Cross Country Journey, along with Zero to Sixty Seconds

Officially I am back to the daily grind of Full Time ministry, just returning from a cross country road trip from LosAngeles to Mobile Alabama yes that's what I said (LOL). My wife, daughter, four other family members and I embarked on this journey and let me tell you it was great.Even though it was vacation there were a couple of had to reads I had to take you know books. One of the books I carried was Zero to sixty 60 principles and practices for Leading a Growing Church by BOB FRANQUIZ a Senior Pastor in Miami, Fl Calvary Fellowship. Fellow blogger let me tell you if you don't have this book I highly recommend you pick it up asap for you first and then your leaders or pass it on, but I personally feel everyone needs there own copy it will tremendously help you. In this book Bob shares with us his journey, He's transparent and flat out honest.In this book he deals with Leadership Strategies, Staffing Strategies, Ministry Strategies, and Personal Development Strategies. This book was such an excellent read I finished it before I arrived in Mobile Ala it was like I went from Zero to sixty I challenging you pick it up you will not regret it.


Until next time One going from Zero to sixty

What is Preaching ?

With so many definitions of preaching what really is preaching? Two children of a Pastor were playing when one asked what is preaching one of the children said it's what daddy does on sunday, the other quickly responded and said he doesn't preach he tells jokes ouch! So what then is preaching? Preaching is the spoken communication of divine truth with a view to persuasion, it is divine truth. Preaching is limited to the proclamation and enforcement of the truth of God, simply it is the delivery of a message from God to man.It is said that Charles Spurgeon said "to him christianity was not an argument, but a message;not something to be discussed, but something to be delivered by the preacher and instantaneously accepted by the hearer." People don't come to church after enduring the infliction of an ambitious but useless sermon, to learn history, but to be reminded of duty. It is said that a man once went to worship and complained about the sermon he said I went to hear the way to heaven; I was told the way to Palestine. Our reason for being in the pulpit is that we have a word from the Lord to deliver to His people, this age wants and is prepared to receive not the priest, but the prophet.When the spaniards would describe a tedious writer they say, He leaves nothing in the inkstand! Brethren let that be our testimony in closing Guthrie demanded in every sermon what he called" the three P's," Proving, Painting, & Persuading, this week proclaimers how will you paint, prove, and persuade, what will your canvas look like. My prayer is that God would breath on our canvas as we work him.


until next time!

Numbers 6:24

THE GOODNESS OF GOD!

Hello fellowbloggers I haven't posted in a while, but I've cruised through the neighborhood and see you all are maintaining God be praised. This year has been extremely busy, we just finished a small expansion to create more seating and the first sunday the space was gone, we've been blessed to take in 30 new members of which at least 20 are candidates for Baptism, I've been preaching added services for a senior pastor during there 7 am and 11am service since the first of the year doing 3 to 4 services per sunday gearing up to preach at fairview baptist church Dr. JA Reed jr next sunday, and I just preached the opening message for the Western Baptist State Convention Dr.J B Hardwick President, this will also prove to be a busy week of going, please remember us in your prayers that God would strengthen us and we praise Him for the many opportunities indeed God is stretching us and were greatful.

It's been a long time!

Hello fellow bloggers it seems like a year has passed since the last time I blogged, the last several months have been extremmly busy particularly in the area of preaching. With the New Year and all the work at Full G I've rarely had moments to write, but thankfully I found a window in which to write. On Wednesday I'm still working through Hebrews, and sunday challenging the church with various passages, in past 3 weeks we taken in 14+ members, of which 5 are candidates for baptism, on top of our morning assignments we've been helping out a Senior Pastor in our city who is Ill. This past sunday we preached the building dedication worship for Pastor Clinton Smith and the First Goodwill Family, sunday night our drummer George Johnson hosted the 10th annual MLK Midnight Musical actually it's from 9:00pm to 12:00am, it was great, monday I rested and today I went to be with and Officiate the Homegoing service of Pastor Clinton Smiths Father pray for him and his family. Finally what can I say About this historical day, Join me in praying for our President Obama.


Until Next time
Numbers 6:24

A BUSY WEEKEND

Sunday was an extremely long day for me and the members of Full"G" wehad great worship I preached from Ephesians 6:18, our attendance was good and we ate from the Lord's table. Following Worship our leaders and many of our members went by to support Pastor Clinton Smith and the First Goodwill Family, let me say the place is super nice and Clint is to be commended for the step of faith, the leadership of the entire project, I was really proud watching how he handled the contractor, studio 116 and all other workers, again great job, brother. We only stayed about 45 minutes because we had a 3:00pm worship with a another great exspositor from Cali, contrary to what some believe there are some seriously solid exspositors in Cali who many people are unaware of. The exspositor I'm speaking of is Pastor Kelly Taylor who in 1999 organized a church called Logos Church, he was recently called to Pastor a church here in the city called New Congregational; he accepted and his entire logos family church is making the move with him, so we went for their final worship as Logos church and what a time we had I preached 1 Peter 5:1-4 and titled the message the Unfading Crown of Glory. Maybe later if I get a chance I'll post the outlines later. Please remember these two Pastors I've mentioned in your prayers as they enter into this new season of ministry and me too :)


Until next time

Numbers 6:24

Lord's Day Worship

Today I had a unique oppurtunity to preach at a historic Church here in the city at 7:00am and then I travelled to our 9:00am worship and at 3:00pm we will have our youth worship with guest speaker youth Pastor Rick Mc Gregor of Greater Metropolitan Church. This morning I challenged the church with a message on missions from Isaiah 6:1-12. At the 7;00am worship I was warmly received, and it went extremely well, God is awesome. At our 9:00am we had several guest that returned from thanksgiving worship, I talked about getting a hold on missions.
God Uses Circumstances to Make Us Aware of His Presence 6:1
God Reveals His Character to Make Us See Our Need 6:2-7
God Gives Us Hope to Make Us Realize We Are Useful 6:8
God Expands Our Vision to Make Us Evaluate Our Availability 6:8
God Tells Us the Truth to Make Us Focus on Reality 6:9-12

I'M BACK

It's been some time since I have had the oppurtunity to blog my work at the church has been tremendously busy, also work with our state congress were I serve as Vice president at Large and were gearing up for our state congress in Palm dessert California were we are expecting some 2000 delegates and I'm responsible for all youth curriculm as well as teaching a class. We this past weekend meet for the second time in our school of the prophets and discussed Correlation, and Application along with Aristotles principles for effective communication. On top of all this still working through Hebrews this week were in 11:32-40, ill post the outline later this week. Sunday was a great day of Worship for us our praise and worship team as well as our youth choir provided music and the message was from 1Thessalonians 5:23-28
Saying good bye in this passage Paul good bye is actually a prayer and a blessing at the same time F.F Bruce calls it a "wish prayer" because instead of saying "Father, may You do this for these people," He prays, " May God do this for you". According to Pauls wish prayer, God is able to do three things:
1. sanctify us entirely vs. 23
2. preserve us completely vs 23b
3.Receive us blamelessly vs 23c

And having focused on the Lord Paul turns his attention to relationships within the body.
1. We pray for one another vs 25
2. We affirm and show affection toward each other vs 26
3. Listen to the same information vs 27
Finally verse 28 spaeks of Grace Paul closes the letter the same way he opens it.
In conclusion my prayer for you is the same as that of the Apostle Paul as qouted from the message by Eugene Peterson

May God Himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, out you --- spirit, soul, and body and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it!
Friends, keep up your prayers for us. Greet all the Christians there with a holy embrace. And make sure this letter gets read to all the brothers and sisters. Don't leave anyone out.
The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you!