I attended a meeting today for young leaders of Georgia churches (love that term, "young"). Craig Groeschel (on video) said "Don't overestimate what God wants to do through you in the short run (and when things don't happen like you think they should right off, you get frustrated), because you just may be underestimating what He wants to do in the long run."
This is a great reminder to me to be patient. I want so desperately for God to explode NSD right away! I want to see hundreds of people coming through our doors, and see God changing lives left and right, and we are praying toward that end. But, more than that, I want what God wants. I want Him to have complete freedom to do WHATEVER He wants on whatever scale He chooses. Big or small, I just want to be along for the ride.
We need to work hard, pray harder, and be patient and allow God to do what He wants, when He wants.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Make Room for God
Hi everyone!
38 days remaining til launch! Who's excited!?!
The devotional is emailed to me every day. I've been reading it off and on now for about 20 years, and I always get something from it. Today, this spoke to me directly about NSDallas. Wanted to share with you...
-/\/\-----------------------------------------------------------------
\ / MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST -- http://www.heartlight.org/
--\/------------------------------------------------------------------
January 25, 2011
LEAVE ROOM FOR GOD
But when it pleased God...
Galatians 1:15
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=ga+1:15&sr=1
As workers for God we have to learn to make room for God - to give
God "elbow room." We calculate and estimate, and say that this and
that will happen, and we forget to make room for God to come in as He
chooses. Would we be surprised if God came into our meeting or into
our preaching in a way we had never looked for Him to come? Do not
look for God to come in any particular way, but look for Him. That is
the way to make room for Him. Expect Him to come, but do not expect
Him only in a certain way. However much we may know God, the great
lesson to learn is that at any minute He may break in. We are apt to
over look this element of surprise, yet God never works in any other
way. All of a sudden God meets the life - "When it was the good
pleasure of God. . ."
Keep your life so constant in its contact with God that His
surprising power may break out on the right hand and on the left.
Always be in a state of expectancy, and see that you leave room for
God to come in as He likes.
***With so much ahead of us, it would be really easy to calculate and assume how God will choose to show up. Let's not do that. Let's do our due diligence, work hard and pray hard, and let Him bless as He chooses. He knows better anyway!
Who have you invested in today that will join us on March 6th?
Brad
Monday, January 24, 2011
Jan 24th Update
Hi everyone! The countdown to the launch of NorthStar Dallas is now just 40 days away! In these final 40 days, please be praying expectantly that God will do amazing things around and through us!
__________________________________________________________________________________
***There are several events coming up that you need to be aware of:
Feb 13th (all morning) – NSD Meet n Greet (lobby) (Come meet other NSD’ers and chat with our staff)
Feb 19th (9am -12pm) – Setup practice at NHEC (all who can attend)
Feb 20th (9:30 and 11:00) – NSD preview services in Compass
(all morning) – NSD Meet n Greet (lobby)
Feb 27th (9:30 and 11:00) – NSD preview services at NHEC (full day, but for NorthStar people only)
March 6th – NSD Launch! (9:30 and 11:00)
__________________________________________________________________________________
***We will have invite cards and other promotional material available for you to pick up at the Meet n Greets. Help us spread the word!
__________________________________________________________________________________
***We need you! If you have not indicated a place you are willing to serve (or if you haven’t received an email yet), please get in touch ASAP with the leader responsible for that area:
Preschool: rachel.adair@northstarchurch.org
Kids (Elem): jason.thompson@northstarchurch.org
Students (Middle and High): clay.davis@northstarchurch.org
Worship & Tech: greg.blasche@northstarchurch.org
Hospitality: reggie.abercrombie@tiptoppoultry.com
Setup and Teardown: brad.parkhurst@northstarchurch.org
__________________________________________________________________________________
***I want to pass on a short devotional that was given to me today. May we never stay in the “baby pool” because we’re scared to take a risk!
Monday January 24th, 2011 – Permalink <http://www.stevenfurtick.com/motivation/dont-drown-in-a-kiddy-pool/>
What if I fail?
That’s one of the most frequent questions I hear when it comes to living a life of risk and audacious faith.
What if it doesn’t work?
What if I take this big step of faith and it doesn’t land?
What if I set a huge goal and I fall short?
What if I take the plunge and drown.
I’m not going to lie to you, it’s possible. Otherwise it wouldn’t be a risk.
I can’t offer you certainty. I can’t tell you that it’s going to work. That your step is going to land. That your goal is going to be met. That you aren’t going to drown in your attempt to launch out in faith.
What I can offer you is the perspective that’s helped me.
Personally, if I’m going to drown, I want to drown in deep water. When taking a risk, if I’m going to go down, and I may, at least I want to be in deep water when I do it.
It’s embarrassing for an adult to drown in a kiddy pool. Or be standing ankle deep in it thinking he’s doing something commendable.
(Resource of the Day: For a related blog post that talks about what gives us the faith to take risks for God, check out Well, What If? <http://www.stevenfurtick.com/motivation/well-what-if/> )
There’s a greater risk than taking a risk and failing. And that’s taking none and failing. And maybe even worse, taking none and succeeding.
The greatest risk you can take in your life is to risk nothing with your life.
To live life in the kiddy pool. To live a safe life.
Because then if you fail, it’s embarrassing.
And if you succeed, it’s insulting to a God who had much bigger things in mind for your life.
Failure is a possibility no matter what you do. So is success.
I just know where I don’t want to be when either one happens…the kiddy pool.
__________________________________________________________________________________
***As usual, I encourage you to:
Join the Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=147634928608510
Follow the NSD Blog: http://northstardallas.blogspot.com/
See you soon!
Brad Parkhurst
Campus Pastor
NorthStar Church, Dallas, GA
www.northstarchurch.org
Twitter: @BradParkhurst
__________________________________________________________________________________
***There are several events coming up that you need to be aware of:
Feb 13th (all morning) – NSD Meet n Greet (lobby) (Come meet other NSD’ers and chat with our staff)
Feb 19th (9am -12pm) – Setup practice at NHEC (all who can attend)
Feb 20th (9:30 and 11:00) – NSD preview services in Compass
(all morning) – NSD Meet n Greet (lobby)
Feb 27th (9:30 and 11:00) – NSD preview services at NHEC (full day, but for NorthStar people only)
March 6th – NSD Launch! (9:30 and 11:00)
__________________________________________________________________________________
***We will have invite cards and other promotional material available for you to pick up at the Meet n Greets. Help us spread the word!
__________________________________________________________________________________
***We need you! If you have not indicated a place you are willing to serve (or if you haven’t received an email yet), please get in touch ASAP with the leader responsible for that area:
Preschool: rachel.adair@northstarchurch.org
Kids (Elem): jason.thompson@northstarchurch.org
Students (Middle and High): clay.davis@northstarchurch.org
Worship & Tech: greg.blasche@northstarchurch.org
Hospitality: reggie.abercrombie@tiptoppoultry.com
Setup and Teardown: brad.parkhurst@northstarchurch.org
__________________________________________________________________________________
***I want to pass on a short devotional that was given to me today. May we never stay in the “baby pool” because we’re scared to take a risk!
Monday January 24th, 2011 – Permalink <http://www.stevenfurtick.com/motivation/dont-drown-in-a-kiddy-pool/>
What if I fail?
That’s one of the most frequent questions I hear when it comes to living a life of risk and audacious faith.
What if it doesn’t work?
What if I take this big step of faith and it doesn’t land?
What if I set a huge goal and I fall short?
What if I take the plunge and drown.
I’m not going to lie to you, it’s possible. Otherwise it wouldn’t be a risk.
I can’t offer you certainty. I can’t tell you that it’s going to work. That your step is going to land. That your goal is going to be met. That you aren’t going to drown in your attempt to launch out in faith.
What I can offer you is the perspective that’s helped me.
Personally, if I’m going to drown, I want to drown in deep water. When taking a risk, if I’m going to go down, and I may, at least I want to be in deep water when I do it.
It’s embarrassing for an adult to drown in a kiddy pool. Or be standing ankle deep in it thinking he’s doing something commendable.
(Resource of the Day: For a related blog post that talks about what gives us the faith to take risks for God, check out Well, What If? <http://www.stevenfurtick.com/motivation/well-what-if/> )
There’s a greater risk than taking a risk and failing. And that’s taking none and failing. And maybe even worse, taking none and succeeding.
The greatest risk you can take in your life is to risk nothing with your life.
To live life in the kiddy pool. To live a safe life.
Because then if you fail, it’s embarrassing.
And if you succeed, it’s insulting to a God who had much bigger things in mind for your life.
Failure is a possibility no matter what you do. So is success.
I just know where I don’t want to be when either one happens…the kiddy pool.
__________________________________________________________________________________
***As usual, I encourage you to:
Join the Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=147634928608510
Follow the NSD Blog: http://northstardallas.blogspot.com/
See you soon!
Brad Parkhurst
Campus Pastor
NorthStar Church, Dallas, GA
www.northstarchurch.org
Twitter: @BradParkhurst
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