Friday, December 31, 2010

One God, One Church! January 2011 series

Hello Evangelism shepherd leaders:

I hope you had a very Merry and favorable Christmas! Thank God CHRIST.mas NEVER Ends for us as Jesus disciples!

I’m thoroughly excited about the God sized possibilities and fruit bearing season for New Hope Honolulu. Pastor Elwin has developed a teaching series that will grow our ‘ohana deeper and stronger in Him. I thought I would start the NEW YEAR by sharing the message titles, themes and synopsis’ with you for :
  • Your Prayers
  • Your information
  • Any possible suggestions (for you creative, right brained people:)
  • and More Prayer
  • Catching the heart of the messages, season God is leading us through
  • Being an owner of the “Messages” for our campus – to pray over and equip your teams in creative ways.

If you have any questions, thoughts, suggestions – please let me know.

Love you – for who God made you to be and become!
Rod


One God . . . One Church
a New Hope Growth Series”

To begin the New Year, we will take a 360 degree look at New Hope, its mission, purpose and values. In this new series, New Hope’s satellite campuses will present simultaneous messages on the spiritual disciplines that will grow New Hope and its members into a deeper and stronger relationship with Christ. God is poised to do a great work through New Hope in 2011, but it will require a people who have established a foundation of faith upon which He can accomplish His will. New Hope exists in many locations, but remain as One Church committed to a continual process of spiritual growth to serve One God.


Jan 1/2 Elwin “Back to the Basics: Salvation – God’s Free Gift”
The essence of our salvation is captured in 1 Jn. 4:16 which states: “God is love and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in him.” It was God who so loved you and me that He gave His life for us, “so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. You have been healed by His wounds!” (1 Pet. 2:24). Having a deep appreciation for the price that was paid for our salvation will help us to faithfully move forward into the many opportunities God will open for us in 2011.

Jan 8/9 Elwin “Committed to Grow”
Spiritual growth is a process, not an overnight sensation. It’s a process that began when we first said “Yes” to Jesus. But, how much we grow, spiritually, is directly proportional to the price we’re willing to pay. Salvation is free, but everything else costs, including the commitment to engage in the spiritual disciplines that will grow our roots deeper and stronger in our relationship with Christ. “Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness – for it promises a reward in both this life and the next.” (1 Tim. 4:7-8) This message will provide practical lessons that can be immediately applied to our lives as we engage in the process of spiritual growth.

Jan 15/16 Elwin “Investment Strategies”
Probably one of the greatest challenges the Lord has ever laid before the Church is found in Mal. 3:10 where He invites us to “test” Him on giving “the whole tithe into the storehouse.” It’s a concept that has eluded and confused both non-believers, as well as believers. This message will help us to process what this challenge entails and its ramifications as it relates to our spiritual growth. Through this lesson we will see how the tithe is New Hope’s investment in financing God’s preferred future.

Jan 22/23 Elwin “Life’s Greatest Resource”
New Hope will only be as vibrant as the spirit of its people as exampled through their willingness to invest their God-given gifts and passions for the sake of the Kingdom. It has been said “the quickest way to the throne is through the servant’s entrance.” The Lord has endowed each of us with life’s greatest resource, special gifts that were intended by Him to be employed “in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” (1 Pet. 4:10). This message will help us to discover and deploy our spiritual gifts for the Kingdom and understand how the exercise of our gifts will strengthen our Christian walk with Him.

Jan 29/30 Elwin “Responding to the Great Commission” (Communion)
Without a doubt, we, as a Church, have been called to “Go and make disciples of all nations.” God’s missio deio, or mission lies at the heart of New Hope whether through our prison and community outreaches, or other extension opportunities, New Hope is committed to reach the world for Christ, both locally and globally. In this message we will explore the heart behind our extension ministries and its effects upon our spiritual growth.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Goals and Direction

"Make sure you're headed somewhere. If you are going all out with out a clear destination in mind, slow down and ask more questions."
~ Vince Lombardi

Great leaders ask questions. They ask questions of themselves, of their peers, of their subordinates and their guests or those they serve.

Specifically, the difference between good leaders and great leaders is not always vision or a clear destination, but slowing down to ask good questions. Visionary leaders can make good, quick decisions but can fail asking the right people, the right questions - thus failing to make the better, wiser decision!

Proverbs 19:20 Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. (niv)



Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Life is tough... but don't be stupid!

I've been thinking about this quote I read form John Wayne: "Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid." How funny and true is that?!

Personalizing this, I can make life so much tougher by my own stupidity. Having stupid thoughts. Saying stupid words. Giving stupid looks and glares. Being insensitively stupid. Being self centered-ly stupid.

I'm not trying to be down on myself, but just been thinking about how much tougher life is when I say, do or believe - in stupid ways!

Proverbs 12:15 Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.

Proverbs 13:16 Wise people think before they act; fools don’t—and even brag about their foolishness.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Quotes and Back to Basics with CARS in 2011


Merry Christmas Evangelism Shepherds,

I love these quotes from Rick Warren.
  • Your friends wont accept the Good News of Christmas until you confess that you BELIEVE it! Man up! It's time to share.
  • The world is hungry for humble people with absolute confidence in God. Obedience, not ego, is the source of deep confidence.
  • Judging others lets us ignore the mess in our own lives & relieves the sense of failure & frustration temporarily.

- and from Perry Noble:
  • We should never confuse activity FOR God with intimacy WITH God!

Read through these again and ask God how He wants to use these quotes to speak to your life.
  • How is God calling you to enact these quotes/sayings?

In 2011, we will return continue our BACK TO BASICS theme – with C.A.R.S:
C – Character (Christ-like character)
A – Attitude (grateful and joyful attitudes)
R – Relationships (authentic relationships)
S – Service (honorable service)

Healthy C.A.R.S. for Christ,
Rod

Romans 14 NLT
17 For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 If you serve Christ with this
attitude, you will please God. And other people will approve of you, too. 19 So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.