Global Leadership Summit 2014

I didn't attend the Global Leadership Summit this year, but only volunteered and listened to a few sessions.

The Theme seemed to be around establishing a "Grand Vision"

One speaker mentioned: "Challenge and confidence = courage"
If you have a challenge without confidence, that's frustrating.
If you have confidence without a challenge, that's frustrating.
but, if you have both a challenge and the confidence, that's courage.

I also heard that we should "Walk to the need" and we should "Find our calling"

What's So Important About Church?

What's So Important About Church?

Tony Campolo spoke at the Ocean Grove Great Auditorium on Aug 17, 2014

Here is a recording of the message 

He has spoken to Christians who tell him that they believe in Jesus, but don't go to church. He tells them that you will loose your faith unless you come together with like minded people. The church is important!

If you don't go to church, you will take on the beliefs of the secular society around you.

Characteristics of a secular society:

*Temporality: life is only in this world. The church provides the answer for eternal life

* Relativity: no absolutes, no moral absolutes. 

* Contingency: everything has an explanation, based in science, provable.

They assumed up until 2 years ago they believed that the Big Bang would wind down due to entropy. But, whenever science answers a question, it raises more questions. The Hubble telescope shows that the expansion of the universe is speeding up. Scientists now have new questions to answer.

The secular mind doesn't know how to handle death. The church has the answer. The church takes death and makes it a celebration. When this life is over, there is a life to live with Christ!

There will be a new heaven and new earth. We will have a new body. 

Though you die, still you will live!

You can have a personal relationship with the resurrected Jesus today. You will be transformed.

The Tears of Jesus: message by Steve Brown

Rev. Steve Brown spoke on this subject on Aug. 10, 2014 at Ocean Grove NJ. The recording is available here: 

http://oceangrove.org/pages/sermon-replays

Matthew 23:37-39 tells the story (read it)

(Another viewpoint of Jesus going into Jerusalem: Luke 19: 41-44)

Do we shed tears?

Some go to the shopping mall and cry for those who don't know Jesus.

Steve shared that he doesn't care about the souls of those he doesn't know. He prays that Jesus will give him tears like his.

Not only does Jesus hear our tears, but he comes into our lives and our darkness and mixed his tears with ours. 

1. Jesus showed mercy with tears. What is Mercy without tears? (Listen to the recording for more). Pray that God will give you tears, not to be mad, but to be merciful

2. Matthew 23; after he spoke his truth, he wept.

We have the truth. It's difficult to be an atheist; you have to be careful about what you watch, who your friends are, and careful when you go to a funeral. It's tough on them. 

We've been commissioned to spread the truth. But, we need to speak it in humility, caring, and tears. God doesn't need our help and our self-righteousness. 

3. Jesus gave himself with tears.

The cross is a magnifying glass that emphasizes God's tears. Jesus gave himself. We are all good at messing up and Jesus died to take it all away. When we realize it and understand it, then we can shed tears for others and tell others the story. 

Amen.

Free Goovebook of 100 pics for YOU!

We received our first Groovebook today!

And, if you want one, you can use our code to get the first one free!

"What's a Groovebook?" you ask.

We saw this on Sharktank on TV. Groovebook is a monthly subscription. For $2.99 (postage and handling included) each month, they send you a book with 100 of your photos. You upload you photos using their free app. Check it out at Groovebook.com and use our promo code (WILL109) for your first book free!

The photos came out really good. The book is perforated, so you can tear them out if you like. And, they have the date and time on the edge of the photo. I am surprised how well the photos came out considering I took them with my cell phone. I also uploaded some from our camera and they came out good too!

If you use our code, let me know!

I'd like to hear what you think of it too!

Are You a W4 Follower of Jesus in a W4 Church?

Here are my notes from yesterday's church service:
Are you a W4 Christian in a W4 Church?

Rev. Jorge Acevedo speaking at Ocean Grove NJ on 2014-08-03
Sermon Audio available at this link

1. Whoever will come - Mark 2:2

When we read about Jesus, he always had a crowd 

Luke 7 tells the type of people that Jesus hung out with. Would we allow them in our church?

They pray in his church "Lord, send us the people who know one else wants."

We need to hold out a welcome mat for everyone

2. Whenever they chose

Mark 2:2-3

People in need are ready for Christ.

Spiritual malpractice is Offering Jesus to heal, but not offering the people, places and processes to help them get well.

Barbarians don't have a decoder ring; they don't know what the doxology is, they don't know what the gospel is. 

3. Whatever it takes

Mark 2:4

They dug a hole in the roof! They were willing to do anything to get a hurting person in front of Jesus. What are we willing to do to get people to Jesus?

Hear the story on the recording.

Have you decided that nothing is sacred when helping others?

4. Without compromise - without compromising the Gospel

Mark 2:5

When you have issues, you'll have 4 friends who will bring you to Jesus!

Jesus healed him spiritually before physically.

Rev. T.D. Jakes said "Would God give you a chair in your church without wanting someone to fill it?"