Tuesday, February 26, 2008
A Creative Idea God gave me.
I was at the Creative Church Conference last week at Fellowship Church in Grapevine (Dallas) TX. It was a great time and very inspirational. On Sunday, I returned home and preached a message I adapted from a message I heard from Brian Houston of Hillsong. I titled the message Nothing. Basically the message was about people in the Bible who thought they had nothing but God showed them that with Him the little they had in His hands could do mighty things. I think we all get to that pooint where we covet what others have and think we are somehow short on what we need to do God's will (at least I know it's where I get stuck).
Sometimes God strips away what we think we depend on so that He can remind us we depend on Him alone.
I was getting ready to preach on Sunday, and at the last minute, I got inspired to do something called repurposing. At New Creation we have tables that most of the people sit at. I gave each table and row of chairs an item and they had to come up with alternate uses for the item. I used that to tie the message together at the end by reminding them that the only limitations on people who follow God are the ones that He puts on them and that just as if they can find other uses for these common household objects, so if they will place their lives in His hand He can do more with them than they can imagine.
I think the greatest expression of creativity is when we take what we have even if it's small and do our best with it in obedience to His call. Just my two cents, if you try it, let me know how it works.
God bless,
Dave
(0) comments
I was at the Creative Church Conference last week at Fellowship Church in Grapevine (Dallas) TX. It was a great time and very inspirational. On Sunday, I returned home and preached a message I adapted from a message I heard from Brian Houston of Hillsong. I titled the message Nothing. Basically the message was about people in the Bible who thought they had nothing but God showed them that with Him the little they had in His hands could do mighty things. I think we all get to that pooint where we covet what others have and think we are somehow short on what we need to do God's will (at least I know it's where I get stuck).
Sometimes God strips away what we think we depend on so that He can remind us we depend on Him alone.
I was getting ready to preach on Sunday, and at the last minute, I got inspired to do something called repurposing. At New Creation we have tables that most of the people sit at. I gave each table and row of chairs an item and they had to come up with alternate uses for the item. I used that to tie the message together at the end by reminding them that the only limitations on people who follow God are the ones that He puts on them and that just as if they can find other uses for these common household objects, so if they will place their lives in His hand He can do more with them than they can imagine.
I think the greatest expression of creativity is when we take what we have even if it's small and do our best with it in obedience to His call. Just my two cents, if you try it, let me know how it works.
God bless,
Dave
Monday, February 25, 2008
Get On the Plane!
Those of you who know me, know I prayer walk every morning. Those who know me better, know I love to fly. There are often times in the predawn hours that I will see a plane flying overhead and I wonder where those people are going, what adventures lie in store for them, etc. and sometimes I even pray for these unseen strangers at 35,000 feet.
This morning was different. I saw the plane coming far in the distance and due to the oiptical illusions that come with altitude, I started to want to see how long I could stay in front of the plane. Yeah I know it's stupid but it helped me to keep my pace up for a few moments before it streaked by me. It was then that the Lord laid a thought on my heart and I started to pray. I thought of how silly it was to try to race the plane and I had this sort of defeated feeling come over me as I reasoned that just as I can't race a plane, it is hard to kep up with God. His ways are so much higher than mine etc. and there are days htat I feel like I am just barely keeping up. In truth I spend most of life feeling way way way behind. And then he spoke to me and said the way to keep up is simple to get on the plane. You see all my human efforts to keep up with God are futile if I am not on the plane of His will. When I am on a plane there's little effort, I sit in my seat and the plane takes me where I need to go. Could it be that easy with God? Somehow I think it is. Maybe this keeping up with God thing is as simple as making the choice to get on the plane and let Him take you where He wants you to go.
Today I am physically getting on a plane. I am going to the Creative Church Conference in Dallas Texas and while I am there I hope to learn a lot and gain some great ideas and insights, but after this morning's walk, what I am hoping for more than anything else is that God shows me how to stop relying on "what I have to offer" and just get on His plane. He'll show me what to do when I get there. Please keep me in your prayers. It was a great trip, keep watching.
(0) comments
Those of you who know me, know I prayer walk every morning. Those who know me better, know I love to fly. There are often times in the predawn hours that I will see a plane flying overhead and I wonder where those people are going, what adventures lie in store for them, etc. and sometimes I even pray for these unseen strangers at 35,000 feet.
This morning was different. I saw the plane coming far in the distance and due to the oiptical illusions that come with altitude, I started to want to see how long I could stay in front of the plane. Yeah I know it's stupid but it helped me to keep my pace up for a few moments before it streaked by me. It was then that the Lord laid a thought on my heart and I started to pray. I thought of how silly it was to try to race the plane and I had this sort of defeated feeling come over me as I reasoned that just as I can't race a plane, it is hard to kep up with God. His ways are so much higher than mine etc. and there are days htat I feel like I am just barely keeping up. In truth I spend most of life feeling way way way behind. And then he spoke to me and said the way to keep up is simple to get on the plane. You see all my human efforts to keep up with God are futile if I am not on the plane of His will. When I am on a plane there's little effort, I sit in my seat and the plane takes me where I need to go. Could it be that easy with God? Somehow I think it is. Maybe this keeping up with God thing is as simple as making the choice to get on the plane and let Him take you where He wants you to go.
Today I am physically getting on a plane. I am going to the Creative Church Conference in Dallas Texas and while I am there I hope to learn a lot and gain some great ideas and insights, but after this morning's walk, what I am hoping for more than anything else is that God shows me how to stop relying on "what I have to offer" and just get on His plane. He'll show me what to do when I get there. Please keep me in your prayers. It was a great trip, keep watching.
