What a day!

Today was one of those days where I go from meeting to meeting to meeting. I certainly don't mind and there have been some blessed things happen today...

I spent time with Pastor Marcial and I am so encouraged by him. They had 50 kids at their VBS this week and his own daughter made her confession of faith! His church is slowly gaining momentum and we need to be diligently praying for them.

I also met with our Liberty Pregnancy Resource Center (LPRC) group which consists of Wes and Jan Griffin and Lisa Davillez from the Austin PRC. Lisa related that the Leander PRC has seen over 100 clients and out of those 40 young women have accepted Jesus into their lives! What an amazing ministry...I am so excited that God is preparing Liberty Hill for a PRC. This will be a community-sponsored center and the first meeting will be September 23rd at the VFW hall. Make plans to be there.

To top it all off, my good friends Barry Smith and wife Mickie came over from Crestview Baptist Church tonight. Barry has a heart (and an awesome talent) for Christian Theater and Drama. I have been in many of his productions and he is top notch all the way. Barry has agreed to direct a play for this year's Home for the Holidays Women's Event. In the coming weeks, we will be asking for volunteers of all sorts...actors, singers, set builders, sound and stage hands, lighting people and others. All of this will come from our own church body (including the actors...) and it will be a wonderful experience. I know we have the talent and expertise to do this in world-class fashion. Liberty Hill won't know what hit them!

The Home for the Holidays is on two nights this year - Thursday, November 20 and Friday, November 21. We will also do a Sunday night play performance for anyone and everyone, so get ready to invite! The play is Christmas Shoes, which is a heart wrenching story about a young boy and his dying mother. Bring on the Kleenex!

There is so much going on and I can sense God's presence in everything we are doing! Even after a long day like today, I feel strong and encouraged that we are doing as God would have us do.

Here is a thought and a question for you: In John 2, Jesus clears the temple with a whip. The Jews wanted to know under what authority Jesus did this:

Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?"

Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days."

If Jesus is all-powerful, why would it take Him three days to rebuild the temple? After all, couldn't He just think it into existence? Of course He could! Jesus was not speaking about the actual temple...He referring to Himself as the "temple". And the three days was how long He would be entombed so as to remove all doubt that He was indeed dead. His resurrection after three days proved that He supernaturally overcame death.

That is the awesome and mighty power of our God. Nothing can stop Him, nothing can slow Him down. He overcame death so that we would not have to experience it!

I had an awesome day!

Blessings,

Pastor Michael

Ready for another 30?

Wow! I can’t believe it has been a year. I look back over the last 12 months and am just amazed at the work God has done. I am unbelievingly blessed and it has been the best year of my life. We have found friends and co-laborers here and we just stand in awe of how God is using all of us to further His kingdom. I am eternally grateful to be a part of what is happening at Fellowship…

What amazes me most of all is that God uses me. As I said last night, it is so important that we remember God qualifies us to do His work. Our preparation is to be faithful in our obedience.

I had the chance to visit with my first pastor today. Jerry Scott was the man who introduced me to Jesus when I was a teenager and he was my pastor through High School and beyond. I am honored that he will be conducting part of my ordination ceremony later in August. This past July, Brother Jerry celebrated his 30th year as Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Uvalde. I asked him what his secret was and he said it had very little to do with him. Brother Jerry believes the reason he has been there for 30 years is because of the loving people within the church. He described the body at First Baptist Uvalde as a loving, caring, and forgiving group that accepted him for his gifts and his faults. I can truly say that God has blessed me with just such a family. I thank you for allowing my family and me to come alongside you and join you in the ministry that was well underway before we got here. I thank you for loving us unconditionally and I am grateful for how you have welcomed us into your homes and your lives. I look forward to celebrating our 30th year together…

What a week!

I am glad the weekend is almost here...there is a lot going on and I am ready for it!

Before I go one step further, a huge CONGRATULATIONS to the Fellowship Baptist Powderpuff Football Team. In a very loving and Christian manner, they put a whooping on Crestview with a final score of 20-6. The girls and their coaches put in a lot of hard work and it paid off.

If you missed the game, you not only missed a stellar performance, but you also missed a very special guest speaker. Stephen McGee, the Texas A&M starting quarterback was on hand and gave a testimony during halftime. Stephen talked about courage on and off the field. He spoke about having the courage and share our faith.

The Youth will be having an event at Darwin Wigger's place on Lake Buchanan. I have been trying to think of a catchy name for it and I am almost there. See if you can finish it off for me:

Youth At Buchanan At Darwin's All Boys And Dames Overeating

I know its a stretch, but I just can't get that last word! Anyway, the Youth will be heading to Darwin's for a lake day and fellowship. So far, there are about 8 boats going to pull kids around on tubes. The fishing is also good and I know the food will be great.

As always, I am excited about Sunday. The message this week is from Acts 12 and deals with a prayerful church. Take a look through Acts 12:1-11 for a little study time and begin prayerfully preparing for His word.

Wayne has had a bunch or requests for the Praise Team to play Sunday morning, so that is what he has decided to do. Get ready to lift your voice in worship...while you are at it, invite someone to church this weekend.

Speaking of the Praise Team, Fellowship 59 moves to 6:00 p.m. this Sunday. We made this move at the request of a lot of parents...moving it up just 30 minutes will help when school rolls around and kiddos are needing to get home and get that last minute homework or project finished. So show up a little early and enjoy coffee and fellowship with us.

Do you remember the ministry sign up sheets we gave out a couple of weeks ago? We have put it all together and distributed it out to the Ministry Team leaders. If you signed up, you will be getting a call from someone to serve in the coming weeks. We have a lot of work to do and everyone's help is needed. If you don't get a call in the next week or two, please send me an e-mail and I will check on it for you.

The rain today has been wonderful. There is something about the smell of a summer shower that relaxes and rests you. The rain is part of God's awesome promise to us, that it is not sent without the promise of causing the Earth to bud and flourish. So it is with God's word. We are to be in His word, studying and learning. Just like the rain, God's promise is that His word does not return empty, but it causes us to grow.

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11

What an awesome promise! We serve a mighty and powerful God, one who causes it to rain and the one who sent His only Son.

Praise Him!

Pastor Michael

What a weekend!

It has been a great weekend. Saturday was relatively normal which is always a welcome change. We had an invitation from Scott and Vanessa Montague to join them and a few folks for bar be que. We are never ones to turn down food, especially when someone else is preparing it. We were pleasantly surprised at how many people showed up. The Henrys, The Pages, Ms. Pat, the Adams, The Gatlins, and Scott's parents were there. The girls took their swimming suits and had a great time with the other kiddos in the pool.

Scott and Vanessa have apparently done this before because he put out a spread you couldn't even imagine. The brisket was too tender to use a knife - it just fell apart - and the boudin was the best I've had in years. People also brought a wide variety of homemade deserts and I am not willing to risk offending anyone, so I tried them all. I will have to take my hat off to Steve and Stacy's homemade peach ice cream...words escape me.

I thoroughly enjoyed just hanging out with everyone and talking about nothing that really mattered. This is a great group of people and it was a great pleasure to spend the evening with them. Now I just have to work off the added pounds...

It was another awesome Sunday! Our morning worship services were great as God showed up again. We witnessed more changed lives with two baptisms. Then, two more families joined. God is faithful and we must keep expecting Him to be there. Words fail me when I try to express to other people the work and wonder God is revealing to us at Fellowship. Words just can't describe how inspired we are and how revealing God has been. There is such a feeling of oneness and togetherness at Fellowship.

We find proof in the little things...for instance, we had somewhere around 30 people show up to softball practice this afternoon...30 people! It was so obvious that it had very little to do with softball, but people were enjoying the time together...the Fellowship is what mattered.

I know I am starting to sound like a broken record, but Fellowship 59 is such a blessing. I wish you could see what I see from the platform: People with their heads back, eyes closed and hands in the air worshiping God. There is such a sense of worship and joy in the room! It is unabated, pure, heart-felt worship.

GIGATT!

ATTGIG!

Blessings,

Pastor Michael

Friday thoughts

Today is an EMS day and it has been a busy one. Rex Fortner came in to ride with me and spent almost 9 hours running calls. Rex got to experience downtown Austin through the windshield of an EMS Command vehicle at high speed and low drag. I learned things about Rex today. For instance, Rex likes guacamole on his Hut's hamburger, and he tends to get quieter and taller the faster we go. Between calls, we visited about everything from Harley's to church finance and lots in between. It was great to have Rex along for the day...he has such a heart for the Lord and loves Fellowship and the people there.

My district runs through the middle of Austin, bordered on the south side by Ben White and on the north side by Research. The demographics of this area include everything from a large homeless population to Tarrytown, Hyde Park and UT. In other words, I see a large cross section of people and conditions. This I know: everyone is looking for something. Everyone seems to be missing a chunk out of the middle and they try to fill it with all sorts of worldly things. Satisfaction seems to be elusive to most. To be fair, I usually see people when they are having a really bad day...otherwise they wouldn't have called. However, I am still certain that people are searching for that specific something.

I don't know if I am just more aware of it or if it is actually happening, but it seems that people are becoming more and more restless. Perhaps they are being stirred and made uncomfortable in their attempts at fulfillment. I hope we are seeing the beginnings of an awakening. Perhaps people are beginning to realize the decadence of the last decade hasn't led to anywhere. Perhaps people are ready to replace their new age thoughts with the thoughts of Eternity. Whatever the case, we must be ready with the Word...1 Peter 3:15 says this: But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.

Are you prepared to give an answer for your hope?

Blessings,

Michael

P.S. If you are interested in riding along, all you have to do is call...

Tuesday

I know its Wednesday already, but it was late when I got home...

We said goodbye to a dear friend today. Vida Nelson died Saturday and we celebrated her life in Burnet and buried her in Liberty Hill. It was an honor for me to share the pulpit with Rev. Max Copeland. Pastor Copeland has been a pastor in Burnet for 50 years and it was inspiring to watch and learn from him. He has a mastery of the word and a deep, abiding love for those he pastored.

I have been a part of the Nelson family for about 10 years. I met Bill, the oldest son, when I first joined Crestview and started playing softball. I count Bill and his dad Alfred as close friends. Alfred loved Vida with all his heart and will need friends to come alongside him.

Fellowship hosted the meal after the service, and the people that brought food and those that staffed the kitchen did an amazing job. It was a true ministry experience...the Nelsons have a very large family and quite a few commented on how much they appreciated all that had been done. As the meal came to a close and as family and friends were leaving, many of them picked up brochures and asked for information on our services. What an awesome testimony! Because you took the time to prepare a dish or serve in the kitchen, we have the opportunity to minister to an entire family. What a testimony it will be when we are able to see God change lives because of something as simple as a meal...there is no "small" ministry!

Since yesterday was Tuesday, we had visitation and it was great as usual. We spent over two hours with one family who had many questions about the church and everything we have going on. It was wonderful to be able to share about all of the many lives God has changed, the people who have joined, and the activities we are blessed to have.

Sometimes I forget about all of the things God has done and a conversation like we had with this family last night reminds me. It does us good to look back to where we have come from and examine the road we have traveled. It is only then we truly appreciate how God has perfectly put His plan in place. When we think about all we have gone through and all the plans and discussions and changed courses and different ideas and on and on...it is sometimes overwhelming! But then to consider how God has so masterfully engineered and crafted His plan, we realize His will is being done. Without Him, we would be wandering aimlessly trying to do it on our own and not getting anything done. But I believe we are seeing the evidence of a praying, believing body seeking to do God's plan according to His will and He is blessing us...what an awesome God!

Blessings,

Michael

What a day!

It is not very often that we celebrate a Monday, but today is worthy of celebration...

Several months ago, we came together as a church body and shared a night of vision casting. God revealed that we are to be a church that reaches and has an impact on families. Everyone there felt God's urging to be a community-based church intent on revival happening in our homes, our families and our schools. We also recognized that there was much work to be done. God has already started these works and we are just now catching up. Today was a day just to sit in awe of what He is doing and it has been inspiring to watch as He puts the pieces in place according to His will...

The day started with a meeting to begin organizing a Pregnancy Resource Center for Liberty Hill. God absolutely had the right people in the room to begin and we have an initial plan to organize the opening of the Liberty Pregnancy Resource Center. We will hold our first community-wide organizational meeting on September 23 at a place to be announced. We will begin assembling teams and organizing work groups. The plan is to open the LPRC in January 2009. Click here to see what a Pregnancy Resource Center offers and pray about your involvement.

The day ended with a meeting in which we put a loose framework in place to begin a Celebrate Recovery program through Fellowship Baptist Church. We will be sending several people to a leader's course at Saddleback Church in California in August. When the leaders return, we will begin training team leaders and sponsors and we look for the first meeting to be the first week in November.

I am so excited to be a part of the work God is doing. I am continuously amazed at His providence. First, I see the people He has assembled in our community and at Fellowship and I know there is a plan. Then, I see how He causes things to happen - good things - that allow us to carry out His plan. We have an awesome and mighty God!

On a side note, I realized about 30 minutes ago that we are childless tonight...Connor is at soccer camp, Kenna is at the Jr. High camp, and Hannah is spending the night with the Ogden's...therefore, Cristina and I are going to have a date at someplace that doesn't serve chicken nuggets...

May God bless you!

Pastor Michael

Sunday

It has been another blessed day. From the moment I woke up until now (it is 11:15 pm), it has been a whirlwind of activity.

The services were God-led this morning as I pray they are every morning. It was clear God was revealing truths to people and the people who came forward were seeking His guidance. But the blessings did not stop there. We had a Deacon's meeting that was great. We will be preparing a list of eligible men and their families for the church to consider calling as Deacons. Our growth necessitates adding Deacons as the work will only increase.

We had a business meeting to start Fellowship 59. We voted to contract with Bailey Elliott to complete our upstairs finish out. The hope is that we form a long-term relationship with them and they move from one project to another.

We also approved buying a house that sits on adjoining property. This purchase will give us a new driveway onto the loop and will increase our exposure across from two schools. It also gives us a great opportunity for a singles ministry location and more Sunday School space which we desperately need.

Fellowship 59 was awesome. Pastor Tim was back from preaching in Lometa this morning and he brought an excellent message on unity in the church. Tim is a blessing to me and to this church. I am thankful to have him.

To top it all off, I am one week shy of the halfway point in my current Seminary class. I got a paper turned in with an hour to spare tonight, although I have actually had it completed since Thursday. I have been waiting on feedback and a grade from my last paper before I turned it in...I finally got that today. God is good!

I have said it before and I will say it again - I wish every day was Sunday. In reality, it can be and to an extent, it should be. We should prepare every day for God's direction and guidance. Sunday should only be the beginning and not just a day all by itself. If we approached every day with the same spiritual mindset as we do on Sunday, how much more powerful would we be for God? Can you imagine the Kingdom work we could accomplish if we actually denied our purpose in the work week and replaced it with God's purpose? Challenge yourself! Pray that today when you go to work or school or wherever you go that God reveal to you the person He has placed in your path. There is someone in your life you are supposed to witness to...I just know it! Live every moment like someone is watching you...they are. They want to know what makes you different. They want to know the reason for the hope you have...they want to know and you are there to tell them.

Glory!

Pastor Michael

End of another week

I love Saturdays. There are the obvious reasons we all like Saturdays..end of the work week, chance for a little rest, get some work done around the house, hopefully spend quality time with the family. All of these are true for me, but it also means Sunday is almost here. I look forward to Sundays all week! I get excited and look forward to what God will do and I just can't wait ti see everyone again. Last Sunday seems so far away...

We took Connor and her cousin Blair to the Aggieland Soccer Camp in College Station. We just got back in a few minutes ago. This is a huge camp with thousands of kids. This is Connor's second year and she really looks forward to it. They stay in the Callaway House which is an off-campus dorm. I believe it used to be a hotel. It is nice for a dorm and the girls love it. They stay with several other suite mates from their select soccer team. Conner will be back this Wednesday and we already miss her...

Cristina's foot and toe just keep getting better, although I almost wish they wouldn't. People are bringing by food you just wouldn't believe! Thursday, Jennifer Ferrell brought chicken tacos by (see a previous post), and yesterday we had two deliveries. Kim Butler brought meatloaf, au gratin potatoes and huge bowl of nanner puddin' that was gone by 10:00. Sabrina Mabry brought a crock pot roast with carrots and taters that absolutely melted in your mouth...no need for chewing. All I need is another notch in my belt and I'm good to go!

Thank you so much to everyone for the food, the prayers and the support. We love all of you!

See you in church...

Pastor Michael

Sermon Notes for Sunday, July 13, 2008

Praying to Prepare
1 Peter 5:6-11
Fellowship Baptist Church
July 13, 2008


Tell me about your day. Do you plan it out the day before or do you just wing it? Tell me about your faith walk. Do you plan it out or are you just winging it? The Apostle Peter shows us that when we prepare through prayer, we will be:


Humble



Alert



Steadfast

***Go to http://www.fellowshiplh.org/ to listen to sermons and Bible studies.

Big Bend 2007

Thursday thoughts...

Cristina is doing great...she has had very little pain or discomfort and is up and around. In spite of the doctors orders, Cristina has decided the crutches just aren't necessary.

The girls spent the day with Tricia Ogden and that was a blessing - I had to drag the girls away. Great friends are a blessing and we have been blessed over and over.

Clyde and Janette brought a beautiful mandevilla vine...it will look great along the back porch. Jennifer Ferrell brought dinner over and oh my! It was shredded chicken tacos complete with guacamole, tortillas and all the trimmings. And to top it all off was a container full of warm chocolate chip cookies! I did my best to "get rid of" the cookies before Cristina woke up because the doctor warned against solid food right away. Of course, I always have her best interest at heart and am willing to sacrifice for her. However, the smell brought Cristina out of her sleepy haze and I had some 'splainin to do.

One of the most significant blessings of my life has been our experience at Fellowship. It has been almost a year since we came in view of a call. We struggled and prayed and stressed and prayed and prayed some more. We tried to look at it from all angles, but there was one thing that not many people know. In all of our discussions it was obvious that no matter what happened, we were going to join Fellowship. We felt at home when we started just filling in on Sunday mornings. We knew God had called us to serve there and we were willing to serve as pastor or as members...we just wanted to be a part of it.

Cristina would be the first to tell you that in the grand scheme of things, this surgery was not a big deal. But the outpouring that began way back on Memorial Day continues to enforce on us that God placed us here as a part of this family and we are blessed!

More importantly, we feel God has placed us here as co-laborers with each of you. Together, we have the express intent of discipling one another and leading people into a covenant relationship with Jesus Christ.

This verse describes it to a "T".

In Christ Alone,


Michael

We are home

We got home about 11:00. Cristina is snoozing and the pain pills seem to be working, so it's all good.

The doctor said the pin will be in about 4 weeks, so this should be a little challenging. The most worrisome thing is the dogs. They both like to lie on Cristina's feet, and Molly likes to walk all over you. I am sure there will be some moments, but that is part of it.

We are confident in the doctor and his abilities, but we have full faith in our Great Physician!

Blessings,

Michael

Part 5

We are just waiting on the crutches and then we will be headed home...

Cristina's toe Part 4

Cristina is a little groggy and a little cold. Otherwise, she is very comfortable and resting comfortably.

The yellow dot is the end of the pin they stuck through her toe to hold the bones together. Makes me cringe just to think about it.

More to follow...

Cristina's toe

The doctor just came in. Cristina is out of surgery and everything went just fine. I will be able to see her in about 30 minutes and then we can go home in another hour...

Cristina's toe Part 3

They just took Cristina back. They gave her some "happy medicine" and a smile spread across her face. She was very relaxed, and I know she is comforted by all the people who are praying for her.

More to follow...

Cristina's toe Part 2

Thought it was funny that everyone that comes in writes on her foot...

Cristina's surgery Part 1

It is about 7:15 and everything is on schedule. Tricia had Cristina here on time and everything is moving right along. The IV has been started and we are waiting for the doctors to get here.

This attractive purple gown is pretty cool. As always, the room is very cold. They are actually pumping warm air into this special gown. What will they think of next?

It looks like its about that time...more to follow.

Michael

Wednesday

Since today is Wednesday, I am at EMS. It has been a relatively average day, if any day at EMS can be average. I spent a lot of time in the office working on a rather mundane policy revision and then helping a couple of other Commanders with a significant personnel investigation.


I ran one vehicle rescue that went well...they usually do. All in all, it has been a good day.


Cristina goes in for her toe surgery in the morning. I know she is a little nervous...she has never had anything like this before. Tricia Ogden is taking her to the surgical center in the morning. In order to be there on time, Tricia and Kayla are spending the night. This will help Cristina keep her mind off of the surgery.


I did spend some time on the phone with Ryan Fontenot today. Ryan is an evangelist who specializes in youth and family. We are talking with him about coming to Liberty Hill for our revival. Please pray about this important decision.

Something I learned as a landscaper years ago deals with trees and roots. Whenever you plant a tree, you are supposed to use ties and stakes to keep the tree from blowing over. However, if you tie it so tight it doesn't move, the tree doesn't set good roots. However, the more it is allowed to move and bend without blowing over, the stronger and deeper the tap root sets.

We must challenge ourselves. Trust God by giving Him more time everyday. Spend more time in His word than you ever have. Take a step towards witnessing to someone you know. Be bold, loose your ties, get stronger...

Blessings,

Michael

Another day...

This is another day in the books and it was a good. First, we have added a new member to the office staff. Susan Robinson will join us on Monday as our newest Admin Assistant. Kay Fleet is cutting back her hours and Susan will be picking those hours up.

We are inching closer and closer to our September Revival. Pray, pray pray! The time for preparing is NOW!

The Long Range Planning Committee is very close to formally identifying the General Contractor for the upstairs finish out. The completed project will add approximately 17 classrooms and space for 400 additional Bible Study spaces. That is great news! We hope to be in by next April or May.

We took a large step today when we signed a lease on a bill board. We needed something on Highway 29 to let people know we are here, and the billboard at Highway 29 and RR 1869 became available. We couldn't have picked a better location so we moved on it. We have to have the art work in by Monday and the bill board should be up by July 25th. We'll see...

Tim and I spent most of the day re-working and re-designing the new web site. We want to make sure it is working perfectly by the time the bill board is up. We are working on the information flow to make it as smooth and easy to use as possible. We are also designing Bible Study class pages so people can communicate and discuss lessons through a secure web site. This should be functional by August 1.

Finally, we signed a contract with Olan Mills photography yesterday to produce our church directory. They will take pictures of anyone and everyone who signs up. Everyone who gets their picture taken will get a free 8x10 photograph and a free church directory. There is absolutely no cost whatsoever to you or the church for the photography, the 8x10 or the directory. They are even setting up a secure online directory that will be available to church members. Olan Mills does this free of charge because they hope many of us will want to by picture packages (besides the free 8x10) from them and this is how they make their money. We have done this before and were very pleased with the results. We used the pictures as Christmas gifts one year and will do that again this year.

As I read back over this, we got a lot done and its only Tuesday. God is Good!

Blessings,

Michael

Fellowship 59 - Spring Cookout

I love Tuesdays

My favorite day of the week is Sunday...duh! I'm a Pastor! But my second favorite day around here is Tuesday. This is the day we do home visitation. A very dedicated group comes together on Tuesday evenings and we develop a list of people and families we should go see. Some of the names come from guest cards filled out on Sundays while other names come to us from people who know someone who could use a visit. Regardless, this is a very exciting adventure.

In today's society, we miss the sense of neighborhood and community. It is unusual for anyone to knock on our doors unless they are the UPS man or selling magazines. We no longer leave the doors open and our kids aren't out playing in the neighborhood. Instead, we have begun to close ourselves off to the rest of the world when we are at home. In spite of this, we are continuously amazed at how people open their homes to us when we show up unannounced! I believe God sets up these visits and prepares the people we see. I can't begin to tell you the number of times people have broken down in tears when they first saw us on the doorstep. It is amazing at how many times we have been told of a specific need or crisis that had just occurred and how they were so grateful we were there. That is a God thing!

If you are looking for something to do, come by the church around 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday evenings...you will be blessed!

Here's the deal...we are called on to love one another. This means we are willing to sacrifice for each other. At the extreme, this might be something drastic, but what about the small sacrifices? In John 15:12-13, Jesus tells us to love each other as He loved us. Verse 13 says "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." This isn't just about dying for each other, but the words actually mean "to set aside." Are you willing to set aside some time for your friends? What about people out there who need a short visit? Can you do as Jesus told us, and set aside your life - just for a little while - for them?

In Christ,

Pastor Michael

That was a little too easy

I just created this blog and I really didn't intend to. Tim and I were talking about adding blogs to the Fellowship web site earlier today so I have been cruising around the web looking. I looked at Hollis Baker's blog (which I really enjoy) and looked up his host...easy as pie, here I am blogging.

The intent of the blog is like any other blog...to provide a running commentary of what is going on at church, at home and in my personal life. What I really hope to do is share what God reveals on a daily basis. So, let's get started...

Yesterday was another glorious Sunday. God blessed us with awesome music from my good friend Ken Matney. Ken wrote, composed and recorded a song for his parents' 50th wedding anniversary. Ken asked the Fellowship Praise Team to play on the recording. (I think the big deal was getting Rick Cox to work his magic in the sound booth which makes all of us sound good.) Ken posted the song and the Power Point show on You Tube...click here to see and hear it. It was a great song for our July 4th Sunday celebration and we were blessed to have Ken share it yesterday.

We saw more people join the Fellowship revival and my friend Mike Ogden answered God's call on his life. Mike will be entering the ministry and we celebrated this decision with him.

Today was Monday all day long. Mondays are typically a little hectic around the office, but it is a blessed sign of growth and God's activities. Our growth has presented some unique challenges. For instance, we have some gifted teachers feeling the pull to teach Bible Study classes but every last square foot of space is already in use! The Youth are meeting in the Sanctuary, the portables are all in use, the Men's class is meeting in the kitchen, and we have at least 4 classes that need to split. What an awesome blessing! We are working with a contractor to get the upstairs built out and this will give us an additional 15 classrooms with space for 400 more. You know what is most exciting? I believe God will fill those rooms and we will continue to struggle for space...I can't wait!

We also had an organizational meeting for Fellowship Fest and a Fall Revival which are set for the first week in September. Watch the web site for info.

Yesterday I preached on the need to be silent in our prayer. We need to hear God. I believe He is literally waiting on us and he has the answer for every question, every need, and every request. We just need to listen, trust and obey. That doesn't mean His answers will always be what we want them to be, but He has the answers.

When you pray, spend a little time just being still and knowing He is God. Be attentive to Him. Be comfortable in your silence with Him. He wants you to have peace, he wants you to have rest. He wants you to have the life He has promised.

Study the 23rd Psalm. Read it through. Meditate on the words. Visualize the green pastures and the still waters. Thank God for His many blessings.

In Christ,

Pastor Michael