Cross Country Move – June 2010
Loved the response from last weeks I need you series. I appreciate (and need) the support of my friends and family.
Have a few different ideas of ways to move forward in that direction. Stay tuned.
P.S. Read 2nd Corinthians 4 today. I feel like a jar of clay when I consider what God is doing!
This isn’t for everyone. I know that.
It could be for you though. Especially if you really don’t want to read this entry.
This is especially for my friends that are distant. The ones I don’t get to talk to personally very often. Those of you who I have done ministry with before – or went to Bible college with.
It could be for you – If you’ve always wanted to do something for God that’s bigger than you are. If you meant to get into full-time ministry “someday”, but never got around to it. If you are passionate about people who don’t know Christ coming to know Him. It could be for you.
We need three kinds of people to come with us:
All of these are important. It could be you. I need you to consider it. Pray about it. Talk to me about it.
Start the conversation. Click here and fill this out.
To many of my friends had great intentions of being in ministry and just never quite got around to doing it. Now is the time.
I’m glad you read my blog and are interested in and are praying for what we are up to. I’m glad in whatever way you choose to participate you are planting this church with me.
However, the more the merrier I always say!
The more people I have have who care about, pray for, participate in, and give to this new church in Pittsburgh the better. This is where you come in. You see, you know people that I don’t (or you know people personally that I only see in passing!). I need you to get them excited about what God is going to do in Pittsburgh.
Then you can connect them with me. Then you can link them to sign up for the prayer list (click here!). Then you are even more a part of what God is up to in this.
Also – I will be getting cards (Thanks Kat French Design!) with my information on them (blog address, facebook, twitter, and phone number). If you would like a few of these just let me know!
Are there more ways I can help you do this? Let me know – Comment!
Did you know that I’m not planting a church? We are planting a church. I am, and Airen is, and my family is, and my friends are, and anyone who wants to join me can.
What we do in Pittsburgh in 2011 will change the history of the world. A friend spoke this over me before I had ever set foot in the city and I believe that it was a word from God. When we make Jesus known to those who don’t know Him in Pittsburgh it will shake the world. The Gospel will change lives and those changed lives will change more lives.
God has big plans for us in Pittsburgh, He wants us to:
One thing I know I need to start is a prayer newsletter. So I’m going to make this easy for you.
Simply comment your email address on this blog and I’ll add you. Or you can comment your email address on the facebook entry for this post. Or you can DM or message me on twitter. Or email me at eriktheintern at gmail.com. Or DM me. Or facebook mail me. Or fill out this form.
I need your help. If you don’t pray I’m sunk!
God wants to be known by those who don’t know Him in Pittsburgh. Will you fight with me?
Reading the last chapter of Luke today made me think about my life. In one chapter Luke summarizes the whole time that Jesus spent on earth after His resurrection.
A chapter is a very small thing to summarize weeks. A chapter is small to even summarize a day.
Luke and the other Gospel authors wrote what the Holy Spirit led them to write, but to be blunt, many of the days that are not recorded in Scripture are simply because they were normal days.
That is where I am at as a church planter. Normal days. Busy days. Pack a box, mow the yard, and meet with old friends. The next few months I just have to accept that its not all glamorous as a church planter, especially before you move!
I dream, I think, I plan… but these things can be frustrating when you want to do. Ever been there with me?
Got to teach last night about the Holy Spirit.
I really appreciate several pastors who have been taking the time to teach on the Holy Spirit lately. A lot of what I said was built on the shoulders of their work.
I think a key concept in understanding New Testament teaching on the Holy Spirit is in the word Baptize.
I don’t think that when John the Baptist said that Jesus was going to Baptize in the Holy Spirit that he was referring to a one time spiritual zapping. If the word we translate baptize actually means “To Immerse” then John is saying that Jesus will immerse us with the Holy Spirit.
To be immersed, to be put completely under water, is to surrender control.
Jesus is the baptizer in the Holy Spirit. He sends the Holy Spirit to be God in us and God acting through us.
The only question is if we will surrender control of our lives and allow Him to do so.
My thanks to everyone who took part in the DCP Live event last night! It was a lot of fun even though I was (and am still) pretty sick!
We had a lot of technical problems – we should have those worked out before we do it again. Also I know I didn’t promote it very well the few days before it started!
The next few times we do this we are going to cut it down to a half-hour live webcast. The point is to keep all of you up to date and until we move there isn’t going to be a hours worth of content to share. Once we are in Pittsburgh we will ratchet it back to an hour!
Today at illuminates 6am group we read Mark 14.
One of the parts in the chapter that always stands out to me is where an unidentified person who was following Jesus runs away and gets his clothes torn off of him. He runs, buck nude.
Sometimes when we make bad choices God allows us to embarrass ourselves a bit. He is perfectly okay with bruising our egos if that is what it takes to get through to us.
This is pretty much the story of my life as a follower of Jesus. I get marching orders, ignore them, and end up naked and embarrassed. I never learn until I end up tripped and on my face. It’s a pattern that by God’s grace I am slowly breaking out of. It’s always better when I listen the first time.
Basically if you run from Jesus, or what He wants you to do, expect to spend some time naked in public.
Isn’t it better just to listen and obey the first time?