Out of My Mind

Are You RIGHT?

2011-09-08T15:58:00.000-04:00

This is the account of Noah and his family.
Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. (Genesis 6:9 NIV)

It is apparent from this scripture that Noah was considered righteous before God and it was made noticeable in two areas. First, Noah was RIGHT with others. It says that he was a blameless among the people of his time. In other words, he had the respect of those around him. He had the respect of those with whom he did business. He had the respect of his neighbors. He had the respect of his family. People may not have liked his personality, leadership style, or fashion sense but they couldn't deny his integrity. Noah was RIGHT with others.
The other area that noticeably displays Noah's righteousness is that he was RIGHT with God. The scripture says that "he walked faithfully with God." Noah wasn't the type of guy who was passionately in love with God one day and skipping out on his devotions the next. Noah was faithful in his relationship with the Lord. That doesn't mean he didn't have his off days but that even when his senses didn't "feel" like it, his faith never failed.

So, what does this have to do with us?

Well, I want to be known like Noah. I want others to say of me after I'm gone that I was a righteous man. If I want that reputation in times to come I must cultivate the two areas of my life like Noah did his. I must make sure that I walk with integrity before god and people. I must do whatever it takes to gain the respect of those in my world and any areas that my integrity has been compromised already must be made right. We must work on our integrity financially, socially, and with our family. We must be RIGHT with people.
Second, we must continually be faithful in our relationship with the Father. We won't be perfect but we can be faithful. Faithful in our prayer lives. Faithful in our bible reading. Faithful in our serving. Faithful in our giving. We must be RIGHT with God.

Pray with me right now:
Father, forgive me for every area where I have allowed my integrity to be compromised. Help me to make things right and begin building my reputation as a person of integrity back again. Where it has been hurt beyond repair with others, please extend the grace to forgive to those I've hurt. Where I have been unfaithful in my walk with you, please forgive me. I stand before you now asking to be right again with you. Let nothing in my life under my control hold me back from living a life that can be described as a righteous life. Thank you for it now. Amen.

Lone Ranger or Grave Robber?

2011-03-21T18:08:00.001-04:00

"Hi-yo Silver, away!!" That was the cry of the Lone Ranger as he would ride off into the sunset. Many of us think that our lot in life is to be that "Lone Ranger," spending life alone.

Alone defined means separated from others and while we are meant to retreat for short periods of time to be alone, we were never designed to live our life in that way. Religion has even perpetuated this isolationistic (I know that I probably just made that word up!) mindset through teaching that we are to separate ourselves from the world and singing songs like "Me and Jesus got our own thing going." And let's not forget the ever-so-popular "I have decided to follow Jesus" which declares 'Though none go with me... still I will follow."

We were never meant to live our lives alone. As a matter of fact, we will never come to know true freedom or come to full maturity in Christ outside of a loving community of faith.

In John chapter eleven, we find Jesus hearing about the death of a dear friend named Lazarus. As he arrives in town, he is confronted by the sisters of the dearly departed. He is so moved with compassion for this family that he asks to be taken to the grave site at which point he commands them to take the stone away from the opening. When they do, Jesus speaks to the dead friend telling him to get up and come out of the grave. To the surprise of the onlookers, out walks Lazarus.

Jesus treats us in much the same way. Until we entered into a committed relationship with Jesus Christ, the Bible says that we were all, like Lazarus, dead. Only we were spiritually dead. There came a time... for me when I was fourteen years old, when Jesus spoke into the grave of my life and commanded life to enter my spirit and I walked out into a brand new life.

Now this is where the story takes an interesting turn. Lazarus comes walking out of the grave but he still has the grave clothes wrapped tightly around his body so that he could hardly move. Jesus now turns to the onlookers and commands them to set him free. "Take off the grave clothes and let him go." (John 11:44)

It is like that in our lives as well! Jesus gives us life, but he delegates the process of freedom to the church. If we are alone, we have no one to assist us in taking off our grave clothes. We lack accountability. No one is there to ask the hard questions. And we have life in Christ, but we are still bound. Bound by habits. Bound by attitudes. Bound by wrong ways of thinking. Bound.

So, today I ask you, who is being the church in your life? Who has to right to speak to the areas of your life that are holding you back? Who asks you the hard questions?

And secondly, who are you helping to attain freedom? For whom are you being the church?

Let's talk...

I Surrender

2011-03-16T08:15:00.002-04:00

Philippians 4:13b (AMP)

"I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency."

Most people spend their life for self-sufficiency. As a child we long for the day that we can get our drivers license. As a teenager, we long for our eighteenth birthday. As a young adult, we can't wait until we're twenty-one. We long for this place and every milestone seems to get us closer but none seem to fully get us there. The apostle Paul seemed to understand why. He knew that the only way we could ever become self-sufficient was when we had fully surrendered to Christ's sufficiency.

William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army once said, "The greatness of a man's power is in the measure of his surrender." This appears to be a contradiction. How can we have great power when we are fully surrendered? How can we be self-sufficient when we completely rely on Christ's sufficiency? How can I be in charge when I am absolutely submitted?

Well, I don't completely understand that myself but I know that, according to the scripture, the only way to live a life that is pleasing to God is to surrender it fully to Him. And we were created to bring Him pleasure.

So, I have made up my mind. I want my life to make God smile. I want Him to be pleased. I want to bring Him joy. And so, I echo the words of Peter after a night of failed fishing. When Jesus asked him to cast the net back out, Peter replied, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. BUT BECAUSE YOU SAY SO, I will let down the nets."

Will you join me in having a "because you say so" lifestyle?

Beginning of the End

2011-03-14T15:51:00.003-04:00

For most people in the church, the title of this post would seem to indicate that I am going to talk about end times events. Maybe recent tragedies came to mind. Quite possibly you thought of the Left Behind book series. Well, let me put you at ease, I'm not talking about end times.

In Proverbs chapter one and the second half of verse 32, the writer makes an interesting statement when he says, "...the complacency of fools with destroy them."

This jumped off of the page today as I read it because so many people I encounter live their lives in a state of complacency.

Now, of course, none of them would admit it if they were confronted about it. Most of us would not admit to living a complacent life. However, if we were to take a look at the definition of the word, it may describe more of us than we realize.

Complacency is defined as "an instance of usually unaware or uninformed self-satisfaction." Understanding that, most people who are complacent probably don't even realize that they are! They have just became so numb to life, and satisfied enough with their current situation, that they won't put up a fight to change. Maybe, you are that person... maybe I am. Have you been sick for so long with no hope of getting better that you just come to believe that is how it will always be? Maybe you have dreams of a better future, a happier marriage, a life free from depression but because you haven't seen a change in so long, you just quit trying. What about those who had big dreams... starting a business, launching a ministry, buying a dream home... but they let others talk them out of it.

The writer of the proverb said that the day we began to live in complacency was the day that our destruction started. That was the beginning of the end.

God never designed us to live like that. He created us with a purpose. He said that before we were formed, He already had plans for us. (And that those plans were good!) So today, if you realized that I just spent the last few minutes describing your life situation, please shake yourself out of your complacency! Ask the Father to reawaken the desires and dreams that you once knew. Allow the Holy Spirit to breath life into your imagination. And begin to dream again!

Don't let today be the beginning of the end. Make today the beginning of your future! How will you start living life today?

Just Do It...

2011-03-11T23:37:00.002-05:00

John 2:5

His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever He tells you."

As a child I remember hearing stories of Lacy Drew. He was a minister who travelled to speak at many local churches in our area. More than that, he was a man who truly knew the power of God.

Of all the stories that were told me of this general of the faith, one sticks out more than all the rest. It was a story concerning one of the messages that he ministered from this passage of scripture. It was a story that his life and his ministry were built upon.

"Do whatever He tells you."

Lacy Drew was known for his powerful sermons. He was known for his strong leadership But more than all of that, he was known for his unwavering obedience to the spirit of God.

"Do whatever He tells you."

So many people today base their decisions on many different things... career choices, opinions of others, financial abilities. However, what we must do is learn to hear and obey the voice of Jesus.

Let's try it today....

"Do whatever He tells you."

Tell me your stories. When was a time that you obeyed God? What were the results?

Grace and Truth

2011-03-11T10:47:00.003-05:00

John 1:14

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of GRACE and TRUTH.

John 1:17

For the law was given to Moses; GRACE and TRUTH came through Jesus Christ.

In the Old Covenant, God gave us His law, issued His commands to see if we would obey. What was revealed was that commands outside of relationship results in rebellion. Thus He sent Jesus... full of GRACE and TRUTH. Jesus possessed the TRUTH, the commands, the law BUT He also possessed GRACE. Before He presented the TRUTH, He always demonstrated GRACE.

We must take the example of Jesus and make it our own. Christians have a tendency to want to control others to make them do the right thing. We want to be able to tell others how to live. We want to give truth but most of the time it is outside of the bounds of relationship. Without first having a relationship and allowing others to experience the GRACE of God in our lives, presenting TRUTH will only push others away. We must first be a person filled with grace because it is that grace that will open the door for others to hear the truth of the gospel.

So, let's stop being mean-spirited believers and become grace filled Christ followers! Are you in?? Tell me your experiences in this!

In the Storm

2011-03-11T00:14:00.003-05:00

Job 38:1

"Then the Lord answered job out of the storm."

Most of the time when we face the storms of life we would like for God to stretch out His hand and calm them. We want to be relieved of the pain that this life brings. As Christians, we want healing, debt cancellation, deliverance... and we want it now! We have been conditioned to seek for medicine to ease the symptoms, alcohol to help us escape our reality. We use whatever we can get our hands on to alleviate the discomfort we experience. But God used the difficulties of Jobs life, the pain he experienced... the storm to speak to him.

If we would honestly pinpoint the times in which we drew the closest to the Lord, most of them would be in times of pain, frustration and difficulty. Maybe we should stop spending all of our time asking God to remove the storms from our lives and learn how to respond to our storm in a manner that would bring Him the most glory.

I recently heard a statement by a popular minister that said, "You will not be greatly used of God until you have been greatly wounded." And I think that may be true. If we look through the scripture, it wasn't the norm for the Father to alleviate the troubles of his followers. In most instances, God asked that we respond IN those circumstances with a God-like attitude.

So what storm are you facing right now? What is it that is causing you the most pain? Stop asking for God to remove the storm and begin to ask Him to speak to you in the midst of it.

Let's talk about it... What is God speaking to you in your most current storm?

Eddie James Ministry

2011-03-09T15:01:00.001-05:00

A Leader or People Pleaser?

2011-03-09T13:42:00.003-05:00

Luke 23:23 (NIV)

"But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. "

True leaders base their decisions on the principles that guide their organization and their personal morals. That is what Pilate should have done. He had previously informed the people that he found no reason to sentence Jesus to the death penalty. Yet, the more they shouted the more he caved. In the end, the voice of truth was overpowered by the shout of the crowd.

As a leader, there will be many opportunities to cave under the pressure of the opinions and demands of those whom you are supposed to be leading. However, when you cave to every desire of the crowd, you cease to be a leader and they in turn begin to lead you. It is in these times, when the shout of the crowd is loud and the demands are strong that true leadership must emerge.

Will you be willing to make the tough calls, the right calls or will the innate desire to please those around you win out? Will you be a principle-based leader or will you be just another people pleaser?

What do you have to say?

An Empty Canvas

2011-03-08T07:56:00.002-05:00

Psalm 139:15 (Message)

"You know me inside and out, You know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something."

The psalmist is acknowledging here God's intensive knowledge of our live. He knows us inside and out. He knows all of our limitations. He knows all of our insecurities. He knows all of our failures. On the other hand, He knows all of our gifts, all of our strengths and all of our successes.

How? He knows exactly how we were made! We were formed with His purpose in mind! Everything about our makeup was intentional.

But the most touching thing about this psalm is the final line. "I was sculpted from nothing into something." There are many times when we feel the "nothingness." Our lives seem to tank, we feel as though we can't get it right but we can take solace in the fact that He is taking us from nothingness and making us into something!

As a child we used to sing a chorus that said it all:

Something beautiful, something good

All my desires He understood

All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife

But He made something beautiful of my life.

I want to remind us today that God is in the midst of making something of your life. You may not see it from where you stand but hang on to hope that He who began a good work in you WILL complete it!

My prayer today comes from a worship chorus that Pastor Clint Brown wrote. Maybe you can find yourself praying this as well...

My life is Your canvas, so paint

I tried it on my own and it turned out all wrong

So with Your hands of mercy and gentle hands of grace

You select each color, fill in every space

I don't want to risk it to fate

My life is Your canvas, so paint

Push Past The Noise

2011-03-07T14:49:00.003-05:00

Job 36:15

"But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; HE SPEAKS TO THEM IN THEIR AFFLICTION."

In this passage of scripture, Job's friends are in the midst of giving him reasons why he is experiencing the difficulties in his life. They believe that there has to be some rational explanation for his suffering. However, in the middle of their tirades, Elihu says something that speaks to me. He says something that hold much truth in this season of my life when he says... "He speaks to them in their affliction."

So, I've made up my mind! Instead of allowing the adversity of life, the opinions of others, and whatever difficulty I may find myself in to discourage and defeat me, I'm going to use this time to press in to God as hard as I can. Maybe you are there too. Join me in this! I believe that if we listen closely, beyond the chaos and confusion, beyond the backstabbing and the accusations, God Himself is trying to speak to us.

Maybe, just maybe, this is all just a distraction. The enemy knows that if we hear what God is trying to speak to us in this time, our lives will be radically and eternally transformed. All we have to do is push past the noise to hear His voice.

What is God trying to speak to you in the midst of your suffering?

Martha, Martha...

2011-02-24T11:19:00.006-05:00

Luke 10:38-42

38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said.40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"41 "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things,42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.t Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

As I was reading this morning during my quiet time, something struck me about this passage of scripture. Martha was distracted (we all know that) but later when she complains to Jesus about Mary's lack of help, Jesus diagnoses her. He says "you are worried and upset about many things."

Isn't that the case for many of us? There are so many things in our lives that cause us worry or upset us... the bills we can't seem to catch up on, the sickness that just won't go away, the marriage that we can't seem to save, our child who just keeps rebelling... in essence, life. These things consume our minds. We struggle with our daily responsibilities because we just can't focus... we are so distracted. Distracted... that is what Martha was. She was distracted because she was worried and upset about many things.

One of the strategies of the enemy is to keep us from being focused on God's will for our lives. If he can keep us worried about a lot of other things or upset about things that we can't control, then we'll not stay focused on pursuing our personal purpose.

I don't know what the distractions in your life are but I know that I have my own and unless I decide, like Mary, to refuse to allow those things to control my thought life, I will miss it as well. So let's make a decision together to follow Mary's example and keep focused on Jesus. Forget about the other stuff, the upsetting things. Let's decide together to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. Let's choose to cast our cares on Him knowing that He cares for us. Let's not allow the enemy to keep us from completing our assignment another day.

Let's start now...

Eddie James Live at Restoration Ministries!

2011-02-24T11:13:00.003-05:00

The Shepherds Pt. 5

2010-12-25T20:23:00.000-05:00

The Shepherds Pt. 4

2010-12-25T20:22:00.000-05:00

The Shepherds Pt. 3

2010-12-25T20:21:00.001-05:00

The Shepherds Pt. 2

2010-12-25T20:21:00.000-05:00

The Shepherds Pt. 1

2010-12-25T20:20:00.000-05:00

The River Flows in You

2010-12-21T13:10:00.000-05:00

Summer

2010-12-21T13:05:00.000-05:00

Elder Jeff's Rap

2010-12-21T12:54:00.000-05:00

Kathryn Grillo

2010-12-21T12:48:00.000-05:00

This Christmas

2010-12-21T12:44:00.000-05:00

Executive Team Rap

2010-12-21T12:30:00.000-05:00

Ms Flossy

2010-12-21T12:29:00.000-05:00

Go Tell It On The Mountain

2010-12-21T12:28:00.000-05:00

All I Want For Christmas

2010-12-21T12:11:00.000-05:00

Stomp

2010-12-21T12:09:00.000-05:00

He Can Relate Pt. 5

2010-12-21T12:06:00.000-05:00

He Can Relate Pt. 4

2010-12-21T12:05:00.000-05:00

He Can Relate Pt. 3

2010-12-21T12:04:00.000-05:00

He Can Relate Pt. 2

2010-12-21T12:01:00.000-05:00

He Can Relate Pt. 1

2010-12-21T12:00:00.000-05:00

Alpha & Omega

2010-12-14T01:42:00.000-05:00

Emmanuel

2010-12-13T22:32:00.000-05:00

Awesome God

2010-12-13T22:12:00.000-05:00

Praisin' the Power Down

2010-12-13T22:10:00.000-05:00

Wish List - Joseph Pt. 1

2010-12-07T19:19:00.000-05:00

Wish List Joseph pt 2

2010-12-07T19:12:00.000-05:00

Wish List Joseph pt 3

2010-12-07T18:58:00.000-05:00

Wish List - Joseph Pt. 4

2010-12-07T18:38:00.000-05:00

Spontaneous Worship & Ministry

2010-12-07T13:53:00.000-05:00

We Worship You

2010-12-07T12:59:00.000-05:00

Friend of God

2010-12-07T12:58:00.000-05:00

We Praise Your Name

2010-12-07T12:42:00.000-05:00

Devotional Thought Concerning Gratitude

2010-11-29T09:28:00.000-05:00

Testimonies of Gratefulness 2

2010-11-22T14:26:00.000-05:00

Testimonies of Gratefulness

2010-11-22T14:23:00.000-05:00

I Give Myself Away

2010-11-22T12:53:00.000-05:00

Your Praise is the Plow

2010-11-22T10:31:00.000-05:00

It's Time To Praise Him

2010-11-22T10:20:00.000-05:00

Avoid the Detour!

2010-11-18T12:38:00.004-05:00

2 Corinthians 4:17 (NLT)

"So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on the things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever."

Paul had perspective.

The apostle Paul went through many troubles that would (at the least) emotionally devastate or (at the most) physically destroy others. He, however, possessed an ability that we would do well to adapt. As bad as it seemed, Paul refused to allow himself to be distracted from his life's focus. He knew how to gain perspective.

We must learn to be like Paul. We must gain the proper perspective concerning our circumstances. It doesn't matter how bad a situation may seem, it is only temporary. Failure, while overwhelming, will pass. The loss of a job may have cause you a setback but it will not last forever. There are many disastrous events that cause us to feel as though our world has fallen apart. We must remember that these events are only that... events. They do not define who we are or where we are going. They are temporary. They will not last!

Our focus, like Paul's must be on the destination of our journey, not the setbacks along the way. Keep focused. Refuse to allow the distraction of life to cause you to deviate from who you are becoming.

You're going to make it!

Would the Real You Please Stand Up?

2010-11-18T12:19:00.005-05:00

2 Corinthians 11:30 (NLT)

"If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am."

I get accused of being too transparent. Apparently, to some, I share too much of my humanity, my struggles, my weakness. However, here in 2 Corinthians 11:30, the apostle Paul expresses to the church at Corinth that he is uneasy about boasting about his strengths. He doesn't want to be seen as prideful when explaining to the church how he came to be an apostle. As a matter of fact, he would rather be transparent about the not-so-stong areas of his life. He would rather boast about his weaknesses.

I feel much the same way. I would rather have people learn from my mistakes than have them assume that I know more than I really do. I would rather people know who I really am than some facade that I've placed there to foster a false perception of me.

I would rather have people who love me... just me. I don't want people who are just in love with my gifts, my strengths, my calling. I want to be in covenant with people who care about me. I want to lead people who accept me.

Therefore, I will continue to be as transparent as I know how to be. I will share my weaknesses, my struggles, my humanity so that others may learn from it and maybe, just maybe, become a better person than I am.

I love you Restoration Ministries, for letting me be the real me. Let's grow together.

Three Expressions of Courage

2010-11-18T12:18:00.000-05:00

It's Because of You

2010-11-18T12:17:00.001-05:00

Maintaining the Leader's Edge pt.1

2010-11-18T12:17:00.000-05:00

Overflow

2010-11-18T12:16:00.000-05:00

The Leader's Edge

2010-11-18T12:14:00.000-05:00

Wish List Christmas Sermon Series

2010-11-15T11:54:00.000-05:00

I Missed Gratitude Day!!

2010-10-01T11:35:00.003-04:00

So I know that it has been a LONG time since I have posted anything but I hope to be able to do it a little more now that I have Internet at my home.

First, a little thanks to Dewaine Cooper for giving me a shout out in his post about Gratitude Day. Man, I really appreciate your friendship and your heart for God's Kingdom.

So, sometime last week was Gratitude Day and I just wanted to express my gratitude to some of the people who have helped to mold me into the person that I am... and am becoming.

1. God - About three weeks ago I had an experience with God that made me feel as though I got saved all over again. My fresh times with Him, just sitting in His presence, soaking up His word has been wonderful. Thank you God, for being the patient, kind, and caring King that you are.

2. Stephanie - I married the most incredible person on the planet. Not only does she go out of her way to make my life easier but she is absolutely a wonderful mom to our two boys. She is not only my best friend but my co-laborer in the Kingdom. She cares as much about Restoration Ministries as I do (and that's saying a LOT). She has sacrificed more than she should ever have too. She gives more than she probably should. And she does so much more than I could ever expect. And to top all of that off... SHE IS BEAUTIFUL!!!! I married WAY up! I love you babe, more than I could ever express in mere words. You are my world.

3. Micah and Aiden - you may ask, "How have your kids molded you into who you are?" Everyday I get to experience, in a small way, the love that our Father extends toward us. In understanding how patient I can be with them, and how much they bring me joy, I now more fully understand the way God looks at us. This has helped me become less anal about a lot of things, more compassionate towards peoples failures and shortcomings, and more loving in general. I love you two more than you possibly ever know and will try my best to steward the time God has given me with you well. You WILL become who God's designed you to be.

My family - Mom, Dad, Bertie, Kim, Josh, Megan and Steven... I love you all. What you all have taught me through our relationships, and your examples have each contributed to who I have become. We may not see each other as much as we would like but you are all my foundation. (And it is a good one!)

Adam and Lori - You guys have been there with us for the last seven years. You have seen us at our worst and you still loved us. We have had some great moments... we have had some pretty bad times... and yet we seem to make it through them all. You know our strengths and our weaknesses and you still submit to us as your pastors. We can go on trips and acts absolutely stupid together (Sid the Sloth...) and we can talk ministry on a serious level. We have had and have many friends but you move beyond the friend level to family. We love you guys and can't wait to see what God has planned for us all... and for you!

Our Staff - Elder Gloriadean, Mrs. Pat, Pastor Z, Pastors Coop and Ragan... You guys make ministry fun! We love you all more than you will probably ever know. Your hard work and sacrifice cannot be matched and doesn't go unnoticed. You help us process ideas, push for excellence, and manage what God is doing at RM. We love you all!

Pastors Tim & Kim Hodge - What can I say? You guys have been spiritual parents like no other! You have laughed with us, cried with us, loved us when others would have turned their backs, and corrected us when needed. You have cared for us (even when Stephanie played Dodgeball in the hall...) and just been there when we needed you. You provide sound leadership and advise or just an ear to hear our frustrations. In short, you guys believed in us... You believed in us enough to bring us on staff with you to care for your people with you. You believed in us enough to turn the leadership of RM over to us when your time had come to an end. You believed in us... even when we didn't. Thanks for seeing beyond our immaturity and failures. Thanks for being an example of what it means to love unconditionally.

Apostles Ron & Hope Carpenter - Apostle Ron, you caught me on a bad day at Emmanuel College and you were able to look beyond that and see the gift underneath all of the hurt. Your example and oversight are worth the world to me. Your humility convicts me. But it was the times that I was able to see you behind the scenes... praying over Greenville as we flew in, studying and answering my (probably stupid) questions on preaching trips. It was the small things that have meant the most for me. Apostle Hope - I am grateful that you helped us to understand that we can just be real. We don't have to put on facades. We can just be us. I am grateful for you guys believing in us enough to send us to plant a church or even having on staff at RWOC but the personal times have been the most impacting. No matter what others may say of you guys I know your hearts. And your hearts are what we love the most.

Restoration Ministries - Man, what can I say? When our pastor and founder felt called to Columbia and he placed you in the hands of this young couple that you had only known for a couple of years (Well, other than the fact that my wife grew up in RM), you guys embraced us and the call on our lives. You, not once, expected us to be something we are not and you allowed us, and continue to allow us, to be who we are and to do what we are called to do. You have embraced our strengths and victories. You have even embraced us through our weaknesses and failures. RM, you are the most real group of people I've ever come into contact with. We love you more than we ever thought was possible. And we are enjoying the journey as we watch as God molds us into the beautiful vessel that He is desiring us to be. Thank you guys for who you are. We love You!

Well, if I missed anyone, it was not intentional. I am truly grateful for all of the relationships that have been and continue to be in our lives. I have much to be thankful for.

Friend Day

2010-07-03T11:27:00.003-04:00

Don't forget that this Sunday is Friend Day!! Invite everyone you know! We will be having our regular service and then the After Party!! We will be having FREE BBQ chicken plates, a 3 on 3 basketball tournament, plus the ultimate splash zone with slip and slides, water balloons and more! You don't want to miss this!

PLUS, we are all wearing our shorts to church so we don't have to change clothes!!! That's right, wear your shorts to the morning worship experience! It's going to be great!

Be there!

Monday Mind Dump

2010-05-02T18:26:00.003-04:00

It's been a while since I've done one of these so I thought I'd do one today. This will probably be a bunch of random thoughts since I'm doing it on Sunday night after a long day.

*Praise and worship was great today. Especially that one song that had the really hot soloist!!! :-)

*Speaking of my wife... You all should know how absolutely awesome she is! She does SO much of the behind the scenes stuff that many of you never see. She makes things much easier for me! I really appreciate all that she does even though I probably fail to say it enough. You're probably going to see her out front more. That is because I know what God has placed in her!

*The past couple of months have been really busy and I'm feeling the effects of it on my body. I know I need to take some time to rest and get some serious sleep. Once May is done with, we are going on a cruise to the Caribbean! We are seriously excited about this! (Thanks David and Jenny!)

*Summer is about to be here and it is going to kick into high gear very soon.

*I did make a joke about there being no peace with women during my message today. It was a JOKE! I almost needed security for the first time today for saying that! ;-)

*Getting ready to go have dinner with some friends so that is it for now. Peace out!

Breakfast in the AM Cancelled

2010-05-01T10:21:00.003-04:00

We have had to cancel the breakfast fundraiser for in the morning. Sorry for the inconvenience. Thanks for being flexible.

~Pastor Chuck

Hey Mommy I Love You

2010-04-06T17:23:00.001-04:00

Are You the Bandaid or the Bacteria?

2010-03-01T10:44:00.005-05:00

So, I do Facebook and Twitter and Blog and in this follow many popular ministers and leaders. Over the last year or so I have noticed a trend that really bothers me and have stayed silent until now.

I have watched as quite a few Christian leaders have suffered divorce, whether through some fault of their own or not. I have also watched as many other respected Christian leaders have voiced their opinions (mostly negative) concerning these situations via blogs, facebook or tweets. I have a problem with this for the following reasons:

1. It's none of your business. Now I know that we Christian leaders feel that it is our "responsibility" to lead our people in all truth. But lets get real, most of us have an opinion and just want to express it. We don't have a voice into the lives of these "celebrity" leaders. So when we post our tweets it isn't for the purpose of bringing healing and restoration to those leaders. They are probably never even going to read our blog, follow our tweets or befriend us on facebook. They aren't calling to ask for our advise or counsel. And if they did, would we counsel them in the tone of the comments we've posted? What are our motives?

2. Those who follow us will more than likely take our opinion and attitude. This might be helpful if they took our attitude toward the situations (like divorce) but more often than not they take the negative attitude toward the individual. We have done nothing more than tarnished the reputation of an individual who is already going through, probably, the most difficult time in their lives. Again, what are our motives?

3. We are ALL a part of the Body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:26 says, "And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it..." What happened to that? The Body isn't about our local churches although they are included in it. It isn't about certain denominations even though they are included as well. It isn't even about theological persuasions. The Body of Christ has to do with ALL that have committed their lives to Christ. Therefore, when we write negative and even hurtful remarks about others we are not trying to bring healing to that individual. We are in essence, being a bacteria in their wound that causes even more hurt.

Also, none of us are exempt from difficulty. And if something like this happened to us, how would we feel if someone else blogged those comments about us?

Guys, I may not agree with certain things concerning these public figures have done or the way they have handled their situations but I have to wonder what good it would do me to tweet about it.

We've heard it said that the church is the only entity on the planet that shoots its own wounded. I fear that we are only enforcing that belief. I would rather change it.

So for all my colleagues that have endured difficult personal situations, I hurt with you. I pray for you and I still honor you.

I LOVE My Church!

2010-02-18T10:12:00.003-05:00

I know that everyone gets sick of hearing me say how much I LOVE Restoration Ministries but deal with it! I DO! There is no place like RM in the world! There is no other group of people with whom I'd rather be in covenant relationship. You guys are the GREATEST!

We have some incredible things happening right now that I want to point out.

1st - We have seen 2 people accept Christ in the last two week!!! I am super excited about this!

2nd - We have been consistently over 100 in attendance on Sundays for more than 7 months now!! We are now pushing to break the 200 barrier! Keep inviting your friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, cashiers at Wal Mart, strangers at the gas station! Invite everyone you can! God is doing some powerful things and we want as many people as possible to be a part of it.

3rd -Our Kids Ministry is averaging around 30 kids a Sunday!!! I didn't know how much that was until they were all brought into the main auditorium when we installed Pastor Z into the Executive Team. Man, that was a lot of kids!

4th - We now have new Youth Pastors, Greg (Coop) and Ragan Cooper. We are super excited about this couple pastoring our teens. AND last night they had 16 teens in their meeting!! God is getting ready to do some incredible things in our student ministry as well.

5th - Our pews are GONE! We will all be sitting in comfortable, cushioned chairs this Sunday. There will be a little different arrangement as well. We are excited about this change.

6th - Our food distribution has been serving many families each week and has been averaging 11 volunteers!!! People are catching the vision of serving our community!!

I am PUMPED about all that is going on and all that God is doing here at RM! I've said it many times before and you'll probably get tired of hearing me say it...

I LOVE my church!

You Don't Want to Miss this Wednesday night!

2010-02-09T14:52:00.003-05:00

You don't want to miss Kingdom University this tomorrow night! I have been in my office for a while studying and MAN am I excited! God is showing me some powerful principles.

Are you in the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven?

Are you in the Kingdom of Light or the Kingdom of Darkness?

Are you sure of your answer? Be here tomorrow night at 7PM to make sure.

You may be surprised!

Catching Up!

2010-02-08T15:31:00.002-05:00

I can't believe that I have not blogged since August of last year! That has just been slack. However, am going to begin blogging more consistently now in 2010 so for starters let me catch everyone up on some of the wonderful things going on at Restoration Ministries!

First, we have added another team member to our Executive Team. Pastor Zabrina Robinson is now serving the ministry as our Children's Pastor. She has been the director of our Children's Ministry for over a year now and has seen tremendous growth. It is with great excitement that we add her to this team!

Next, Greg and Ragan Cooper have agreed to become our Youth Pastors! They have been attending RM for about six months or so and we have watched their faithfulness and love for people during this time. We are pumped that God has sent us such a wonderful couple to disciple teens in this area.

Last, our pews have been sold and will be picked up at the first of march!!! We are pushing for a few of the renovations in the sanctuary to be completed by Easter!

This is an exciting time for RM! God is doing incredible things! Don't miss out!

Monday Mind Dump

2009-08-18T01:09:00.004-04:00

Well, I guess this is technically Tuesday but you get the point.

Let me start off by saying that Sunday was great! Praise and worship started off with a bang! Our new drummer was there! Everyone's energy level was up. There just seemed to be a really good momentum going on.

We to a look back and The Braided Believer and made a fresh commitment to becoming one.

We set a goal of breaking the 100 barrier by the end of November. And then we broke it in the same day! Yes, we had 102 people at church on Sunday!

Now, I told everyone that if we could consistently run over 100 on Sundays by the end of November that we would have some kind of church reward. I mentioned shaving my head, which my wife and most of the congregation disagreed with. (Thank the Lord!)

So, I'm looking for ideas. If you have any, comment me. Let's get creative! And let's keep the momentum up.

I love you guys!

Bold as Lions

2009-07-28T10:13:00.003-04:00

In my devotional time this morning I read Proverbs 28:1 that states

"The wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the godly are as bold as lions."

I thought about it for a few minutes and had to ask myself this question...

Which side better describes me?

Many times in life we are faced with chances to be bold in our beliefs or to be timid about being a Christ-follower. I have to admit, when I am asked what I do for a living by new people I meet, I find myself on the more timid nature. See, I can't stand it when people act normal around me until the find out that I'm a pastor. It seems that then they turn on this "religious" facade.

It's not that I'm embarrassed about what I do. It's not that I'm insecure in my gifting. I just HATE fake people. I have a hard time with ministers who talk in their "preacher voice" at the dinner table with their kids. I struggle with pastors that cut their grass in a suit and tie. That isn't REAL!

On the flip side, I can't stand it when someone is using profanity until they learn of my pastoral position and then starts throwing out "Hallelujah" and "Praise the Lord." In the same respect, that isn't REAL!

I can allow the boldness of the Holy Spirit to flow through my life without making others feel like the scum of the earth. I should be secure enough in who God is and who He created me to be that I don't have to prove my position by demanding others to stop being themselves.

Boldness: there have been a lot of weird and crazy things that have gone on in the name of boldness. Tell me your stories. Let's have a laugh together.

Also, how can we still be bold without becoming a flake? What are your thoughts?

Monday Mind Dump

2009-07-20T16:21:00.003-04:00

Yesterday at Restoration Ministries blew me away! I so enjoy our worship experiences! Here are a few highlights:

*Our Praise Team ROCKS!!! Many times I think we take it for granted. We shouldn't. They are awesome!
*God said yesterday would be a day of breakthrough for some people! If you felt like you received a breakthrough, please email or comment me so I can hear your testimony! I WANT to know what God is doing in and through your lives.
* We, once again, joined forces with His Image Ministry for our series on Servolution. (Yes, we jacked the name from Dino Rizzo with his permission!) I absolutely LOVE the people from HIM!!! They are just great.
*God challenged us to be a fig tree in a vineyard. We must make sure that the figs we are bearing tastes different from the grapes we are growing sick of eating. (If you want to know more you'll have to buy the CD!)

In all, I am SO glad to be back home and going strong. We haven't lost vision or passion. We are ready to see what God is up to at RM! And I believe He is up to something BIG!

I'm Back!

2009-07-14T00:01:00.002-04:00

Wow, it seems like forever since I've blogged. I guess that's because it has been quite a while. Well, I'm back from all the camps and our mini-vacation and I am ready to get back in the swing of things.

What's been going on lately? I'm glad you asked...

1. We started a five week series called Servolution (Thanks Pastor Dino Rizzo for letting us use the name!). In this series we have joined forces with Pastors Josh and Lori Muckelvaney and His Image Ministry for each of the services. That's right... We have combined our SUNDAY services for five weeks for the good of the Kingdom!!! That's unheard of!

This past week Pastor Josh preached a POWERFUL word! All I know is that obedience is better than sacrifice...

We are concluding the series with a joint 7 Days of Servolution! I'm excited!

2. Our three weeks of camp were great but very tiring! All I can say is I am glad that I am home and sleeping in my bed. Oh, and I didn't have hot water in my camper all three weeks! Have you ever had an ice cold shower and three in the morning after cleaning in a camper that is about 63 degrees? Yeah, thank God for hot water!!! However, those weeks at camp were great for some relationships. We made some new ones, rekindled some old ones and strengthened some existing ones. And we all know that the Kingdom is about relationship!

3. During this time away I have found the Lord speaking some things to me and redirecting my prayers on some issues. I found myself sitting out on the dock while the kids were in worship service one morning seeking the Lord on some issues. I am VERY excited with what I feel the Lord is about to do at RM! You definitely don't want to miss out on this.

Lastly, let me encourage you once again to raise your level of expectation. God has spoken this to our church three times in the last two months. Let's continually make sure we aren't allowing the enemy to discourage us and drain us of any expectation we have. Raise the level!!!

Now, it's after midnight and we have just started Madea Goes to Jail. I'll see you all tomorrow at Midweek Momentum. We are going to be taking a spiritual gifts test. Make sure you're there! Goodnight.

Camp Robinson

2009-06-17T02:28:00.000-04:00

On the first tuesday night in June 15 years ago I heard a young minister by the name of Scott Smith preach a message on the cross that impacted me on an eternal level. That night I began my journey of faith. And it all happened at Camp Robinson in the middle of nowhere, South Carolina.

I haven't missed a summer at Camp Robinson since then. Once I was to old to be a camper, I joined the staff.

Once again, I am serving for three weeks at this place of my spiritual birth in prayerful anticipation of yet another move of God in the lives of children and teens.

This year I am honored to be in the line up of speakers. With people like Brock Spivey, Javin Proctor and even Brandon Gardner, I'm not sure why I was picked but I am honored nonetheless.

So this Thursday night I am going to be speaking to about 130 teens about passion. Pray that God shows homself strong on behalf of these teens. Pray that some will be saved. Pray that I will be used of God to say what He, Himself, would like to say to them. Pray that I would in some small way be able to give back into this camp that has sown SO much into me.

Internet Service @ Camp

2009-06-15T13:41:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! I'm SO excited because I realized that my Blackberry gets internet access!!! So I'll be blogging a little later. Stay tuned...

Monday Mind Dump

2009-06-08T09:54:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was definitely different but REALLY good. We had our first Sunday with video teaching, which I thought went really well.

Praise and Worship was very good. Seemed like some of the energy in the congregation was back. I always love P&W. We have the greatest team on the planet!

Steven Furtick spoke on God's greatness and goodness and did a marvelous job. (Though I thought it was hilarious that he said his son was acting like a wuss over the bug!)

Then there are some of the "out-of-the-box" things that are coming up at RM!

We are in the middle of One Prayer 2009. We will be hearing from Perry Noble this Sunday and Greg Surratt on Father's Day.

The last Sunday of the month, Dr. Paul Gaehring, president of Redemption Ministerial Fellowship International, will be with us and speaking. This is going to be a great day.

Starting in July we will be combining services with His Image Ministry for 5 weeks for a series called Servolution! I am super excited about this! God is up to something!

I came home yesterday after lunch and slept until after 9PM!!! I haven't done that in a LONG time. Thanks for giving me the rest of the day off. It was some much needed rest.

Well, that's it for now. I hope to be posting more this week. Last week was slammed!

The Poopy Bathroom

2009-05-31T23:52:00.000-04:00

So, after church today, we went to Olive Garden to eat. After eating I took Micah to the restroom where there was someone in one of the stalls ridding themself of some recently consumed pasta. As soon as we walked in, Micah says (very loudly) "Dad, it's the stinky bathroom!"

I tried to squash it by explaining that every bathroom stinks... To which Micah replies "It's the poopy bathroom dad!"

It wasn't but a few moments until they were done and out of the bathroom!

I LOVE parenthood!!!

One Prayer Kick-Off

2009-05-28T10:39:00.003-04:00

This Sunday we are kicking off One Prayer 2009. I know that it is one week early but we had something scheduled for the last Sunday in June. Therefore, we had to start early.

The theme of One Prayer 2009 is "God is..." So this week I am starting us off by talking about the fact that God is... Passionate! You don't want to miss this Sunday, it is going to be very thought provoking and life changing. Be there... and invite someone. Who knows, they could be one of the ten that you should win to the Lord this year. Let's get started!!! Are you with me?!?

Monday Mind Dump

2009-05-25T16:35:00.002-04:00

This past weekend proved to be POWERFUL! There were quite a few things that were confirmed to us that we have just been praying about. Here is my overview.

*Friday night Tracy spoke on the spirit of expectation. One of the things that I took from this is that we as a church need to raise the level of expectation that we have coming into each church service. That should mean that the level of excitement will rise as well. Bring it!!!

*Saturday morning the staff had a roundtable with Tracy and Rebekah. They gave us many great ideas and even spoke some things that I can't blog about at this time. Some exciting things!!! Stay tuned. However, many of the things we have been feeling as a staff (and Stephanie and I as the lead pastors) were confirmed in this meeting.

*Saturday night Tracy spoke a prophetic word concerning the Blessing Explosion. WOW, what a POWERFUL word!!! She said that every place she has spoken that word it has taken no more than three weeks for the explosion to take place. Are you ready for this?!? It didn't even take 24 hours for start to happen for us!!! We had a dream goal for an offering that we wanted to hand Tracy. We exceeded that dream goal by $450!!! PLUS, our tithe was about DOUBLE what it normally is on this week!!! And we had quite a few people absent on SUNDAY!!!

*Sunday we had an incredible time of worship! God really showed up in a great way. Then Tracy spoke on the joy of the Lord. It is now going to be our first priority this year! We all need to laugh! However, I think I am going to be teaching on the fast of negativity that she spoke of and then we are going to launch that fast at RM. Should be quite an adventure.

I want to say thanks to a couple of people...

First, the praise team!!! You guys ROCK MY FACE OFF!!! (That was just for you Pastor Adam) You guys gave a LOT of time to prepare for this weekend and to participate in it. I know God is going to bless you for your sacrifice.

Second, the Helps ministry. You guys are my heros!!! Not only do you come in early, you left late and then you don't even get to enjoy most of the service. God sees what you give and it will produce a harvest in your lives. Bill and Donna, you are the man and woman!! Your faithfulness amazes me!

Third, to all other volunteers - nursery, children, video, etc. I love all you guys! I know you would have rather been in each service but you did what needed to be done. Thank you all.

To my staff - you guys are the BEST!!! You all gave up your entire weekend to make sure that the rest of the church was able to enjoy this event. You have my heart and for that I'm grateful.

Last - Pastor Dewaine - I saved you for last because not only have you spent all week at the church working with the teens and switching all the media stuff but then you pulled double duty in EACH SERVICE!! And I haven't heard you complain once! You weren't on the platform and many people may not have recognized your sacrifice but I did. (And God certainly did) Your conduct and servants attitude this weekend will not be forgotten. I am incredibly thankful for you and ALL you do.

Oh well, RM I love you and can't wait to see what the Lord wants to do in the days ahead. It's going to be FUN!!! Let's enjoy it together.

Give Us Direction

2009-05-21T23:57:00.005-04:00

This weekend Restoration Ministries is hosting a Prophetic Weekend with Tracy Stewart. Now before you start having a cow and think that we are a bunch of freakish charismatics that get together so that we can "prophesy" to one another, hold on!

By "prophetic weekend" we mean that we long to press in and hear from the Father. We want to know what He is saying to us in this moment.

Tracy Stewart is a powerful prophetic voice with an incredible gift to be able to expound on the Word of God with humor and simplicity.

Service will be Friday and Saturday at 7PM and Sunday at 10:30AM and will be held at Restoration Ministries at 338 Amy Drive Goose Creek, SC. Full service nursery will be available for all services as well.

If you are near the area, come by and let's hear what God is saying to us. It's going to be a powerful few days.

Monday Mind Dump

2009-05-18T10:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a great day!

• I believe most everyone at RM created their own moment with God during worship. And everyone's moment was completely different.
•The Praise Team sounded GREAT! All of their hard work paid off in a BIG way! You guys rock!!!
•I wasn't completely satisfied with the presentation of my message yesterday. While I was pleased with the content I thought the presentation could have been better. (Although I'm usually harder on myself than anyone else is.)
•What is God calling you to sacrifice for Him?
•Our numbers have been down over the last few weeks and I'm not sure why.
•Come on RM, let's invite everyone we know so that they can experience Christ!

I think that's all I have for today. I have some family in town so I am going to spend the day with them. It's going to be a good day.

Old Time Religion

2009-05-16T09:42:00.005-04:00

Tomorrow I am going back into my series "Old Time Religion" in which I am trying to look past the methods of the "old church" and find the principles that we would do good to practice.

Many times we have written off all of the stuff that we learned as children but there are many principles that we need to reclaim to be a true Christ follower.

The last principle we looked at was the principle of perserverance. The "old timers" had the ability or, should I say, the tenacity to push past turbulent times and make the best of their opportunities. They would just buckle down and make things happen. They could push past adversity and remain committed to their cause.

Todays generation is quick to quit... a job, a church, a friendship... we are even the first generation to divorce our parents. We would be a better people if we all learned the principle of perserverance. Stay committed, even when we don't fully agree.

Anyway, tomorrow we are going to be looking at the priniple of the drop... or as some would say, sacrifice. Come on out and let's take a look at this "old school" principle that would do much good in todays culture of greed and materialism. Invite a friend and let's see what God wants to do!

Irrelevant Language

2009-05-15T10:27:00.003-04:00

Over the past few months God has been doing something powerful in me. While it is powerful I am finding myself changing. I have always been and will always be unapologetically pentecostal. However, many of the things we pentecostals do, in the name of being pentecostal, reeks of irrelevance! The language we use and the way we portray Christ would send most seekers running away from instead of to Christ.

We have been searching for ways to cherish our deep pentecostal heritage while at the same time presenting Christ in a relevant manner to those that don't know him and that may not be familiar with our pentecostal antics.

Now for those of you that think I am running off the deep end and going "seeker"... Well I AM! Shouldn't we do everything we can to reach the "seekers"? Isn't that what the Great Commission is all about? Didn't Jesus come to seek and save that which is lost?

However, I am not leaving my pentecostal roots or beliefs. I STILL pray in tongues. I STILL prophesy. I STILL confess the word. I STILL get lost in passionate praise & worship. I STILL follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. What I REFUSE to do is become one of those spooky kind of people!

I have a heart for SOULS! I want to see people become true followers of Christ. I want lives to be changed! And I don't want to freak them out in the process!!!

So come on folks, let's stop being super-freakishly spiritual and live out our faith in a REAL way. After all, that's what Jesus did.

One Prayer 2009

2009-05-14T16:27:00.004-04:00

Starting June 7th, Restoration Ministries will ne joining with hundreds of other churches from around the world in an initiative called One Prayer which was birthed out of LifeChurch.tv in Oklahoma. This year the theme is "God is..." and we will hear from a different pastor each Sunday in June.

At RM we will be hearing from people like Pastor Steven Furtick of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. We will also hear from Perry Noble from Newspring Church in Anderson, SC. I will be ministering one Sunday as well as Greg Surratt from Seacoast Church right here in Charleston. You will NOT want to miss this exciting opportunity to be unified with hundreds of thousands of believers around the globe. Get excited and invite someone! This could change your life!

One Prayer

2009-05-13T14:46:00.002-04:00

I have decided that Restoration Ministries will participate in One Prayer 2009.

For those of you who don't know, One Prayer is an initiative started by Pastor Craig Groeschel at LifeChurch.tv to bring about unity in the body of Christ. There are hundreds of churches with hundreds of thousands of combined membership participating.

Each Sunday in June, we will be hearing from different leaders in the church. At RM we will be hearing from such men of God as Steven Furtick, Perry Noble, Greg Surratt as well as myself. This is going to be a powerful month that you won't want to miss! Stay tuned for more details.

Love you all.

Pastor Chuck

Monday Mind Dump

2009-05-11T09:26:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was Mothers Day so let me say a belated happy mothers day to ALL the mothers out there!

My wife is an incredible wife and mother. She is one of the strongest people I know.

On to the mind dump...

I don't know if anyone else felt it but to me it seemed like there was no energy in church yesterday. I'm not sure if everyone was tired or what but man it was low.

The praise team did a great job in leading us. They sounded great!

Pastor Adam did a great job on our new stage backdrop. (Although he isn't happy with it.) I thought it looked great! Good job!

Mrs. Ruth was the oldest mother in the place. So we blessed her with a small gift to honor her. We love you Mrs. Ruth!

Elder brought the message yesterday and did a marvelous job. (As always) All I'm going to say is "Are you pregant?" If you weren't there, you should get the CD.

Overall, I thought it was a great day. Next Sunday we are going back into our series Old Time Religion. You don't want to miss it.

From Potential to Production

2009-05-06T09:23:00.003-04:00

At the beginning of the year I cast the vision for what I felt that the Lord was saying to our church, Restoration Ministries. I explained that God was taking us to a place of promotion where we would begin to experience our destiny as a ministry at a much deeper level. However, before God could bring us to this place of promotion we had to walk through a time of production. Production is a time of preparation and hard work.

When farmers decide that they want a harvest of grain, they don't pray for grain, fast for grain, praise and worship for the grain, or preach on grain. They get their tired crack (Yes I said it again, CRACK!) out in the field to plow the ground and plant the seed. There is a time of work and preparation before they ever SEE their harvest!

I wanted to take this post today and remind all of the RMers out there that we are in that time of HARD WORK! I promised you at the beginning of the year that we would be moving to a place of "extreme excellence"; and I meant it. What once was okay, will no longer fly. We must be diligent in 2009 to prepare for the PROMOTION that the Lord wants to bring in 2010.

Are you with me?!?

Monday Mind Dump

2009-05-04T08:53:00.000-04:00

All I can say is WOW! Thinking back over yesterday at RM here are a few thoughts:

•I had more fun preaching yesterday than I think I have ever had preaching!
•I absolutely LOVE RM! They allow me to be ME! Thank you guys!
•My wife, Pastor Adam and Pastor Lori did a jam up job on the song we sang.
•I didn't mean to set it up as a joke. We actually like the song. (Well most of us...Pastor Lori! Hehehe)
•We stared a new series called Old Time Religion. I want to reclaim some lost principles that "old church" tried to teach us.
•It was a very LONG day. After service we had Executive Staff meeting and then Bible studies. I was wiped out by the time I got home.

Overall I thought it was a great day. Again let me say that I absolutely LOVE you Restoration Ministries! You guys are awesome!

The Devil is a Liar!

2009-04-28T20:49:00.000-04:00

So, I left Charlotte after an incredible day at Thr3e. (Thanks to the staff and volunteers at Elevation Church) Larry Brey is THE MAN!!!

I'm driving back home on I77 around Rock Hill when my cars front end locks up! Yup. I'm stranded for the next two and a half hours at a Steak & Shake waiting on Stephanie and her dad and Annette to pick me up. Wow! The devil is a liar!

Today was too good a day for this to mess it up. So I am just going to take it in stride and thank God in advance for provision. I mean, He still is Jehovah Jireh!

Thanks for the phone calls to check on me. Peace!

Turned Tail and Ran

2009-04-28T07:47:00.000-04:00

Psalm 9:3-4
"When my enemies turn back, they shall fall and perish at Your presence. For You maintained my right and my cause." (NKJV)

"The day my enemies turned tail and ran they stumbled on You and fell on their faces. You took over and set everything right; when I needed you, you were there, taking charge." (Message)

We all have enemies. We all face adversity. It is really how we handle it that determines our outcome.

Instead of fighting back or trying to defend ourselves from false accusations and the such, we should quietly continue to make sure we are right with God. When we maintain our relationship with Him and allow Him to deal with our issues, then HE will maintain our right and our cause. He will clear our name. He will right the wrongs!

When the Lord starts getting our back we will find that our enemies will turn tail and run. So today, determine to allow God to vindicate you and silently watch as He takes over and sets everything right. Be blessed!

Chillin' in Charlotte

2009-04-27T21:45:00.000-04:00

So, I'm in Charlotte for Thr3e at Elevation Church. It is a one day leadership event that has been described like "drinking from a fire hydrant." (Steven Furtick)

I felt like I needed to be at this event. Pray that I will hear and comprehend anything that the Lord would want to deposit in me at this meeting.
Well, I'm going to spend a little time in prayer and study. Keep up with the tomorrows event by following me on Twitter. My screen name is RMpastor.

Peace.

Reality Check

2009-04-23T21:02:00.000-04:00

So, we had a reality check tonight. We were a host for Dave Ramsey's Town Hall For Hope. We had 218 people registered to attend at our site. We prepared with extra parking at a local school, 7 parking lot attendants, 9 greeters and 2 sound and media guys. Here is where the reality check comes in...

9 people actually showed up!

Many people would call this a failure but I think this shows how great our people are. Man, if 250 people would have been here, we would have been ready.

Now I would be lying if I said it were not disappointing but we are NOT defeated!

So RM, today I applaud you! You were prepared. You worked hard to pull this off with excellence! We now know that when our church gets to the place that we need these kind of workers on a weekly basis, you guys can pull it off! I'm encouraged and proud of you guys! I'm glad to be a part of your family.

Monday Mind Dump

2009-04-20T16:28:00.000-04:00

After yesterday I was wiped out! It was a long but VERY good day! So here are a few of my thoughts on what happened at RM.

•Everything started out a little slow and it seemed like everyone was tired. (Which I completely understand.)
•I hit a place where I knew we weren't giving God what he deserved.
•When we finally hit that vein, I could barely shut it down!
•I felt under prepared for my message. I'm not sure why, I just didn't feel like I was completely ready.
•The entire chair illustration was off the cuff. I knew I would do something with it, I just didn't know what.
•the most exciting thing was that another person accepted Christ!!! That makes three out of the last four weeks that someone has come to Christ!!! That JACKS me up!!!

Keep inviting people! We are on the verge of something explosive. Let's all do our part. I love you RM!!!

Town Hall for Hope Almost Full

2009-04-16T10:35:00.000-04:00

We are hosting Dave Ramsey's Town Hall For Hope at Restoration Ministries on April 23rd. We were anticipating 50-60 people max. When the site was checked today there were 189 people registered!!! WOW!

So, if you haven't registered please do so today. Our site registration cuts off at 200 so that we will have room for a few walk-ins. We are attempting to set up 3 overflow rooms as well. But we NEED you to register! Let's push this event over the 250 mark!!! Want to join us in this?

If registration on Dave Ramsey's site is closed, leave me a comment on this post and we'll do everything we can to get you in! Thanks

Favor

2009-04-15T18:15:00.000-04:00

Right now I am sitting at the airport, waiting on Stephanie and Micah to land, contemplating my prayer time this morning. I really felt the Lord directing me to prayer for favor in every area of life and ministry.

Did you know that it says in Psalms that favor surrounds those who are in right relationship with God like a shield!

I don't know about you but I want the favor of God surrounding me everyday! Favor in my family. Favor in my finances. Favor with those in authority. FAVOR!!!

But what I really want is favor with those who don't know Jesus within my circle of influence. Then I want God to expand my circle of influence and give me favor with the new people as well. I want to give Jesus to those who are far from Him. How about you?

Friday Work Day Cancelled

2009-04-15T10:19:00.000-04:00

Dear RM,

We have to cancel the work day at the Mt. Pleasant house this Friday. As you all have heard, Mr. Rick Vasser was involved in a car accident on Sunday that took his life. We are all saddened at this loss to the body of Christ.

There is a memorial service planned for this Friday evening at Restoration Ministries. The service will begin PROMPTLY at 7PM. Please plan to attend.

How Excellent is Your Name...

2009-04-14T09:45:00.000-04:00

This morning during my devotional time, I read Psalm 8:1 that says, "O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth." In this psalm David is expressing how great or large God is and in comparison, how absolutely small we all are. He both opens and closes this psalm with this statement because it pretty much sums up the entire thing. God, You are so large and we are so small! O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in ALL the earth!

This should become our anthem, our confession, our cry!

When it seems like everything around us is failing - O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in ALL the earth! When we are suffering with sickness and pain - O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in ALL the earth! When our debts are getting larger and our income is steadily getting smaller - O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in ALL the earth! When our marriage is hurting and our spouse doesn't even seem to care - O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in ALL the earth! When we've been praying and praying for our children and they seems even further from God than they've ever been - O Lord, our Lord, how excellent... You get the point.

So the next time you feel as though the world is closing in around you and all you want to do is crawl in a hole and disappear, begin reminding yourself - O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in... My finances... My children... My job... My marriage...

Monday Mind Dump

2009-04-13T11:13:00.000-04:00

What can I say? Yesterday was an awesome day at Restoration Ministries! We had over 80 in attendance. The atmosphere was electric! (Boogie, woogie, woogie)

The kick off to our new series, Truth & Order: Special Victims Unit, was very good. We are talking about the reason this generation operates under a victim mentality. If you weren't there, show up next Sunday and you can get in on the fun!

I did make a blunder in my message yesterday which was pointed out to me at lunch. (Thanks Pastor Adam!) I made the statement that this generation can do twice as much HALF AS FAST! This is not what I meant! I meant to say that this generation can do twice as much in HALF THE TIME! Anyway, just wanted to correct myself. Life Lesson: Be able to laugh at yourself!

For those of you that took the time to invite someone to church I wanted to say "Thank You." There is a principle that I've been taught called the principle of "Invest and Invite." It has to do with investing your life in people and inviting people to join your community of believers. Let's continue to "invest and invite" each week. If we do this we will continue to impact lives each weekend.

I also wanted to take the time to thank all of the people that make our worship experiences happen! These people give their time to make sure that everyone that attends has a positive experience at RM. You guys are the BOMB! I absolutely love you all! I couldn't do what I do without you. Thank you for investing your lives into the lives of people! It paid off yesterday because the greatest thing that happened yesterday is that someone gave their life to Jesus!

Thanks for letting me be a part of this church. I love you all!

New Series Beginning This Sunday

2009-04-09T08:35:00.000-04:00

Do you know someone with a victim mentality? Nothing is their fault. Everyone owes them something. THEY are the victim! Starting this weekend we are going to be taking a look into what causes people to live with a victim mentality, how you can recognize it, and how we can fix it.
As you know, this weekend is Easter, Resurrection Sunday or whatever you want to call it. All I know is that it is a special weekend to celebrate our risen Lord!

Are you going to come to church alone? Is this going to be just another Sunday? OR are you going to partner with us to reach those who don't have a relationship with Jesus? We vow to you that we will do everything in our ability to make this weekend an experience that everyone can enjoy but that will clearly present the gospel so that we all leave with NO EXCUSE!

Will you join us in making this a weekend about reaching the lost? Invite! Invite! Invite!

Let's give back to Jesus in a manner that is worthy of HIS investment. This will be an unforgettable weekend. Bring someone with you.

Pastor Chuck

Divine Vindication

2009-04-07T08:57:00.000-04:00

In my quiet time this morning, I was reading Psalm chapter six and it spurred this thought. I hope you enjoy.

When writing this psalm, David was in a time of such distress that he wept all night. He cried so much that his bed was actually wet. It became so damp from his tears that he likened it to a pool (vs. 6). But as he is cried out to the Lord in his anguish, pouring out his heart, he looked up and saw that his enemies had surrounded him. They gathered to watch, and probably gloat, in his hardship.

There will be times in our lives as well, that we will find ourselves crying out to the Lord in distress. There will be times of disappointment, betrayal, frustration. There will be times when we just begin to bare our hearts to heaven in all transparency.

And in those times, if you look around, there will be those who gather. They want to bask in your hardship. They long to see you fall.

We must learn to be like David. We must brush ourselves off, lift our head and turn to a faith-filled confidence in God that says

"The Lord HAS heard the voice of my weeping.

The Lord HAS heard my supplication.

The Lord WILL receive my prayer."

Don't let those that would like to see you fail have the pleasure of seeing that. Turn your faith to the Lord and allow Him to vindicate you. Put your best foot forward and watch as God puts your enemy to shame.

Psalm 37:6

"He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday."

Monday Mind Dump

2009-04-06T11:36:00.000-04:00

After my first full week of being in the office, full time, I am amazed at the greatness of God. Yesterday there was an incredible move of God at Restoration Ministries. I don't believe I have experience God in that manner since before college. It was powerful.

Having said that, I am tremendously humbled that God would choose me to be in leadership in such a wonderful time in the Body of Christ. I believe that we are on the edge of something great at RM! This Sunday is Easter and we will be celebrating the resurrection of our Lord. The staff is working very diligently to make sure that anyone that isn't a Christ follower will fully understand their need to become one. PLEASE do whatever has to be done to bring your loved ones to this Sundays worship experience. It WILL be worth it.