Water Baptisms

Have you been baptized in water since you came to faith in Christ? 

Do you have friends or family members who need to be water-baptized?

If the answer is ‘yes’ to either question, please call our office or click here to be included in the baptisms at CLC (all campuses) these next two Sundays.

I believe we’ll see more people baptized in the next two weeks than we have in the past year, so don’t procrastinate – get in touch with us now. 

We’ll all be glad you did.

Sunday evening reflections

What a day!  Where do I start…

• First off, the obvious: winter’s last hurrah!  Seems the storm hit at precisely the right time to hinder attendance in Tinley Park, especially in the first two services.  At least we know it can’t last much longer, right?
• Speaking of the Tinley campus, I can recall when I’ve seen so many guests/newcomer’s in one day!  (The baby dedications were a big part of it, but we just had a lot of new folks here.)
• The worship team was off the charts (as usual), and they perfectly illustrated the value of each participant in worship….. awesome Presence throughout the day!
• Pastor Dan Johnson was back in the Shorewood pulpit for the first time in four weeks, and he reports an incredible time of worship there, with 5 people praying to receive Christ, 4 water baptisms, and 233 in attendance!
• Speaking of baptisms, have you heard we’re going to be baptizing at every service next Sunday?  It’s not too late for you to be included – just call our office or click here
• At our South Bend campus, Pastors Doug & Shanna Neal reported the largest attendance since they’ve been there!  Even more important, they reported the service was “amazing and just incredible”, as my wife taught on “Kingdom Anointing” and had a fire tunnel  there that resulted in folks receiving prayer and ministry for an hour and a half afterwards!  (wonder if the ‘fire tunnel’ should become a standard part of every service?)
• How ’bout this neat statistic: on this ‘Family Sunday’ we dedicated babies at each campus today (not sure that’s ever happened before)…and I mean babies: 4 in South Bend, 5 in Tinley Park, and 6 in Shorewood!  Guess that means CLC is growing!

Immediately following services today, Chris & I headed to one of our favorite getaways in New Buffalo, MI where we’ll hang out together for the next 3 days.  I plan to get reaquainted with my wife before we begin one of the busiest seasons of ministry ever, as we’ve got 2 big Sundays coming, followed by a Board of Directors meeting, a missions trip to Turkey, the annual H2H retreat in WI, special services with Bishop Tudor Bismark, out of state meetings, another special day with Gregg Johnson, and a missions trip to the Philippines…..all in the next couple of months!

All of that to say that I’m signing off the internet and won’t be logging back on until I’m back in the office on Wednesday afternoon…..it’s just me & Chris, ohhhh yeahhh!

Just one more thing: it’s NOT too late for you to invite a friend to attend our Easter services with you – it’s the perfect opportunity to introduce someone to CLC (and maybe to Jesus!)

The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived

That’s the title of a new book by Steven K. Scott.  I haven’t had a chance to dive into my review copy yet (that’s a story in itself; the ‘unread’ pile is starting to look as big as my desk), but I sure enjoyed his earlier release, “The Richest Man Who Ever Lived”.

Here’s a summary of the book: 

In The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived, Scott guides readers in a step-by-step application of the life-changing principles, skills, and methods that Jesus used throughout his earthly life. Although believers may spend a lifetime learning from Jesus’ teachings, it’s easy to overlook the powerful lessons demonstrated in His life. But when these incomparable lessons are learned and put to use, they enable ordinary people to achieve extraordinary success and happiness.

 From Jesus’ earthly life readers will learn:

• How to break through the barriers that prevent them from achieving extraordinary success at work and relational success at home.
• How to experience a level of happiness and fulfillment that nothing the world offers can duplicate.
• How to use adversity and opposition as a springboard for greater success.
• How to love others in a way that increases their love as well.

 No matter what a person’s area of expertise and in what setting a person influences others, living by the principles of Jesus’ life on earth produces extraordinary success, unprecedented achievements, personal fulfillment, and blessings for others.

You can order your copy here.  Happy reading!

The Pastor asks…

No one submitted a question this week for my normal Friday feature, ‘Ask the Pastor’, so I decided to ask a couple of my own:

• Do you know how YOUR worship can be a powerful weapon against your enemies?  (I’m talking all week long, not just on Sunday mornings!)

• Do you know what is one of the most overlooked/neglected secrets of our Christian faith – one that can potentially close the door on our past and help us walk in the authority that God wills?

The ANSWERS? 

Don’t dare miss the next 2 Sundays at CLC!

In fact, invite a friend to join you, at any of our campuses, for any Sunday morning service.

Now, what would YOU like to ask the Pastor?

Our response to tough economic times

I read Psalm 41 several days ago as part of my morning devotions, and I haven’t been able to get away from it since.  It especially spoke to me about my response (and CLC’s response) to these tough times – because I know the temptation for all of us to ‘circle the wagons’ and cut back on our compassionate giving to missions, or outreach, or benevolence – since we have needs of our own. 

Read those first three verses again and notice each line:

• there’s true joy in being generous with others….that in itself is a personal blessing!

When I care for the poor, several promises go into effect:

• The Lord will rescue me in times of adversity!
• The Lord will preserve and protect me!
• I will be blessed where I live and work!
• The enemies plans for me won’t succeed!
• The Lord will keep me through times of sickness!
• The Lord will heal me!

This is NO time to withhold or withdraw.  I intend to fulfill every missions commitment we’ve made.  I’m asking God to show me how I’m to care for the poor around us.

What is HE saying to you about these difficult financial times?

More “talking Bible”

Random thoughts from my Bible reading the last few days:

• Deuteronomy 12:4-8 > makes me think the American church-hopping custom is not what God intended.  I was struck with how God chooses a place of worship for us; that He intends us to support that place with our attendance and our finances (notice it was ‘bring’, not ‘send’); and promises that we will eat there!
• Deuteronomy 15:7-11 > God is not only concerned about the poor; He’s concerned about me having a tender heart and a generous spirit!
• John 15:5 > let it sink in: without Jesus, I can do nothing.  Selah.  Selah some more.
• John 16:12-13 > Sometimes, I’m not ready to receive truth…but the Holy Spirit will bring truth to me at the right time so I can receive (sometimes, ‘just in time’)

More later…..hope you’ll keep reading thru the Bible with me in 2009!

Deuteronomy for leaders

Doing my usual Bible reading this morning, when one verse jumped off the page at me – Deuteronomy 10:11.  By the way, one of the reasons I use a different translation each year for my devotional reading is to keep it fresh, or rather, to keep me from auto-pilot that can happen when you think you’ve read this before.  That simple verse spoke to me in practically every word – and I’m sharing it today for any of my fellow pastors and other leaders who may be reading:

• Ministry is not a sprint; it’s a journey.  No matter how wonderful yesterday’s services were or how discouraging your last ministry-failure may have been, it’s necessary for you to “get up” and “continue your journey”!
• This was the biggie for me: “continue your journey ahead of the people“.  I can never lead people where I haven’t been.  If CLC is to experience everything God has for us, I’ve got to experience everything He has for me.  Real leaders don’t point & say, ‘go there’ – real leaders are in front, saying, “follow me”.  It’s not always fun or popular being a leader, because not everyone will agree with you or want to go where you’re going – but that’s what being a leader is all about, leading!
• “SO THAT” – this is what all of that is about: that the people may enter (experience what God has for them) and possess (appropriate it for themselves; ‘own’ it!)

Got a feeling I’ll be sharing this one with the pastors in Turkey next month when I’m in Istanbul for a Global Advance Front Line Shepherd’s Conference there – but I wanted you to get it while it’s fresh.

Sunday afternoon reflections

Well, the ‘March Madness’ continued today at each campus, and it was pretty crazy all right:

• In Tinley Park at the first service, just as my wife ended her teaching to begin the ministry time at the altar (literally), the fire alarm went off!  Thankfully, it was a false alarm, and after we endured the ear-splitting beeps for a couple of minutes, she was somehow able to stay focused and lead the first of some awesome “fire tunnel” times (that’s what our pastor calls ‘em, but basically it’s just an old-fashioned prayer gauntlet)

• When I say ‘awesome’, I mean it…..I guess they were literally praying for the last of the 9:30 service attenders when the Praise Team began worship for the 11:30 service, and I know the last of the 11:30 service attenders finished the line 3 hours later at 2:30 this afternoon!  (That’s a LOT of praying, and a LOT of anointed people!)

• I drove Pastor K.L. Dickson from Uganda over to the Shorewood campus, where he ministered a strong message on “Fear Not!” before praying for a number of folks there who needed healing – I’m looking forward to the testimonies of what God did through those prayers, so if you’re one of those who received a healing, include your comment below or send an email here

• From what our South Bend campus pastors told me, it was another strong attendance there today, and folks seemed receptive to the video teaching of my message on “Seasons” – I’m excited about what’s happening in the Bend!

• By the way, not sure what to ‘blame’ it on, but our attendance today was strong – with beautiful, warm sunshine just enticing folks to do something outside instead, we had a full house in Shorewood, better-than-average attendance in Tinley Park, and another strong day in South Bend, as perhaps 1,600 people worshipped with us today!

• Finally, since I couldn’t possibly know what all happened in the fire tunnels today, if you’ve got a story to share with us, please comment below so we can all rejoice-

• Can’t wait until NEXT SUNDAY for our FAMILY DAY at all 3 campuses, with baby dedications, communion and much, much more….invite a friend!

• That’s it…I’m headed back to church for a Membership Class in Tinley Park (sure miss you, Pastors Doug & Shanna!)….catch you later-

Deuteronomy

A lot of us have trouble pronouncing it, and it doesn’t seem the likeliest of places to receive from, but I’ve sure been enjoying my devotional reading the past few days!  Take a look at these and see if it doesn’t lift your spirits:

What He says about us: Deuteronomy 7:6-9

What He promises to do for us: Deuteronomy 7:12-13

A timely promise during these days: Deuteronomy 8:17-18

Those last 2 verses in particular I noticed, in context.  I’ve heard a lot of teaching in recent years about verse 18, that God empowers us to get wealth – with the emphasis on it being His will to make us wealthy.  But this morning I noticed that was actually a reminder in case we begin to think that our own abilities enabled us to prosper.  Here’s my spin: in these difficult days, with unemployment and foreclosures, we really need to be reminded: it’s not about us; it’s about HIM!  Even in difficult times, HE is the one who can enable us to prosper, no matter what’s happening around us.

I’m gonna keep reading Deuteronomy for more…..after all (read this)

A Night to Remember

Last night’s celebration and tribute to Bishop Joseph Garlington was definitely a night to remember.  There must have been almost 500 people from literally all over the United States and even South Africa and Mexico – all gathered to honor a man who has touched each of our lives in a significant way during his more than 55 years of ministry.

Chris and I were able to fellowship with friends from Detroit, Houston, Atlanta, New York, New Jersey, Knoxville, Boston, Cincinnati, Kalamazoo and, of course, Pittsburgh – there’s just nothing quite like God’s family!

Of all the tributes, the thing that impacted me most was the stories of behind-the-scenes stuff – the relational Bishop who has had major influence, not in a pulpit or leading worship in a stadium, but coming alongside men and women of God to help their children, to be with them in times of crisis, just to care for them when no one else knew.

In fact, shortly after I started typing this post, my cell phone rang – and it was Bishop, laughing about the irreverent birthday card I’d given him last night, and just making sure we were all set for the return trip to the airport today – just caring for us.

When I grow up, I want to be just like my pastor.

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