Recently by Pastor Richard

The Apostle Paul lived his life with passion; passion to know God better and passion for fulfilling God's purposes. His personal story shows that he was willing to go anywhere and face any hardship in order to know Christ better and to accomplish God's mission for him.

In Philippians, chapter 3, Paul gives us a key to how he was able to keep his passion and stay focused on what was important in his life. He says that there was one thing he did, one important way of thinking. His one thing was that he was always pressing forward. He would not ever stop his forward motion. His purpose was always clear and his goal was constantly before him. Here is how Paul put it in verse 13, "...forgetting what is behind and straining for what is ahead, I press toward the goal..."

Paul was convinced about the goal that God had laid out for him. He was not in pursuit of his own goals and ambitions but was after the "prize" for which God had called him.
It is interesting to note that while Paul was obviously both passionate and ambitious, he was committed to a goal that he believed God had laid out for him. Passion, ambition, and goal setting for Paul were simply necessary tools to help him reach his life-consuming missions, which were to know Christ and to reach the Gentiles with the Gospel.

As we search for direction and focus in our own lives we can learn from Paul these simple yet powerful tools for living life. First, stretch yourself forward to find the goal or goals that God has laid out for you. Be inspired by them and value them as prizes worth running for. Second, get past the past. Break off all the entanglements of past successes and failures; focus only on what lies ahead. Third, press hard toward the goals with intensity and with dedication. If your goal isn't worth the struggle or hardship, then you will lose heart or stop short of the finish line.

May we learn to stretch ourselves out to see the goal God has set before us and to go after it with all our strength. "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart..." Colossians 3:23

Pastor Richard

This past Sunday following the service, I was talking with Gordy and Chris Lawhead, who have been members of Grace Chapel for many years. We were discussing the Project: Drought Busters presentation and Chris shared some things God had been showing her in the previous week. I thought they were so helpful that I asked her if I could post them on my blog for all of you to be blessed, too. Here it is.

Be blessed and encouraged,

Pastor Richard.

Opportunities in Times of Struggle

I recently had a really amazing time with the Lord where I felt like he wanted to show me something to encourage me and anyone else who maybe going through some difficulties in regard to the times we are currently facing.

I believe that God wants me (us) to see this as an opportunity to grow closer to him. As the struggles we face are ever increasing, the Lord is allowing us to choose how we will handle them. I am choosing to see them as an opportunity.

As our needs are magnified, we are pressed, pressured, concerned, and often fearful. I want to see this as an opportunity to yield unto God and truly know from whence our help comes.

I am grateful to God for changing my perspective and for allowing me to share some thoughts that came to me as I had time to spend in worship and prayer. I'm certain that God has opportunities available for all of us.

These are a few that I wrote down in my time with him:

Let this be an opportunity to grow closer to the Lord and his church as he allows us to love one another more deeply.

An opportunity to demonstrate peace to those around us who are witnessing our challenges and see that we put our hope in God, who is always faithful.

An opportunity to flee from distractions and focus on God, to shed the weight of the world and its entrapments, and be free to serve God with less, yet more.

An opportunity to realize the preciousness of the ones we love and value them more.

An opportunity to give to others who are struggling with finances, blessing them as best we can, letting them know that they are not alone.

An opportunity to prepare to be watchful and sensitive to the Holy Spirit and the work he's doing across the world.

An opportunity to:

• Pray and worship more
• Reconnect with God
• Develop skills that are new and challenging
• Utilize talents and gifts that glorify God
• Reconcile relationships, forgiving and restoring
• To spend time in the Bible and dwell in his presence
• To experience and cultivate hospitality, even if it's not our thing

I hope that you are seeing that the opportunities are endless and each of us has a response that is able to enhance our relationship with God and each other.

A Prayer That I Wrote Out At The Time

Lord Jesus, help us to embrace these times that we are in. Thank you, Lord, for all the opportunities. Let us see you victorious in all the battles we face.

Let us see you defeat our enemies.

Let us see you as the provider for our families.

Let us see you truly as our God and Father.

Help us, God, not to struggle against your will.

Help us to be submitted to your plans for our lives.

Help us to trust you more.

Help us to pray more with faith.

Lord, give us wisdom, discernment, favor, peace, and joy.

In Jesus,

Chris Lawhead

For the past year and a half, Grace Chapel has been in a financial struggle as the economy has impacted our income dramatically. Our income has dropped by 34%, from an average monthly income of $110,000 to our present average income of $73,150. By making deep reductions in our operational expenses and laying off some of our staff, we have managed to trim our monthly operational expenses by over $35,000, leaving us a monthly gap of $7,500. That represents a 10% gap between what our present income is and what our operational expenses are.

As a congregation, we've been challenged by the Holy Spirit - through many voices and on several occasions - with a declaration that "The drought is over!" However, we seem to have remained in the grip of the financial downturn in giving. We do not see the evidence yet of the new "season of increase", but I believe God is giving us the opportunity to begin the summer rains! He is asking us to take a step of bold faith to break out of the drought and into a rainy season. That step of faith is sacrificial giving. If we will do just a bit more than we think we can, God will give us a great harvest. We can, in fact, be "drought busters!"

The church Council felt it was time to bring this faith challenge to you, the congregation, because we are, after all, a family. We believe that it is time for us to rise up as one in faith and close this financial gap! If each of us responds in faith we can become a powerful force together. I believe God is beginning to move, but we have to make a move of faith; we can "bust the drought!" We are the "small cloud" in the sky that Elijah saw when he was praying for the three-year drought to end. When he saw that small sign, he knew the rain was coming! May our act of faith become the signal that God's blessings are coming to Grace Chapel, too.

Here is the challenge: Let's be drought busters! Let's eliminate this $7,500 emergency gap, now. It is only a 10% difference, and God is much bigger than our economy!

Here are three things we can do now to bridge the gap and bust the drought.

1. Pray - Pray for a 10% increase in our income now Pray for God to bless us with greater financial breakthroughs as we move into 2009

2. Invite and bring people to church - make more disciples! - Start reaching out; start inviting everyone to come join what God is doing at Grace Chapel.

3. "Close-the-Gap" giving - The gap can easily be closed if 300 of us give only $6.25 more per week, or $25 more per month above our current giving. It's important to note that we shouldn't redirect our present giving to this project, as that will not help us. But, adding to what we are already giving, above and beyond our present tithes, will increase our operating income, enabling us to meet our present budget needs. I know that some can give more and some may give less, but I know that God will supply according to our faith.

There is a Project: Drought Busters commitment card in the office and at Guest Services in the lobby. We will also have them in the bulletins until the July 27 Sunday service. Will you prayerfully consider joining your brothers and sisters in this challenge? Let's become radical drought busters!

Pastor Richard

Hear Pastor Richard's explanation of Project: Drought Busters from the July 13 service.

Download mp3 file

Read John and Becki Rusk's latest newsletter from South Africa here.

More information about their ongoing work in Africa can be found at their website - Maniac 4 Missions.

The vision of Grace Chapel is that we would be missionaries to the world we live in. If we are willing, God is able to open great doors of influence to us. Ken and Laura Sharp have been active members of Grace Chapel for years and a year ago Ken decided to confront one of the serious issues in our community - driving under the influence. Ken started a radio show, www.duiradioshow.com, on KFNX AM 1100, to inspire people to change their behavior and ultimately save lives. His show has won national awards and is having a positive impact on our world. Way to go, Ken!

Here is the information that Ken sent me; I wanted to share it with you so that we could all raise our expectations as to how God can use us in unexpected and wonderful ways. This week, in a special show, Ken will focus on the Carrollton school bus accident and he will speak with survivors from that tragic accident. You will want to tune in!

Pastor Richard

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Pastor Richard,
 
June 1 will mark the one-year anniversary for Ridin' Dirty. Ridin' Dirty is the only radio show in America dedicated to the issues of drinking and driving. It is designed to inspire and motivate people to learn and practice new behavior when it comes to their alcohol use. Eradicating drinking and driving behavior, as we've known it, is the biggest social change of this generation. The show has been nominated for both local and national awards for its content and method of delivery.
 
On Tuesday and Wednesday, May 13 and 14, I will be hosting two important shows.
 
                                             REMEMBERING CARROLLTON
                                                   Twenty Years Later
 
The Carrollton Bus Crash remains the worst death and injury drunk driving crash in United States history. A school bus rented by the Radcliff, KY Assembly of God, carrying young people from a day trip to King's Island, was struck by an alcohol-impaired driver at 10:55 pm. The bus's gas tank was ruptured and 24 children and 3 adults were burned to death. We will take a historical look at this event and hear from the people who were there.
 
Ridin' Dirty can be heard live Monday through Friday, from noon to 1pm on 50,000 watt KFNX am1100 or at our website www.duiradioshow.com and through the portal to KFNX.
 
Thanks,
Ken Sharp

Foursquare Missions: Presidential News Brief
May 12, 2008

Over the weekend Cyclone Nargis struck the Southeast Asian country of Myanmar--also known as Burma--with 120 mph winds and caused widespread devastation. The cyclone may have claimed the lives of 100,000 people. More than 70,000 are still missing and 1 million are now homeless. This disaster is already being compared to the 2004 tsunami that hit south Asia. The most recent report received states that 15 churches (some of which are not Foursquare) were destroyed as a result of the cyclone. Many Foursquare family members are among those who are homeless. The urgent needs are for drinking water, food and shelter.

The Foursquare Church in concert with a few other non governmental organizations (NGOs) has begun a relief effort to help meet the needs of the people. Due to the great difficulty in reaching the areas most affected by the cyclone (because of travel restrictions placed on foreigners by the government of Myanmar) Thailand has been chosen as the staging area for this relief effort. Teams of people are in the process of securing and shipping solar water purifiers and PACP (Personal Assistance Care Packages) units to the team that will soon be in place in Thailand.

Intercession is requested by the Foursquare family for the relief response action plan to be effective. Please pray along these lines:

• Ask the God of comfort and peace to minister to victims in the midst of the confusion.
• Ask God to move on the hearts of the members of the Myanmar government and that in response they will issue visas to our relief team members and other aid workers.
• Pray that the provision and resources sent will reach the people who are in need. Pray specifically that the government will allow aid from the U.S., U.N. and many other relief organizations that currently have been blocked from assisting in this disaster.
• Ask the Lord to continue to give our Foursquare leaders wisdom in how to respond and advance His kingdom.

If you would like to give financially to assist in this Foursquare relief effort, please send contributions to Foursquare Missions International. Make your check out to ICFG, and write "Relief Fund" on the memo line. Mail checks to:

Foursquare Missions
ATTN: Paulette McCammon
P.O. Box 26902
Los Angeles, CA 90026

Two small tributes to our hard-working and selfless mothers.

How We Kept Mother's Day

The Lanyard

I was praying a couple of weeks ago about Grace Chapel and what God wanted to do in us and through us as a church in this season of ministry. I began to hear this word over and over in my heart: "Cast out your nets, again. Cast out your nets, again."

I remember well the story of how, in Luke 5:4-10, Jesus instructed the disciples to do that very thing after a long night of fishing that had left their nets empty. Jesus had been ministering to the people and after he finished, he told his disciples, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch". Peter responded by explaining to Jesus, probably with some frustration and weariness, how they had been fishing all night and had not caught anything.

This is a lot like where I am; I feel like I have already been "fishing," or ministering, for a long time without any great results. And, as I have prayed, I have asked God for new and exciting strategies for reaching more and better disciples. Yet, here He is saying to me, like he did to the disciples, "Cast out your nets, again". Why would we do what we have already been doing and expect any different results?

Peter, though, did have enough sense to submit to Jesus' instruction out of obedience. He ultimately replied, "But because you say so, I will let down the nets". Of course, once they obeyed Jesus and cast out their nets again, their nets were filled beyond capacity!

I now understand God's gentle instruction to me to "cast out our nets, again" as a promise that He will add new power and effectiveness to our weary acts of ministry. Many of us have ministry ideas, experience, and strategies but have become discouraged in doing them. We are disappointed in the lack of results.

Yet, the Holy Spirit is breathing new life into those acts of service and ministry, which will bring new results. His "fresh anointing" will revive the old and proven basic strategies of the church to reach the lost. If you let Him encourage you to renew your willingness to obey Him and do what you already know to do, you will see a new harvest. So, lets all "cast our nets, again".

Pastor Richard

Missionary John Rusk sent me this article on prayer today. I was very encouraged when I read it because it brings a fresh perspective on why we pray. Petitioning prayer is rebelling against the status quo, a refusal to accept what a fallen world dictates life should be like. I can press God's agenda on life's situation though prayer. I can boldly ask the Father for what ought to be, regardless of how impossible it may seem. That is our right as His children. I hope it encourages you to ask boldly for what ought to be, rather than just accepting what already is.

Prayer: Rebelling Against the Status Quo, by David Wells