Ripple Effect

I was reading the “The Evangelistic Perspective” magazine this morning. There was an article written by Renda Brumbeloe, titled The Ripple effect. The article was pretty simplistic, but caused me to think about my ripple effect. Here is a interesting ripple effect:

• In 1855, a Sunday school teacher, Mr. Kimball, led a Boston shoe clerk to give his life to Christ. The clerk, Dwight L. Moody, became a Evangelist.


• In England in 1879 Dwight L. Moody awakened evangelistic zeal in the heart of Fredrick B. Meyer, pastor of a small church.


• F.B. Meyer, preaching to an American college campus, brought to Christ a student named J. Wilbur Chapman.


• J. Wilbur Chapman, engaged in YMCA work, employed a former baseball player, Billy Sunday, to do evangelistic work.


• Billy Sunday held a revival in Charlotte, North Carolina. A group of local men were so enthusiastic afterward that they planned another evangelistic campaign, bring Mordeci Hamm to preach.


• During Mordecai Hamm’s revival, a young man named Billy Graham heard the gospel and yielded his life to Christ.
  

This caused me to think of what ripple effect do I have in our community, or my sphere of influence. I or we may never know what my small drop of water in the huge pond of this world will make in the lives that I or we touch. Everything we do that is the will of God will affect lives for eternity.

So what are you doing to cause the ripple effect?

Steven Curtis Chapman's Family Loss

I was really touched by Steven Curtis Chapman's family discussion of the lost of their daughter and sister.

The family has really depended on God and focused on God's strength during the lost of their daughter and sister. We need to praying for the Chapman's.

It can be a lonely world without Christ. I hope that you are touch as I was with this families loss and depenace on God during a time of loss and grief.

Steven Curtis Chapman on Larry King Live 8/7/08 Part 1/6
The Steven Curtis Chapman Family on Larry King Live, 8/7/08Part 1 of 6
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9nt_FPtK3I
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9nt_FPtK3I
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5qf5gwTO8A&
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY8alyk69vg&
Part 6:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzv8xf1Omd8&

Are You the Same Team

This caught my eye this morning. It was from an email I received from Gary Smalley. What do you think?

"Hey, aren't we on the same team?"

Good relationships operate like a team! Therefore you have to redefine winning as "finding and implementing a solution that people can feel good about." A winning solution goes beyond a plan of attack that seems merely acceptable or tolerable to everyone. That's compromise, and compromises rarely make anyone feel good.

A win-win solution makes everyone feel good, gives positive movement to the relationship, and leaves the relationships in a better place than it was before. You tend to relax when winning becomes "finding and implementing a solution that people can feel good about." Why? Because you don't have to worry that the others will accept a solution that makes them feel like a loser.

If you walk away from every conflict feeling like a loser, do you think a win-win solution might help? What will it take to focus on both parties winning?

Blessings,


Gary Smalley
Editor, Smalley Relationship Center

Patriotism

This Sunday a video was shown that really impacted me. It was great and I thought that I would share it with others.

I do wonder if the younger generations will understand what patriotism is all about. Watching this video a few times today brought back to some of my experiences in the Viet Nam war era. Even though I did not go to Nam, I spent time in the military and I had friends that I lost in that war.

We must not loose site of where our freedom in this country comes from and the lives that have been given to protect our freedom. There is another freedom that we all can have and that is in Christ. Christ can and will set us free... All we have to do is ask....

Second Half Christians

Second-half Christians often hesitate these days, somewhat jaded, a bit road weary, yet waiting to be invited as valued members to the team. More than ever they are ready to be challenged with fresh purpose. But too often church leaders make a dangerous assumption … that these second-half Christians will remain content to just be … while the church focuses on other "more important" tasks of reaching the next generation. It is imperative for church leaders to release these treasures for God's Kingdom and not let them slip through our fingers. (Ward Tanneburg, CASA Ministries)

What do you think, is Ward on to something here?


Quick Facts on Boomers - by Rev. Chris Holck
• Born between the years of 1946 and 1964
• Approx. 78 million alive in 2005. In the 18 years prior to the Boomers, which are labeled the Builders, there were 49 million births
• 11,000 Boomers turn 50 or 60 each day (one every seven seconds) which equals over 4 million each year
• First Boomers eligible for Social Security in 2008
• First Boomers turn 65 in 2011 and the number of 65 and over will increase dramatically during the 2010-2030 period with twice as many 65 and over in 2030 than there were in 2000, growing from 35 million to 71.5 million and representing nearly 20 percent of the U.S. population
• By the year 2025, Americans over 65 will outnumber teenagers by more than two to one
• The U.S. Census Bureau projects that the population 85 and over could grow from 5.3 million in 2006 to nearly 21 million by 2050 which is when the youngest Boomers will have turned 85
• Life expectancy during the twentieth century went from 48 to 78 years of age

James

This has been a packed 13 weeks. It was great to revisit the book of James. Last night was the last night of our discussions. James is a great thought provoking book. During these weeks a number of people told me how they received enlightenment from this study. James also challenged me during this study. The most recent was the last chapter of James and the last few verses cause me to think, what am I doing to seek and save the lost?

James 5:19 ¹⁹ My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, ²⁰ remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins

• The one who wonders away – this may be a person who momentarily turns from God, or a person who thinks himself or herself to be a Christian but has dead faith and is not a Christian at all.
  
• The fate that waits them – for the person who has wondered away from God, the disconnection from God is a form of death; but for the nonbeliever, his or her eternal death is in view.
  
• The one who can help – each of us are instrumental in restoring or bringing the wanders to life with Christ. We play an integral role in the restoration process.
  
• The goal of salvation – for the rebellious Christians, their wayward spirits are reformed and they come back into the fellowship with God; for the fake Christians who professed faith but never had it, they will-for the first time-come into realization of God's presence and grace with the forgiveness of their sins.
  

I hope that we are always looking for those who stray from God that we don't through them out. We need to be praying for these people and be willing to help them to see what they are doing and bring them back to God.

Ordination

Well this week I finally was ordained in the Church of the Nazarene. This is a significant accomplishment for me, because it has taken ten years to complete. I thank God that he helped me to stay the course and completed what is required. I had all of my family and significant people in my life at the service.

It has really been interesting with all of the people wondering what to call me Rev, Pastor or what. I still like to be called Mike, I feel so honored that God has called me to this place for this time.