Thursday, May 10, 2012

Biggest Day in the History of LifePoint

It's Thursday following Sunday, May 6th. I've had 5 days to think and pray and reflect upon Sunday. It was indeed the biggest day in the history of our church. We celebrated 29 baptisms in which God chose to perform His miraculous work in the lives of these 29 by bringing them to salvation and then giving them the boldness to proclaim that they are now "new creations in Christ, the old is gone the new has come." 2 Cor. 5:17. I was also incredibly proud of our church and how so many people came together to use their gifts to build up the body of Christ. The Church came together on this day.

I must confess that I have not been as faithful to prayer in my many years of ministry as what I should and could. But recently, I have found time to literally be on my knees before the Lord crying out to Him to bring about Awakening in my life, in my family, in our church and in God's Church universally. I am believing God for revival in this land. It's time for God's people to humble themselves and pray and seek His face and turn from their wicked ways believing that God will indeed hear from heaven, forgive our sin and heal our land. I don't want to experience ordinary life and ordinary family and ordinary church. I want to experience the "immeasurably more" that Ephesians 3:20 describes.

I am asking you and other to join me by finding a fresh piece of flooring and begin carving out some knee spots and getting comfortable every day on your knees. You might even try praying out loud with your arms lifted in the air crying out to God to bring Awakening. Let's join together as a powerful force inviting the power of the Holy Spirit to invade us like a tsunami and flood our hearts with God's love and grace. Let's cry out to God asking Him to put a hunger and thirst in our souls for Him and for His Word. Let's believe God to transform lives for His glory.

Will you join with me?

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

The Journey of Family Milestone #1

We are out of the gates and running with The Journey of Family, which is a strategic plan to empower parents to lead thier children spiritually.

Milestone #1 is about parents choosing to put God in the center of their family. Joshua 24:15 says, "Choose today whom you will serve...But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord." When parents choose to put God in the center of their family, they are dedicating their family to God. Thus, we call Milestone #1 Family Dedication.

At LifePoint, we celebrate Family Dedication a few times a year by asking parents to go through a Family Dedication Bible study and participating in a public ceremony in which they dedicate their family.

For more information, go to the Journey of Family website...

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

40 Day Fast Complete

Wow, what an experience fasting for 40 days has been. I fasted sweets and cokes for 40 days which may not seem like much to some of you; but for me, it was significant. I was giving up something to God for this 40 day period as a way of sacrificing and expressing my devotion to God. It was a great experience in multiple ways.

First of all, it was good for me to give up something that had unknowingly become an addiction. I was addicted to sweets. Every time I walked in my door at home, I immediately said to myself, "Hey Darren, you need something sweet like a cookie or some chocolate." And that's what I ate. And I loved it! But through this 40 days, God has curved that desire and given me a much greater sense of moderation regarding sweets.

Secondly, this experience drove me to regular prayer. Every time I wanted something sweet, I would try to remember to pray, which meant I was praying a lot! God became a greater focus for me while sweets were sacrificed.

Lastly, I learned some things about my health. Thankfully, I've not had to worry much about my health, but I have developed a new perspective regarding my temple which houses the Holy Spirit. Check this out: in the last week of my fasting, I began to realize I was pulling my belt a little tighter on my pants. I began thinking, "man, am I losing some weight?" Sure enough, while working out at LA Fitness, I stepped on the scale only to find I had lost 8 pounds!! I had no idea I could do that! I have never lost 8 lbs. But if I could lose 8 lbs. fasting sweets for 40 days, then imagine what other ways my body was improving in health.

God showed me far more about myself through this fast than I ever bargained for. It was a great experience that drew me close to God and has transformed the way I think about health and life. Thanks be to God.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

40 Day Fast Begins in 1 Hour

As of midnight tonight I begin a 40 day fast in preparation for Easter. I will be fasting from sweets and cola. The colas won't be too big of an issue as I hardly drink 1 a day, plus I've gotten to where I really enjoy drinking water along with some Gatorade. It's the sweets that are going to be the real test. I love cookies and ice cream and it's going to be tough.

However, I am seeking God (Matt. 7:7), believing that He is on the verge of doing something BIG. Not sure what that is or how it looks, but I believe that He is leading me to seek purity, maturity & unity in my relationship with Him and in my leadership as a pastor.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live. The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20

What about you? Have you considered asking, seeking and knocking at the heart of God (Matt. 7:7)? Maybe it's time to pursue a passion for purity through fasting.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Immeasurably More...

So this is my first ever blog. Yes, I'm a little delayed but that's always been the case with me and technology.

So what better way to begin than to share the "immeasurably more" story that has just taken place regarding our building. But, before I share it, I had better back up a bit and set this up.

So (3rd paragraph in a row for me to begin with "So" - a new one I believe), I knew God was calling me 3 yrs. ago to go and plant a church. Only, I thought we would be moving somewhere like Dallas. No, God had other plans - to leave us right here in League City and join up with a phenomenal group of people launching out a brand new church. By October of 2008, we knew this was God's plan and we were off. The church had begun in June and had been meeting in school for 5 months. At the same time they were bringin me on board as pastor, they also secured an incredible lease space that had already been built out for a church. It was 6,000 sq. feet at only 40 cents psf. What an "immeasurably more" story to launch out with. Oh, BTW, this is the same space I did Student Ministry in for Clear Creek so was it was like coming back home.

So (4 times now), by late December we were in the facility and God was beginning a great work. By the following December, we leased an additional 2,100 sf in our strip center. Now, just 15 months later, God has opened the floodgates again and is giving us more space... only better! There has been a preschool next door to us since we moved in and it's really awesome. Sharp build out with all that is required. Sadly (and I am sincere about this), the owner had to close down. Business had fallen off the last few years and they could not sustain. The building owners came and ask if we would be interested in leasing that space to which we gladly accepted. We are giving up our 2,100 sf space and leasing 4,787 sf of this preschool building. We will be connecting the two building internally and it will house all of our preschool and children. And the landlord has given us a very good price. When so many churches are meeting in schools and leasing space is difficult to find, God has graciously blessed us.

Now, what's even more amazing is that all the equipment from the preschool including cribs, tables, chairs, bookshelves, toys - everything has been left in the building. We will pay the building owner a fee for that which we will keep but it will be far less costly than buying it new.

Want to hear more?? This preschool has an outdoor playground area that is unbelievable! And no one even knows its back there. It's completely hidden from view. But it's huge and it's awesome!! Our kids are going to love it! It even has a small indoor play area with the soft flooring.

I was doing a little tour yesterday for our prayer ministry volunteers and they were in awe of God's blessings and spoke it out loud many times. God is faithful to do the "immeasurably more" if we will just believe in Him to do it. It is nothing of our doing, only of our faith. God does the work by his "power that is at work within us." What a privilege to be a son of the Most High God.

Take some time to read Ephesians 3:20 and begin praying asking God to do the immeasurably more in your life.

My next post will be our immeasurably more adoption journey which has been incredible.

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