Yesterdays bible reading included the passages in Mark 6 in which Jesus sent out the disciples in 'teams' and later the miraculous caring of the hungry by using a little boys lunch and feeding the multitudes. These verses reminded me of our church. A church in which we have emphasized teaming for many years and know it is essential to our future. A church in which we are making room for the gifts of others no matter what they are or how insignificant they might seem to the natural eye (like the little boys lunch) This past Sunday night, I addressed our church with an overview of 2006 and what a great year it was for us. As I look at the hearts and lives touched, I am simply amazed. As we shared the following numbers of those who had said, 'Yes' to Jesus, the group gave a thunderous applause and rightfully so.
2003: 275
2004: 204
2005: 300
2006: 259
1038 (Total overlast four years)
Since 1940, people coming to Church by the Side of the Road, (the original name of our church) a small building, a small group of people who were true pioneers, builders, servants who sacrificed. I wonder if they every dreamed of the church growing as it has or that we would, one day tear the building down and build bigger ones. Could they fathom that we would be having three services and run out of room. Did they have the faith to believe the very things that God has done with us today? We serve a wonderful God who has been faithful to the people who gathered right on this property. From then to now, roll the clock forward, here we are. God has been faithful – and I wonder, what will be of LFC in ten years, twenty years, thirty years, or the next 67? How many lives will be changed with the passing of each decade and what are we willing to give, endure and sacrifice to see this happen? Those early pioneers gave it all, they prayed, believed, served, gave their time and resources, they were risk takers and innovators and we can be no different now.
Our vision remains clear: It is to see lives transformed.
Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
(New International Version)
2003: 275
2004: 204
2005: 300
2006: 259
1038 (Total overlast four years)
Since 1940, people coming to Church by the Side of the Road, (the original name of our church) a small building, a small group of people who were true pioneers, builders, servants who sacrificed. I wonder if they every dreamed of the church growing as it has or that we would, one day tear the building down and build bigger ones. Could they fathom that we would be having three services and run out of room. Did they have the faith to believe the very things that God has done with us today? We serve a wonderful God who has been faithful to the people who gathered right on this property. From then to now, roll the clock forward, here we are. God has been faithful – and I wonder, what will be of LFC in ten years, twenty years, thirty years, or the next 67? How many lives will be changed with the passing of each decade and what are we willing to give, endure and sacrifice to see this happen? Those early pioneers gave it all, they prayed, believed, served, gave their time and resources, they were risk takers and innovators and we can be no different now.
Our vision remains clear: It is to see lives transformed.
Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
(New International Version)
The Church is the REDEMPTIVE HOPE of the World.
The Local Church is the God Anointed means by which the lost in the world are found. If there was ever a year in the life of LFC that was a year of importance for us and making sure we stayed the course and the call - it is this year. It will be a year of building, expansion, salvations and hopefully renewed passion in the hearts of people. 2006 was a year in which we brought in the highest amount of resources, gave away the most and saved the most. Individuals released financial resources above their tithe to our Hope and a Future Building Fund and I am optimistic that in the next three months work will begin on our sanctuary expansion and our multi-purpose building. We simply need to believe for and see released an additional 286,000 dollars and we will be able to pay cash for both parts of this project. A new facility and our sanctuary expanded and our entire church totally debt free. We are in a great position but we cannot stop there. We realize these new facilities are stop gap measures for our growth and desire to reach our community in creative ways. I shared Sunday night that part of our Hope and Future Project has always been about acquiring additional properties adjacent to us and other facilities locally for the potential of multi-site church and or ministries in our community. Simply stated we cannot assume that God is done with us when we see His hand upon us in so many ways and His open doors before us. It is exciting and it has been faith, ingenuity, creative hearts that have gotten us to this place - we cannot think that anything would be different now. We cannot loose our original culture and DNA. It is still our hearts to:
Connect everything we do back to a soul.
To reach people far from Christ, to introduce people to Savior and to be Jesus to the Lompoc Valley, Santa Barbara County, Vandenberg Air Force Base and beyond. To see lonely and confused people – finding His love. To see people using their gifts and talents to serve God and people.
• Isaiah 61: 1 - 4
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor...to comfort all who mourn, to help people become glad instead of mourning, and to see them released to praise. (NIV)
These verses which Jesus Himself quoted from are the essential heart of LFC and essential to our future. Our church was founded by an Evangelist and later it became connected with a denomination ( Foursquare) that was also founded by an Evangelist. It is in our roots, lost people mattered to God. The entire mission of JESUS was reaching the LOST. It is what we are to do above all else.
The Hearts we must possess for the Future:
1/ We have to live on purpose and with mission. History has shown that it is too easy for the church to get distracted.
• Our focus is to provide hope and salvation for the human heart.
2/ We have to think with the heart of God.
Compassion and heart and a desire to keep learning and growing and not be afraid to attempt new things.
Our hearts must find passion for those things that enflame the heart of God.
3/ Grow in our hearts as servants.
So many people have reduced their relationship with God down to convenience and the comfortable. But that cannot be what we do. We must press on.
4/ Stay true to what works while being open to God for change.
It is easy to drift and become a church that everyone expects us to be but no church can nor should become that way. We will stay true to what we have done and what we know works and also seek the Lord on where we should change, what we should delete and what we should add.
5/ A future with dreamers and risk takers.
The church was birthed with dreamers and visionaries and today is filled with people who are celebrated for being conformists.
“When our hearts are joined to God, our imaginations can be the
birthplace of the dreams of God in our lives.” – Erwin McManus
Our cry must be, God I want you to empower me and live in me. I want your dreams and passion to fill my soul. I want to join with my church to see all the things that you want for us realized.
During this section, I shared several creative ideas that we must be open to seeing happen. I also know that we must not just plan and dream for these days but to position this church beyond our time - for the future, additional properties and even the thought of relocation as the doors are opened. Some things are scary, but was it not scary for the original pioneers to purchase the first piece of ground and erect the first sanctuary?
6/ A future lived in faith – trusting God for the impossible.
What does it mean to live by faith? The response of faith is nothing more than obedience.
• Faith begins with God speaking and materializes when we respond.
We have some seeming impossible challenges in front of us. God will release to us the people, gifting, staff members, servants that we need to achieve the things He has called us to do. We are reminded that God's calling is God's enabling. Where God guides He truly provides.
7/ Living in success before God, as individuals , families and as a church community.
The definition of success can simply be: More of God and less of me & doing what God has called us to do. We must make the name of the Lord greater than the name of LFC.
Can I ask that you pray for our leaders, church council, staff, team members and the congregation of LFC? Can I humbly ask you to pray for me as we all need God's wisdom and direction and the strength to do all He has asked us to do. We are praying for you that God will use you to be a vital part of what He desires to do at LFC and through you.
Connect everything we do back to a soul.
To reach people far from Christ, to introduce people to Savior and to be Jesus to the Lompoc Valley, Santa Barbara County, Vandenberg Air Force Base and beyond. To see lonely and confused people – finding His love. To see people using their gifts and talents to serve God and people.
• Isaiah 61: 1 - 4
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor...to comfort all who mourn, to help people become glad instead of mourning, and to see them released to praise. (NIV)
These verses which Jesus Himself quoted from are the essential heart of LFC and essential to our future. Our church was founded by an Evangelist and later it became connected with a denomination ( Foursquare) that was also founded by an Evangelist. It is in our roots, lost people mattered to God. The entire mission of JESUS was reaching the LOST. It is what we are to do above all else.
The Hearts we must possess for the Future:
1/ We have to live on purpose and with mission. History has shown that it is too easy for the church to get distracted.
• Our focus is to provide hope and salvation for the human heart.
2/ We have to think with the heart of God.
Compassion and heart and a desire to keep learning and growing and not be afraid to attempt new things.
Our hearts must find passion for those things that enflame the heart of God.
3/ Grow in our hearts as servants.
So many people have reduced their relationship with God down to convenience and the comfortable. But that cannot be what we do. We must press on.
4/ Stay true to what works while being open to God for change.
It is easy to drift and become a church that everyone expects us to be but no church can nor should become that way. We will stay true to what we have done and what we know works and also seek the Lord on where we should change, what we should delete and what we should add.
5/ A future with dreamers and risk takers.
The church was birthed with dreamers and visionaries and today is filled with people who are celebrated for being conformists.
“When our hearts are joined to God, our imaginations can be the
birthplace of the dreams of God in our lives.” – Erwin McManus
Our cry must be, God I want you to empower me and live in me. I want your dreams and passion to fill my soul. I want to join with my church to see all the things that you want for us realized.
During this section, I shared several creative ideas that we must be open to seeing happen. I also know that we must not just plan and dream for these days but to position this church beyond our time - for the future, additional properties and even the thought of relocation as the doors are opened. Some things are scary, but was it not scary for the original pioneers to purchase the first piece of ground and erect the first sanctuary?
6/ A future lived in faith – trusting God for the impossible.
What does it mean to live by faith? The response of faith is nothing more than obedience.
• Faith begins with God speaking and materializes when we respond.
We have some seeming impossible challenges in front of us. God will release to us the people, gifting, staff members, servants that we need to achieve the things He has called us to do. We are reminded that God's calling is God's enabling. Where God guides He truly provides.
7/ Living in success before God, as individuals , families and as a church community.
The definition of success can simply be: More of God and less of me & doing what God has called us to do. We must make the name of the Lord greater than the name of LFC.
Can I ask that you pray for our leaders, church council, staff, team members and the congregation of LFC? Can I humbly ask you to pray for me as we all need God's wisdom and direction and the strength to do all He has asked us to do. We are praying for you that God will use you to be a vital part of what He desires to do at LFC and through you.
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