...deeply ROOTED with Jesus...in the Word...prayer...other spiritual disciplines...sharing their faith with others...serving...using their gifts/abilities...I believe this is happening here...I believe that we can do better...my heart is stirred up...wondering what God will do with this...looking forward to continuing to learn as we go!

Is that true?

"God doesn't give you more than you can handle..." That was our message on Sunday...And the point? THAT IS A LIE! God gives us more than we can handle or we wouldn't need him! I know...1 Cor. 10:13...BUT that is speaking of temptation, not testing and trial...Check out 2Cor. 1 & 11...check out Paul's list of things that happened to him...Sometimes we get pushed beyond what we can bear...AND it is then that our Savior through the work of his Spirit gives us strength...strength that doesn't make sense...strength to endure when we can't on our own...THANK YOU JESUS for strength like that!

Peace Be Still

What a great song by Rush of Fools! I am listening to it while I write this post...God will give peace in the middle of any storm...ANY STORM! Jesus says in Matthew 5 "He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." God DOES NOT promise us an easy road...He promises to be there...walking with us...carrying us...giving us the strength to STAND UP UNDER whatever comes our way! THANK YOU JESUS FOR THAT!

IT'S BACK!!!!

MY VOICE IS BACK!!!! I lost my voice a week or 2 ago and I said a simple prayer..."Lord, when I get my voice back will you let me have my falsetto back?" For over a year my voice hasn't been right...I used to (and am again!) a music teacher but I haven't had my "head-voice"...you know the part of a man's voice that can sound really, really high pitched...It has been KILLING me because there are songs I can't sing and sounds that I want to make when I teach and I lost it. BUT I prayed that prayer and TODAY I could sing with Rush of Fools AND Jerimae Yoder!! I AM SOOOOOOOOO EXCITED! OK, so maybe you don't care, but it's exciting to me!!