wow what a funfest4








big huge fun exciting encouraging....

we had to move the funfest from a rainy friday to sunday...much prayer and thinking...we looked at the weather...thought faith...gained wisdom...change the night is not lack of faith but a wise decision...He gives faith but also gives wisdom...amazing volunteers who chose to serve, love and care for the 3500 plus community attenders...all the vender's changed the night...and were available for the evening...lots of kids, families, and the less served showed up... one man had not had a picture taken in 15 years, his tears meant more than we know...security guys, grill and food guys and gals, face painters and the 200 willing volunteers served with good hearts and joy...special thanks to the snow cone vols who will probably purchase new clothing...apple on a string folks placed over 350 apples for the kids to enjoy, moonwalk, rock wall, etc were a hit...the horses were amazingly patient...

16 hours of clean up and 3/4 of a ton of garbage topped off the event...much thanks to the people who demonstrated God's love in very practical ways...

whew what a night...most of the thousands who showed up were from the community...they were blown away by the kindness expressed...

way to go you vineyard people you...

much thanks

steve

Chapter 2 What you sow is what you'll get...


here's chapter two...

2
What You Sow Is What You Get

Many believers fail to realize that the sowing and reaping principle applies to all of life. What we sow is what we will get. Some have mistakenly only applied this principle to financial gain. To some ‘giving to get’ is the rule. While with others it is, ‘live to give.’ I prefer the second. As I study the Bible it seems to me true prosperity is simply having enough to share with another in need. Even so, the principle of sowing and reaping does indeed go beyond financial gain.

Jesus, in Luke’s Gospel, says,
Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Luke 6:38NIV

> In context, he is speaking about judging, condemning and forgiving. The implication: if we sow judgement, we will reap judgement; if we condemn, we will reap condemnation; if we sow unforgiveness, we will reap the fruit of unforgiveness manifested as bitterness, anger, slander and emotional or physical sickness. Yet, if we sow love, we will reap love; if we sow forgiveness, we will reap forgiveness and reap the fruit of forgiveness, a clear conscience,and a sense of peace and joy.

The principle of sowing and reaping also reaches into the arena of developing relationships and friendship.
A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: Prov 18:24KJV

>Do you want friends? Then be friendly toward others. Do you want to be loved? Sow love. As Jesus said,
Do to others as you would have them do to you. Luke 6:31NIV

>What you sow, is what you get.
Paul in his letters also has much to say concerning this principle. In Galatians, Paul is exhorting the church to be aware of deception and has some straight things to say. He says,

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good… Galatians 6:7-10 NIV

We have a definite choice concerning what we sow into our lives. We can live to sow to please our natural affections, or we can live to sow to please the Spirit of God who dwells within our hearts. Our responsibility before God is great. We can sow either good things or sow bad things into our lives. If we want to grow and mature as believers, we need to ensure we are sowing consistent positive spiritual seeds into our lives. We need to be reading and meditating upon the Bible, praying daily, worshipping with others and serving others in practical ways.

It saddens me that some people in reaction to legalism have instructed believers that they do not need exercise time in the basic disciplines of the faith. Legalistic or not, the Bible encourages us to ‘discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness and to
'Be diligent to present ourselves approved to God as workmen who do not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth…Not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.' 1 Tim 4:7; 2Tim 2:15; Heb 10:25 NASB

A disciplined life is a life that sows to our spirit. If we stop sowing into the spiritual areas of our lives, we will soon stop growing and even what we think we have will be lost. In order to reap spiritually we must sow to our spirits and sow consistently. This means we must endeavor to embrace the basic discipline even when we are not emotionally up. A disciplined life would best describe this kind of sowing.

According to Paul, we are deceived if we think we can sow bad seeds into our lives and not reap a negative harvest. We cannot view certain things on the internet or on the TV with no effect. We cannot read or look at pornography with no effect. We cannot. Many would disagree yet this is the very problem with deception. ‘It cannot hurt my life.’ is the thought. ‘God cannot be mocked.’ is the reality. What we sow is what we reap. If we sow good things into our lives we will reap good things and if we sow bad things into our lives we will reap bad things. It really is that simple.

Several years ago a pastor of a fast growing church explained the reason for the growth. He explained, ‘The reason we are growing is because someone is reading the Bible, someone is praying, someone is sharing their faith and someone is being faithful in the small things.’

In other words, someone is sowing into the life of the church and a harvest was being reaped as a result.

This sounds too simplistic. Surely there must be more to spiritual growth than this? Just to be careful to sow good things into your life and into your church? Just guard your mind and spirit allowing only good seeds to be sown? To read the Word consistently, to pray daily, to sow seeds into the lives of people you encounter as the opportunities arise, in word, story, and in kindness? To be faithful in the small things?

Too simple? Would not your church and would not your life grow and mature if you were disciplined in sowing the basics consistently? I believe you would grow and so would your church, for what we sow, is... what we reap. It is a spiritual law. There are no short cuts in maintaining a healthy spiritual life. We are who we really are. What we have sown, is what we have reaped.
If you are anemic in your faith, you can begin to grow. You can sow the Word of God to your spirit by reading the Bible and thinking about it's implications. You can be renewed. You can know the intimacy and reality of Jesus Christ through developing a consistent daily prayer life. You can discover your destiny by being faithful in whatever small things you are given to do, work included. If you have been sowing bad things into your life, you can by God’s grace stop... and turn off the supply. You need to realize that you can change. You can become what God wants you to become if you give yourself to the principle of sowing and reaping.

Will spritual growth happen instantly? After all, doesn’t the modern believer want instant answers with instant success? Does seed grow in a day? Time, is needed. The soil of our hearts may need some stones removed, and some weeds may need taken out. Our hearts may also need watering by the Holy Spirit, and we may need to begin to sow some new seeds by faith. The facts, we will reap a harvest if we sow, if we do not grow weary and if we do not give up. It is a spiritual law...

In my office I have a small sign near my desk. It says, ‘Don’t give up. It’s always too soon to give up.’ The sign sums up the attitude we need in order to see the growing fruit of sowing and reaping. The ‘I don’t care what happens, I won’t give up’, kind of attitude. This determination is a key to faith. Our hearts should say, ‘I’ve decided, it’s settled. My mind is made up. I won’t quit. It is worth the effort. I will sow daily. I’ll stand firm. Nothing will move me. I will always give myself fully to the work of the Lord, because I know that my labor in the Lord is not in vain.’
The harvest is not always instant, and time will be needed to see the desired result but the harvest in our lives will be well worth the effort.

See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm…
(James 5:7-8 NIV)
It is, ‘Through faith and patience’ we inherit what has been promised.’
(Hebrews 6:12 NIV)
Keep looking for that valuable crop to come into your life and stand firm. The results you long to see is well worth the wait. Therefore, as you have an opportunity, do good to yourself, to the church and to your world, sowing consistently for the harvest you desire will surely come. What you sow…is what you will get.

Explaining Evangelism



more than a few years ago i penned a book that sold 10,000 copies and was printed in 3 languages...it is out of print but a few copies are still kicking around...i didn't have a copy so purchased on on amazon.com...(at one time you could have purchased a copy for $142)it was basic...and had more than a few typos, the language 'sowing seed' etc. not the language of our present writings.. but had some good content for the time...and reflects some timeless principles. i learned a lot about writing and it was a good exercise...i also learned not to use illustrations that can date a book...like i used 'new kids on the block' as an illustration...that dates the book...

I did like the first chapter...and still think it is important...

here's a note from the seller of my recent purchase...

Oh my goodness, I totally didn't even recognize the fact that you were the author of the book. I ship so many books on a given day that I don't even notice things like that. I just wanted to let you know that I enjoyed the book and found it quite interesting. Another friend of mine, got a great deal out of the book and is about to leave on a mission to the Middle East.
Hope you have a great weekend!

encouraging to say the least...you never know who you'll touch...

Chapter One
Get This One Fellas'


Jesus said, 'Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times.' Later He said, 'He who has ears to hear, let him hear.' When challenged by His disciples He then added, 'Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?'

He went on to explain what the parable meant. In short, the sowers are men, the seeds are Gods words spoken by men and the four soils are the hearts of men and women at various degrees of readiness.

Later, He continued to explain the Kingdom of God and described how the seed grew. The seed, when planted, matured and produced grain by the All By Itself Principle.
He said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain-- first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come." Mk 4:1-29 NIV
>
It was imperative for the disciples to understand the kingdom principle of sowing and reaping. Jesus knew they needed to understand the parable or they would not be able to understand other important principles concerning Kingdom of God. He was pleading, "Fellas, you really have to get this one!" Like the disciples we also need to understand.

The principle: What is sown will grow and bear fruit. How? We don't really know. It just happens. It’s a mystery. When the seed is sown it is unseen as a seed buried in the hearts and minds of men and women. Our job is to apply the All By Itself principle and to sow good seeds in simple faith.

Could you imagine a farmer after all the hours of ploughing, discing, fertilizing and sowing the seed, to go out day by day, dig up the ground to see if the seed was beginning to grow? He thinks, ‘I planted it yesterday. I wonder if it is growing. Hey! I'll dig the field up and see.’ He wouldn't reap his desired harvest if he continued to fret and mess with the field checking to see if the seed was growing that's for sure.

A good farmer sows the seed in faith, believing that all that has gone before in the preparation of the soil will bring forth a harvest. He trusts the intrinsic nature of the seed. He knows his job is to get the seed into the past tense and then wait patiently. He waters the ground and allows the seeds to grow. How does the seed grow? ... all by itself. The seed has power within itself to grow. The soil then produces the harvest.

This is how saving faith touches the life of an individual. Someone speaks the turth, or serves a person in a practical way, the seed enters into their heart, and in time, faith springs up. It is important to note that someone has to sow the seed into the soil of a heart before a harvest can be realized. Often, this is an overlooked reality.

It is said that the great evangelist D.L. Moody never led anyone to Jesus who had not heard the gospel before. The seed had been sown before he was able to reap. This encourages me. My job is to be a sower. I am not to worry if the harvest isn’t forthcoming instantly, but to sow the seed in faith with the view that growth will come in time. A friend of mine often asks the question, ‘How long does it take for a person to come to Christ?’ He pauses then answers…’A Unique amount of time.’
The principle of process cuts across our instant access computer chips and fast paced living. Our generation yearns for instant answers and instant success. We want to plant the seed one day... and enjoy the fruit the next. We don’t want to wait patiently during the process. We often become impatient and throw up our hands and declare, ’It doesn’t work!’ Forget this evangelism deal! Where is the fruit?’ When we respond in such a manner we are like an unwise farmer who keeps digging up the field to see if the seed is growing. The reality: hidden seed may be growing within the hearts of the people we encounter. A girl suddenly burst into tears when one of our staff handed her a small gift bag during an outreach. She exclaimed, "I know I need to go to church. I've been thinking about it for days!"

Often in a group setting, I’ll ask the question, ‘How many of you came to know Jesus the first time you heard the gospel?’ Most of the time no one raises a hand. Of all the people I’ve had the privilege to bring to the Lord over the past 25 years only one person had not heard before. The first time she heard the truth, faith entered her heart as she believed. This is not the norm in the Western world. It takes many encounters before a harvest can occur. Some writers say that at the present time in the USA that at least seven to twelve positive encounters with the gospel must take place before a person comes to saving faith. That is a lot of patient planting and a lot of watering the seed!
Consider your own life. Did you meet Jesus the first time your heard the gospel? Or did you hear in many ways over a period of time before making a decision? Did you need time to count the cost and to weigh up the facts? Can you remember who sowed the seed into your life? Did another person water it? Who reaped the harvest? How did it happen for you? How did it happen for your friends? More than likely discovering faith was a timely process.

Here is a processed life equation…
Seeds sown
+ Questions answered
+ Adequate time for God to work
='s A new believer.

This is why it is important to become a person who seeks to sow and water the seed consistently. If no one does the hard work of sowing and then watering the seed, and it takes more than one personal contact for a person to be connected with the good news before making a decision, what will happen if no one sows and no one waters? Will there be a harvest? I don’t think so.

It amazes me that many people think 'revival' is the answer for every community in every nation of the world. The problem: If there is no sowing of seeds pre-revival why do people expect a sudden harvest when and if the rains of revival begin to fall? Is God going to violate His GO command? Again, I don’t think so. He said, ‘Go into all the world …the imperative—sow the seed.

Notice in the parable the sower was not condemned or corrected for his sowing method. Some seed fell on rocky places, hard places and weedy places. It seems to me he should have been more careful. However, the principle of sowing the seed is the main point of the parable. In the parable it is mentioned that the sower scatters the seed. This means many seeds are scattered. It is implied the sower was not all that worried where the seed was scattered. Some of the seed even fell in ground that would not produce fruit.
The rule of the parable, sow the seed and sow it in abundance.

On a trip from the USA to Scotland I noticed two men in a field sowing seed. They had huge baskets tied to their waists. With each step they were putting their hands into the basket and scattering the seed before them as they walked. As I was watching the men sow the seed I thought to myself, ‘This is what Jesus wants His people to do, sow many seeds!’

This is how the harvest will come — when the seed has been sown, not before. Therefore, there needs to be many sowers and a multitude of seeds sown before a great harvest can be realized and enjoyed. There are no short cuts. Again many people sincerely believe when ‘revival’ arrives suddenly there will be thousands of people ushered into the Kingdom of God. I wonder? Besides, what should believers be doing in the mean time? Should we be waiting for revival before we begin to actively share our faith? We may be waiting for quite some time. Personally, I believe we should be doing what Jesus told us to do, now at this present moment. We should be going into all the world and scattering life changing seeds into the lives we encounter.

By the way, the field in Scotland, where the men were sowing, was soon fully covered with barleycorn. The harvesters then came and reaped. The soil allowed the seed to grow and produce a crop. Jesus wanted His disciples to get this one. He wants us to get it too.

prep funfest 4


running up to funfest 4...lot's of work and behind the scenes activity...over 175 people signed up to help...we'll be on channel 22 at 5 am on the 27th that's always an exciting morning...waffle house on the ticket for breakfast...

If you are a praying person pray for the weather to push through quickly....I'm always nervous about the weather...last three years there was a threat of rain and we had no rain...trusting we'll have good sky's on the night...

the teens are having an after funfest concert 10pm to 11:30pm teen's only...that should be a fun time...500 tickets are out and they are inviting their friends...

still pressing in...heading to jax in fl for a conference just after funfest...

We are setting up for funfest Friday 27th 9am come and help...

you never know



ripple effect

an encouraging letter check the tone, feel, and impact

Hello,

I thought you’d be interested in a “behind the scenes” look at the impact of some of the members of your church family…

Last Saturday I was in a store at the Cross Pointe Center in Centerville. About eleven o’clock three people came into the store delivering a small gift bag and flowers. They wished the two young ladies behind the register a good day and offered well wishes for a patron and myself. Shocked, the women asked what this was for and they simply said something to the effect that they just wanted to do something nice for others. With that, they left.

Here’s the conversation your members did not hear….

One of the ladies turned the other and said, “I can’t believe what they just did…nobody does something nice like that for people they don’t know…especially on a sunny Saturday!” With that, a male patron asked if they were with The Vineyard. The women looked at the card left behind and said they were. He went on to say he is a fireman and one New Year’s Eve people from the church came in with doughnuts and thanked those at the station for their service. He said, “they make every attempt to serve and love like Jesus Christ….if He washed the feet of others, then they should be giving to loved ones and strangers.” He said the event on New Year’s Eve gave him a new perspective on giving. A few minutes later, one of the young women was helping a lady take an order to her car. She took one of the flowers and gave it to her. With that, the lady asked what it was for and she simply said, “I would like you to have a nice day.”

It was clear last Saturday your church members touched those who may not be Christians and people like me, who are, but often need a reminder of our mission. This is a great story of the “ripple effect” of their efforts.

Keep up the great work.

Sincerely,

Michele Lehman

presupppsitions





Continuing to think on some old notes from bowen, sjogren, murren and roe

Outreach Presuppositions:

Deep down Pre-Christians really want to know and obey God.

Pre-Christians typically have five or more significant encounters with the gospel before coming into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Pre-Christians usually will not come to us to find God; we have to go to them.

Friendly, openhearted people make the best evangelists.

Church life, spent in the presence of Christian's only, produces saints who are neither friendly nor openhearted to outsiders.

It is normal for everyone who loves Jesus to have a heart for the poor, sick, lost, widowed and homeless.

God has a passionate heart for the lost. Lost people matter to God. Whether we choose to bring Christ to unbelievers or not, God is very creative and will always seek to win them in some way.

Pre-Christians may not remember what they've been told regarding God's love, but they always remember what they've experienced of God's love.

Unchurched people need to see a church that is genuinely caring not just friendly.

The unchurched seek honesty and humility from your church rather than perfection and professionalism.

Today’s unchurched are seeking relevance, not accurate history.

The desire to share our faith with is in the heart of every believer.

Outward focused church


Digging through some old notes...I found some marks of an outward focused church by Sjogren, Murren that still speak today...

Marks Of An Outward Focused Church:

An outward focused church is a church that takes seriously the Great Commission.

They stay focused and committed to the main thing—The great commission...Go

Their perspective is out—rather than in.

A church that defines itself by what it seeks to do beyond itself into the city assigned to it by God.

Their dreams are more outward than inward. How can we reach, love, serve?

They are structured for growth. Small groups are embraced and encouraged.

They have a practical view of their facilities …rather than buildings being seen as holy, they see the buildings as functional. A place where people can be gathered into an inviting atmosphere of God's presence. The buildings serve the church, not church serving the building.

They embrace relevant, real-life practical teaching...many use fill in the blank...take away points...or memory keys to help ground the messages.

They are generous toward the city. Their budget reflects their serious commitment. How serious a church is toward reaching the city is reflected by their outreach budget....

They endeavor to bring clarity concerning the movement / power of the Holy Spirit. They seek to be naturally supernatural...they speak normal, yet are dependant on God's power, and ability to change a life.

They seek to be bringers and includeers.

They do what ever it takes...every one learns to serve.