For Those With Ears

For Those With Ears http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blog.aspx?site_id=10584&blog_id=223295 Harvest's blog. Check it out to keep up with what's going on. EN-US Copyright © 2012 Harvest Bible Chapel - Barrie http://www.triplePixel.com Thu, 17 May 2012 08:00:00 GMT http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/Content/10584/thumbnails/223295-rss-thumbnail.jpgFor Those With Earshttp://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blog.aspx?site_id=10584&blog_id=223295 "...he who has ears to hear, let him hear." Harvest Bible Chapel Harvest's blog. Check it out to keep up with what's going on. Harvest Bible Chapeljmartin@harvestbarrie.ca no Moths to the flame http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=300489http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=300489 Thu, 17 May 2012 13:00:00 GMT I had a conversation with a guy the other day about people who hang around church but never seem to be part of it.  They look like they belong and they talk like they belong but there is just something that seems to say, “You don’t really belong.”  Which is really weird because we are glad for every one that comes here!  We love people and accept them wherever they are in their journey.  So what is it?   I read something that gave me a clue.  They are like moths to a flame.  Ever seen that?  The light is so attractive!  They keep coming and fluttering around it.  But they don’t commit.    I know the analogy has issues for moths – but not for us.  I have to commit to the flame.  I must die!  Yet I will not die.  The flame will kill me, yet it won’t.  It will burn away the flesh and purify me.  Okay, maybe the analogy doesn’t work for us either, but it reminds me of this verse.   Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”   Okay, maybe the analogy does work!  I have to commit!  I heard James MacDonald on the radio the other day.  (He’s <a href="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/event.aspx?event_id=280583">preaching here May 26 and 27</a> you know!)  He said, “You are either living for Christ, yourself, or someone else.”  It’s so true isn’t it?  I have to commit!  I am either crucified with Christ or I am not.  I am either trusting him, or I’m not.  I am either living for him, or I am not.  Hebrews says this is what living “by faith” is all about.   So are you fluttering around still?  How long will you be attracted to the truth without committing?   How do you think Galatians 2:20 applies to our lives?   Just so you know – if you have committed and you have been “crucified with Christ,” by faith, there is an opportunity to show it by being baptized on June 17.  To understand more about baptism, come to the orientation on June 10 at 9 a.m.  You can get more information from <a href="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/mailto:apassafiume@harvestbarrie.ca">Amy</a>.  I had a conversation with a guy the other day about people who hang around church but never seem to be part of it. They look like they belong and they talk like they belong but there is just something that seems to say, “You don’t really belong.” Which is really weird because we are glad for every one that comes here! We love people and accept them wherever they are in their journey. So what is it? I read something that gave me a clue. They are like moths to a flame. Ever seen that? The light is so attractive! They keep coming and fluttering around it. But they don’t commit. I know the analogy has issues for moths – but not for us. I have to commit to the flame. I must die! Yet I will not die. The flame will kill me, yet it won’t. It will burn away the flesh and purify me. Okay, maybe the analogy doesn’t work for us either, but it reminds me of this verse. Galatians 2:20 “ I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ” Okay, maybe the analogy does work! I have to commit! I heard James MacDonald on the radio the other day. (He’s preaching here May 26 and 27 you know!) He said, “You are either living for Christ, yourself, or someone else.” It’s so true isn’t it? I have to commit! I am either crucified with Christ or I am not. I am either trusting him, or I’m not. I am either living for him, or I am not. Hebrews says this is what living “by faith” is all about. So are you fluttering around still? How long will you be attracted to the truth without committing? How do you think Galatians 2:20 applies to our lives? Just so you know – if you have committed and you have been “crucified with Christ,” by faith, there is an opportunity to show it by being baptized on June 17. To understand more about baptism, come to the orientation on June 10 at 9 a.m. You can get more information from Amy . The iGeneration http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=300410http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=300410 Wed, 16 May 2012 16:00:00 GMT Some call them the ‘iGeneration’ – our kids, our youth of today.  Bombarded with more technology than they know what to do with.  They are more savvy than most adults they know.  They are so connected, yet so disconnected.  It causes me to cry out to God daily for Jesus’ speedy return.    <img alt="" style="float: right; margin-left: 5px; width: 200px; height: 268px;" src="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/Content/10584/2012/iGeneration.jpg" />Every time I try to gain some momentum on my kids and stay one technological step ahead of them, I find myself 10 steps behind.  Can anyone relate?  Even if I manage to gain some ground – my kids still have to associate with other children, who’s parents/guardians have absolutely NO idea what they’re doing on the internet, on their iPods, BlackBerrys, or PS3s (which has direct access to the internet, in case you didn’t know that little know fact!!).  As Christ-followers, my husband and I have set multiple boundaries in terms of what we watch, and listen to, who we associate with and what games we play.  We regularly creep our kids cell phones and Facebook pages. YES, we have met with resistance to any and all of this at times; YES, it has set us apart from the families in the neighbourhood; and YES, it’s hard!  But it’s a fight worth fighting and never giving up on.  Satan is desperate to consume our children and destroy our families.  “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”  1 Peter 5:8.   In George Barna’s book, <a href="http://www.barna.org/store?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=54&category_id=1" target="_blank">Transforming Children Into Spiritual Champions</a>, he tells us that children have their spiritual moorings in place by age 9 and that, by age 13, a person’s spiritual identity is pretty much established.  I can certainly look back on the Sunday school teachers and day camp instructors I had and see the impact they had on my life so many years later!  Get your kids involved in good programs!!   You’ve all heard children referred to as sponges – you don’t have to spend much time with them to know how true that is.  We need to allow them to soak up the truth.  We need to equip them with the full armor of God.  We need to fight for them and then teach them how to fight for themselves.  Deuteronomy 6:6-7 says, “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”  How’s that going in your house? Admittedly, we don’t have this nailed down yet.   I am so incredibly thankful to God for my church family and the countless godly influences that my children have in their lives.  We have been able to provide healthy, fun alternatives for our kids through a variety of children’s and youth activities.  They have strong mentors in their lives, who lead by example – and make living for Jesus more attractive to them than living in the world.    In Philippians 4:13, we read, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” and that includes parenting this iGeneration, our precious gifts from God.  Hey, I’d love to hear how you’re equipping your little saints. Some call them the ‘iGeneration’ – our kids, our youth of today. Bombarded with more technology than they know what to do with. They are more savvy than most adults they know. They are so connected, yet so disconnected. It causes me to cry out to God daily for Jesus’ speedy return. Every time I try to gain some momentum on my kids and stay one technological step ahead of them, I find myself 10 steps behind. Can anyone relate? Even if I manage to gain some ground – my kids still have to associate with other children, who’s parents/guardians have absolutely NO idea what they’re doing on the internet, on their iPods, BlackBerrys, or PS3s (which has direct access to the internet, in case you didn’t know that little know fact!!). As Christ-followers, my husband and I have set multiple boundaries in terms of what we watch, and listen to, who we associate with and what games we play. We regularly creep our kids cell phones and Facebook pages. YES, we have met with resistance to any and all of this at times; YES, it has set us apart from the families in the neighbourhood; and YES, it’s hard! But it’s a fight worth fighting and never giving up on. Satan is desperate to consume our children and destroy our families. “ Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. ” 1 Peter 5:8. In George Barna’s book, Transforming Children Into Spiritual Champions , he tells us that children have their spiritual moorings in place by age 9 and that, by age 13, a person’s spiritual identity is pretty much established. I can certainly look back on the Sunday school teachers and day camp instructors I had and see the impact they had on my life so many years later! Get your kids involved in good programs!! You’ve all heard children referred to as sponges – you don’t have to spend much time with them to know how true that is. We need to allow them to soak up the truth. We need to equip them with the full armor of God. We need to fight for them and then teach them how to fight for themselves. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 says, “ And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. ” How’s that going in your house? Admittedly, we don’t have this nailed down yet. I am so incredibly thankful to God for my church family and the countless godly influences that my children have in their lives. We have been able to provide healthy, fun alternatives for our kids through a variety of children’s and youth activities. They have strong mentors in their lives, who lead by example – and make living for Jesus more attractive to them than living in the world. In Philippians 4:13, we read, “ I can do all things through him who strengthens me ” and that includes parenting this iGeneration, our precious gifts from God. Hey, I’d love to hear how you’re equipping your little saints. Night of Worship and Prayer http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=299803http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=299803 Tue, 15 May 2012 12:00:00 GMT Hey everyone, I wanted to remind you of a great night coming up next Tuesday, May 22 at 7 p.m. at TCS.  We're gathering as the church to worship Christ and seek his face in prayer.  These nights have been nothing short of power packed so don't stay home! Another great thing about this night is that it's all about youth and adults coming together.  There's something so amazing about looking out and seeing a group of chairs huddled together filled with so many teenagers and adults united with heads bowed, passionately crying out to the Lord.  Come join us as we, with thankful hearts, pray for the upcoming celebration weekend events (a concert by Meredith Andrews and three services led by Pastor James MacDonald). We will be praying through <a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Hebrews%2012.1-3" class="lbsBibleRef" data-reference="Hebrews 12.1-3" data-version="esv" target="_blank">Hebrews 12:1-3</a> as we lift our hearts and voices to the Lord with worship and Word based prayer, knowing that he hears us and can do far more abundantly than we could ever ask or imagine! <div> </div> We trust it's going to be another phenomenal time so don't miss out on what God has for us. Hey everyone, I wanted to remind you of a great night coming up next Tuesday, May 22 at 7 p.m. at TCS. We're gathering as the church to worship Christ and seek his face in prayer. These nights have been nothing short of power packed so don't stay home! Another great thing about this night is that it's all about youth and adults coming together. There's something so amazing about looking out and seeing a group of chairs huddled together filled with so many teenagers and adults united with heads bowed, passionately crying out to the Lord. Come join us as we, with thankful hearts, pray for the upcoming celebration weekend events (a concert by Meredith Andrews and three services led by Pastor James MacDonald). We will be praying through Hebrews 12:1-3 as we lift our hearts and voices to the Lord with worship and Word based prayer, knowing that he hears us and can do far more abundantly than we could ever ask or imagine! We trust it's going to be another phenomenal time so don't miss out on what God has for us. The Monday blog about Sunday http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=300137http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=300137 Mon, 14 May 2012 15:00:00 GMT It was a beautiful day inside and out on Sunday! But before I get to that, let me just mention that Amy Fotherby, our Director of Welcome! and Integration at Harvest, was married on Saturday to Kevin Passafiume. It was a real blessing to be at the ceremony and reception and celebrate with them. God was glorified in how everything came off, I’d say. As for that beautiful Sunday God provided, it was fun to start the service off with that video of the kids wishing their moms a Happy Mother’s Day. If you missed it that’s because you weren’t in the worship centre on time! Ha! But I’ve included it here in the blog so the moms can see their little cuties again. The worship was powerful and passionate. I’m sensing a freedom in worship each week that just draws me in. I have the worship music rockin’ my iPod all the time, but getting together with the church to sing these songs to the Lord is just something else entirely. Love it! We also heard Pastor Todd bring a strong word from Hebrews 12:1-3. The message was “<a href="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/10584/blogentry/entry_id/300070/May-12-2012-Faith-endures">Faith endures</a>” and our time together in worship ended with a time of seeking God for endurance so that we would not grow weary or fainthearted. It was so cool to see all those small group leaders up front ready to pray for us to have greater endurance in the midst of the often-difficult circumstances of life. And I’m taking some time this week to think about who is in my “cloud of witnesses.” Who are the ones I’m looking to as my examples of enduring faith? You should take sometime to do that too. <img alt="" width="183" height="289" style="float: left; margin-right: 6px;" src="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/Content/10584/TJHodgson.jpg" />The worship aside, because it was Mother’s Day, we also launched our effort to raise funds for the Barrie Pregnancy Resource Centre though their annual Baby Bottle Drive. The BPRC is one of our partner ministries here in town that we actually had the privilege of founding in 2007. Now dozens of churches and many individuals in Barrie and Simcoe County support the ongoing work of the BPRC. So fill those baby bottles you picked up on Sunday and bring them back full on Father’s Day. If you didn’t get one, they will be available again this Sunday in the lobby. Some big things are coming up in the next few weeks! On Tuesday, May 22 we’ll be getting together as the church to pray for the special celebration weekend with Pastor James MacDonald and Meredith Andrews. That happens May 26 and 27. If you don’t have your concert tickets, get them before we sell out. And plan on inviting friends and family to come to the three celebration services planned for that weekend. Have a super week! <div class="Listen"><a href="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/Content/10584/enclosures/Faith%20endures.mp3"><img src="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/images/listen.png" style="margin-right:10px;" border="0" alt="" /></a></div> It was a beautiful day inside and out on Sunday! But before I get to that, let me just mention that Amy Fotherby, our Director of Welcome! and Integration at Harvest, was married on Saturday to Kevin Passafiume. It was a real blessing to be at the ceremony and reception and celebrate with them. God was glorified in how everything came off, I’d say. As for that beautiful Sunday God provided, it was fun to start the service off with that video of the kids wishing their moms a Happy Mother’s Day. If you missed it that’s because you weren’t in the worship centre on time! Ha! But I’ve included it here in the blog so the moms can see their little cuties again. The worship was powerful and passionate. I’m sensing a freedom in worship each week that just draws me in. I have the worship music rockin’ my iPod all the time, but getting together with the church to sing these songs to the Lord is just something else entirely. Love it! We also heard Pastor Todd bring a strong word from Hebrews 12:1-3. The message was “ Faith endures ” and our time together in worship ended with a time of seeking God for endurance so that we would not grow weary or fainthearted. It was so cool to see all those small group leaders up front ready to pray for us to have greater endurance in the midst of the often-difficult circumstances of life. And I’m taking some time this week to think about who is in my “cloud of witnesses.” Who are the ones I’m looking to as my examples of enduring faith? You should take sometime to do that too. The worship aside, because it was Mother’s Day, we also launched our effort to raise funds for the Barrie Pregnancy Resource Centre though their annual Baby Bottle Drive. The BPRC is one of our partner ministries here in town that we actually had the privilege of founding in 2007. Now dozens of churches and many individuals in Barrie and Simcoe County support the ongoing work of the BPRC. So fill those baby bottles you picked up on Sunday and bring them back full on Father’s Day. If you didn’t get one, they will be available again this Sunday in the lobby. Some big things are coming up in the next few weeks! On Tuesday, May 22 we’ll be getting together as the church to pray for the special celebration weekend with Pastor James MacDonald and Meredith Andrews. That happens May 26 and 27. If you don’t have your concert tickets, get them before we sell out. And plan on inviting friends and family to come to the three celebration services planned for that weekend. Have a super week! Faith Endures http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=299881http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=299881 Fri, 11 May 2012 12:00:00 GMT <img alt="" src="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/Content/10584/2012/running.jpg" style="width: 300px; height: 225px; float: right; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 7px;" />It is a word that is among the most powerful and definitive descriptions of a Christ-follower. Those who are truly Christ’s endure. They just do. Jesus said, “The one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13), and in James 1:2 we hear that, “The testing of your faith produces steadfastness” or “endurance”. At the recent Harvest University conference the theme was, “Building strong leaders requires enduring commitments.”  And in the past few years I’d say that among the greatest lessons God was teaching me was about enduring through challenging situations. Throughout the Bible you’ll see that word or similar ones driving the point. Christ-followers don’t ever quit. And it should be no surprise to us that as we move on from the “hall of faith” in Hebrews to the first few verses in Hebrews 12 that faith is further described for us in terms of this enduring spirit. Faith endures. It just does. Where there’s no endurance, there’s little or no faith. So that means I don’t try to squirm out from under a trial and I don’t cut and run when things get hard. I persevere. I’m steadfast. I endure. But because we indeed “grow weary or fainthearted” (Hebrews 12:3) at times, God makes it clear in the passage that if we get a few things right concerning our faith it will be, “so that WE WON’T grow weary or fainthearted” (emphasis mine). If you want to be done with weary and fainthearted, give careful attention to what needs to be put away from your life and what you need to put your attention on to have a faith that endures. We have a special time of prayer scheduled for the end of our time of worship with a great song we are introducing called, “Not for a moment”. If you know someone who is under a heavy weight right now and could be described as “weary or fainthearted” then INVITE THEM to Harvest this Sunday. The same power that allowed Jesus to “endure the cross” is available to us to endure whatever it is we will face or are facing now. The full song line up for worship is powerful. <a href="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/10584/article/article_id/232845/Current-Sunday-Song-List">Give these songs a listen</a> and prepare your heart to sing out to the Lord with passion. The full text for Sunday’s message is Hebrews 12:1-3. Take some time to read those verses and pray through them asking God to do something great in your life as a result of hearing the Word preached. Sunday is also Mother’s Day and I’ll acknowledge here my deep love and appreciation for my mom and all the “moms” I’ve had and have in my life. God, bless the godly moms in our lives who give themselves so freely to love us all.  And because it is Mother’s Day it is also the start of our annual Baby Bottle Drive for the Barrie Pregnancy Resource Centre (check out the quick video about the BPRC below). From now until Father’s Day, we want you to fill these bottles with coin, cash, and cheques as a blessing to moms, dads and babies who need a little encouragement and help from this great ministry. The bottles will be available in the lobby before and after the service. See you Sunday! Todd It is a word that is among the most powerful and definitive descriptions of a Christ-follower. Those who are truly Christ’s endure . They just do. Jesus said, “The one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13), and in James 1:2 we hear that, “The testing of your faith produces steadfastness” or “endurance”. At the recent Harvest University conference the theme was, “Building strong leaders requires enduring commitments.” And in the past few years I’d say that among the greatest lessons God was teaching me was about enduring through challenging situations. Throughout the Bible you’ll see that word or similar ones driving the point. Christ-followers don’t ever quit. And it should be no surprise to us that as we move on from the “hall of faith” in Hebrews to the first few verses in Hebrews 12 that faith is further described for us in terms of this enduring spirit . Faith endures. It just does. Where there’s no endurance, there’s little or no faith. So that means I don’t try to squirm out from under a trial and I don’t cut and run when things get hard. I persevere. I’m steadfast. I endure. But because we indeed “grow weary or fainthearted” (Hebrews 12:3) at times, God makes it clear in the passage that if we get a few things right concerning our faith it will be, “so that WE WON’T grow weary or fainthearted” (emphasis mine). If you want to be done with weary and fainthearted, give careful attention to what needs to be put away from your life and what you need to put your attention on to have a faith that endures. We have a special time of prayer scheduled for the end of our time of worship with a great song we are introducing called, “Not for a moment”. If you know someone who is under a heavy weight right now and could be described as “weary or fainthearted” then INVITE THEM to Harvest this Sunday. The same power that allowed Jesus to “endure the cross” is available to us to endure whatever it is we will face or are facing now. The full song line up for worship is powerful. Give these songs a listen and prepare your heart to sing out to the Lord with passion. The full text for Sunday’s message is Hebrews 12:1-3. Take some time to read those verses and pray through them asking God to do something great in your life as a result of hearing the Word preached. Sunday is also Mother’s Day and I’ll acknowledge here my deep love and appreciation for my mom and all the “moms” I’ve had and have in my life. God, bless the godly moms in our lives who give themselves so freely to love us all. And because it is Mother’s Day it is also the start of our annual Baby Bottle Drive for the Barrie Pregnancy Resource Centre (check out the quick video about the BPRC below). From now until Father’s Day, we want you to fill these bottles with coin, cash, and cheques as a blessing to moms, dads and babies who need a little encouragement and help from this great ministry. The bottles will be available in the lobby before and after the service. See you Sunday! Todd It's ALL joy http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=298502http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=298502 Thu, 10 May 2012 13:00:00 GMT This Sunday Pastor Todd will be speaking about faith that endures and unpacking some hard hitting truths from Hebrews 12:1-3. I don’t yet know exactly where he’s going with this message (I mean I have some idea!) but I do know you’ll be hearing more from Todd in tomorrow’s blog. Have you found our time in Hebrews to be both challenging and encouraging? I have walked away from pretty much every message feeling challenged and convicted…but also encouraged. I’ve read Hebrews a number of times over the last twelve years as I have been going hard after the Lord…there is ALWAYS something new to glean. Here’s the verses we’ll be diving into this weekend: Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.  – Hebrews 12:1-3 I read a great article from Joni Eareckson Tada a few months ago and these are her thoughts on this passage: The path to joy is full of pitfalls, valleys and steep climbs. That’s the way it was for Jesus. But through all the hardships, he kept focused on “the joy set before him.” Jesus was able to endure his cross because he kept in mind the joy of reunion with his Father, the joy of triumph over sin, the joy of all his divine rights finally restored to him, and perhaps most wonderful of all, the joy of being eternally surrounded by the very people for whom he bled and died. This is why Jesus Christ was able to endure the cross and scorn its shame. All for joy! It’s very much the same for you and me. Our path to joy is full of pitfalls, too. But Christ has gone before us, imparting to us his enabling power to suffer with him. Jesus assures us in Matthew 5:11, “Blessed [or happy and joyful] are you when others revile you and persecute you…Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.” And exactly what is our reward at the end of all our hardships? Our reward will be to enjoy God with the same joy that Jesus has in his Father. Oh happy day! Christians have no reason to be miserable or pessimistic. There is no room for gloom and doom when you’re a believer. If your heart is troubled by pessimism or doubts, repeat several times today’s verse, especially the part, “Consider him who endured… so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” This is the secret to finding joy. Consider him. - Joni Eareckson Tada in “A Hard Path to Joy” I don’t have super hard things that I’m currently facing but I have "stuff" that I struggle to consider joy in my life. Yet, compared with Christ enduring the cross my "stuff" seems pretty trivial. I want to run with endurance and I want my life to be set apart for Christ so that others see something different in me and WANT the thing that makes me different – Christ in me. A good friend recently took a 14 day no complaining challenge…here’s what she said one week: <blockquote>Well I am one week into my no complaining challenge. This past week has been filled with plenty of opportunities to put this in to practice, I have failed to seize some of these opportunities but the Lord has also given me victory in others. If I had to some up what this challenge is teaching me in one word it would be gratitude! I have found that when a situation presents itself that I would be drawn to complain about if I try and find something about it to be grateful for my attitude changes very quickly. And the reality is that in most…probably all of these situations there truly is something to be grateful for - I have a car to drive (when dealing with traffic), I have great friends and family (when my life just seems to busy), just to name a few. I can see the beginning of the heart change that the Lord is working in me, I know there is still a long way to go but I’m thankful that the Lord’s work in me is never finished! </blockquote>I think this 14 day challenge is a fantastic way to help me count things as JOY…I have a few things on my plate right now so am contemplating when to actually begin this challenge (don’t really want to set myself up to fail…then again, maybe this is the PERFECT time to do it!?!). What are you facing today that you just need to choose to count as joy?  What are you going to do to make this happen? This Sunday Pastor Todd will be speaking about faith that endures and unpacking some hard hitting truths from Hebrews 12:1-3. I don’t yet know exactly where he’s going with this message (I mean I have some idea!) but I do know you’ll be hearing more from Todd in tomorrow’s blog. Have you found our time in Hebrews to be both challenging and encouraging? I have walked away from pretty much every message feeling challenged and convicted…but also encouraged. I’ve read Hebrews a number of times over the last twelve years as I have been going hard after the Lord…there is ALWAYS something new to glean. Here’s the verses we’ll be diving into this weekend: Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. – Hebrews 12:1-3 I read a great article from Joni Eareckson Tada a few months ago and these are her thoughts on this passage: The path to joy is full of pitfalls, valleys and steep climbs. That’s the way it was for Jesus. But through all the hardships, he kept focused on “the joy set before him.” Jesus was able to endure his cross because he kept in mind the joy of reunion with his Father, the joy of triumph over sin, the joy of all his divine rights finally restored to him, and perhaps most wonderful of all, the joy of being eternally surrounded by the very people for whom he bled and died. This is why Jesus Christ was able to endure the cross and scorn its shame. All for joy! It’s very much the same for you and me. Our path to joy is full of pitfalls, too. But Christ has gone before us, imparting to us his enabling power to suffer with him. Jesus assures us in Matthew 5:11, “Blessed [or happy and joyful] are you when others revile you and persecute you…Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.” And exactly what is our reward at the end of all our hardships? Our reward will be to enjoy God with the same joy that Jesus has in his Father. Oh happy day! Christians have no reason to be miserable or pessimistic. There is no room for gloom and doom when you’re a believer. If your heart is troubled by pessimism or doubts, repeat several times today’s verse, especially the part, “Consider him who endured… so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” This is the secret to finding joy. Consider him. - Joni Eareckson Tada in “A Hard Path to Joy” I don’t have super hard things that I’m currently facing but I have "stuff" that I struggle to consider joy in my life. Yet, compared with Christ enduring the cross my "stuff" seems pretty trivial. I want to run with endurance and I want my life to be set apart for Christ so that others see something different in me and WANT the thing that makes me different – Christ in me. A good friend recently took a 14 day no complaining challenge…here’s what she said one week: Well I am one week into my no complaining challenge. This past week has been filled with plenty of... What's up with the catapult? http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=299584http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=299584 Wed, 09 May 2012 12:00:00 GMT <img alt="" src="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/Content/10584/2012/catapult.jpg" style="width: 300px; height: 300px; float: right; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 7px;" />In my message in Hebrews 11:32-40 last Sunday I made reference to an illustration in a sermon preached at Harvest University by Pastor James MacDonald. It concerned a catapult, and went like this as I preached it in the 9 AM service: God has no struggle here. He sees them as men of faith. And he proves again that he has more grace than I do. I don’t know about you but I need more grace toward people. Anyone else want to confess that? That you need more grace toward people? People frustrate me. You know at Harvest U last week Pastor James delivered a great message on Wednesday morning and I think that was the message where he suggested that in the church budget we should set aside some money to build a catapult. You know who is going in the catapult, right...? You put difficult people in the catapult and launch them in the general direction of Emmanuel Baptist or some other place. I figure we could reach Emmanuel from here. Maybe Mapleview if it was a big catapult. (It’s not in the notes. Stick to the notes. Stick to the notes). I need more grace towards people. I mean, I would like to think about this for a moment: if God approves someone and sees their faith despite their flaws, and if I want to be like him, then I ought to see people for their faith and not often for their flaws, right? When Pastor James used the story, his point was that there are always people in our churches who are perpetually dissatisfied and too many pastors spend too much of their time trying to appease such people. The reality is that such people will never be satisfied no matter how much time you spend with them. Their appetite for your time and energy is inexhaustible. Others in your church who might need your attention, don’t get it as a result. This has been a big issue for me as a pastor: spending so much time trying to make people happy about my leadership or about the church. And I have sought, in recent months, to crucify that people-pleasing need inside of me. The Apostle Paul’s own struggle has been helpful to me in that especially when he wrote to the Galatians, “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10 ESV). So I have come to the place where, in all things, I want to please Christ even if that means that some people might not be thrilled with me. Back to Sunday morning’s message. I was using the illustration of the catapult to show how challenging people can be in the church and how I need grace to deal with them in a better way. I suspect, of course, that most, if not all, of us struggle with having grace for one another at times. Let me say it again, the point I was making in the sermon was the need for more grace in my life. I’m hoping everyone understood that. But let me give a bit more context to the whole thing Pastor James was talking about because it, too, is a way we must show grace to one another. What we all need to hear is that Harvest isn’t for everyone. I’m okay with that. I hope you are too. I have, on many occasions, publicly esteemed my close relationship with Pastor Rick Buck at Emmanuel, Pastor Carey Nieuwhof at Connexus and Pastor Jay Davis at Mapleview. I love what God is doing in each of these churches and celebrate the diversity in our ministries. They reach people we won’t and we reach people they won’t.  Together, I believe, we represent the cause of Christ well in the city of Barrie. If I believe that, then I must also believe that some people who are currently attending Harvest may not actually fit with who we are as a church. That’s cool. My desire for the Church as a whole supersedes that of this local church. My greatest desire is that Christ-followers would be bringing glory to God by actively engaging in serving God and serving others, fully involved with their heart in a local church that teaches the Word of God and lifts high the name of Jesus. And so, if there are certain people in our church who might fit better elsewhere (and who, to be up front about this, have been exhausting to us), our hope is that “launching” them to another Bible-teaching church nearby would be a blessing to them, to us and to their new church. And that, in fact, is among the most grace-filled things I can do: helping someone who is frustrated here at Harvest, find a fulfilling place of belonging and service in another gathering of God’s people. So, lock and load…and to him be glory! Todd In my message in Hebrews 11:32-40 last Sunday I made reference to an illustration in a sermon preached at Harvest University by Pastor James MacDonald. It concerned a catapult, and went like this as I preached it in the 9 AM service: God has no struggle here. He sees them as men of faith. And he proves again that he has more grace than I do. I don’t know about you but I need more grace toward people. Anyone else want to confess that? That you need more grace toward people? People frustrate me. You know at Harvest U last week Pastor James delivered a great message on Wednesday morning and I think that was the message where he suggested that in the church budget we should set aside some money to build a catapult. You know who is going in the catapult, right...? You put difficult people in the catapult and launch them in the general direction of Emmanuel Baptist or some other place. I figure we could reach Emmanuel from here. Maybe Mapleview if it was a big catapult. (It’s not in the notes. Stick to the notes. Stick to the notes). I need more grace towards people. I mean, I would like to think about this for a moment: if God approves someone and sees their faith despite their flaws, and if I want to be like him, then I ought to see people for their faith and not often for their flaws, right? When Pastor James used the story, his point was that there are always people in our churches who are perpetually dissatisfied and too many pastors spend too much of their time trying to appease such people. The reality is that such people will never be satisfied no matter how much time you spend with them. Their appetite for your time and energy is inexhaustible. Others in your church who might need your attention, don’t get it as a result. This has been a big issue for me as a pastor: spending so much time trying to make people happy about my leadership or about the church. And I have sought, in recent months, to crucify that people-pleasing need inside of me. The Apostle Paul’s own struggle has been helpful to me in that especially when he wrote to the Galatians, “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10 ESV). So I have come to the place where, in all things, I want to please Christ even if that means that some people might not be thrilled with me. Back to Sunday morning’s message. I was using the illustration of the catapult to show how challenging people can be in the church and how I need grace to deal with them in a better way . I suspect, of course, that most, if not all, of us struggle with having grace for one another at times. Let me say it again, the point I was making in the sermon was the need for more grace in my life . I’m hoping everyone understood that. But let me give a bit more context to the whole thing Pastor James was talking about because it, too, is a way we must show grace to one another. What we all need to hear is that Harvest isn’t for everyone. I’m okay with that. I hope you are too. I have, on many occasions, publicly esteemed my close relationship with Pastor Rick Buck at Emmanuel, Pastor Carey Nieuwhof at Connexus and Pastor Jay Davis at Mapleview. I love what God is doing in each of these churches and celebrate the diversity in our ministries. They reach people we won’t and we reach people they won’t. Together, I... Prayer Walk http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=299547http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=299547 Tue, 08 May 2012 13:00:00 GMT The goal: To pray for every household and business in Barrie. The Method:  Having believers prayer walk the streets of Barrie. The Day:  This Saturday, May 12 We are actually kicking off our prayer walk this year tonight!  Our youth are prayer walking the downtown core.  These prayer walks in downtown Barrie have been incredible and our youth will be meeting to lift up the needs of our city in prayer.  They’ll walk around in their small groups with their leaders and pray, then meet up for coffee after. And it's not just for the youth. If you would like to join in, you are very welcome. <a href="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/10584/event/event_id/276339/Harvest-Youth-Prayer-Walk">Details here.</a> This Saturday is the day followers of Jesus from all over the city will be walking the streets of Barrie, individually or in small groups, praying for the people in the homes, apartments and businesses they pass.  It happens at various times throughout the day.  Last year we were able to cover approximately 60% of the streets in Barrie with some wards fully covered. This year our goal is 100% in all wards. In addition, there is a celebration worship service at Unity Christian High School, 25 Burton Avenue, at 2 p.m. on May 12. The vision is to provide an opportunity for those who prayed to come together and encourage one another by lifting their voices in praise. How can I get involved?  Start by registering on line.  <a href="http://www.barriechristiancouncil.org/prayerwalk/">Here is the link</a>. Select the streets you will commit to prayer walking.  Check out the guidelines suggested on the web site.  Then pray! The goal: To pray for every household and business in Barrie. The Method: Having believers prayer walk the streets of Barrie. The Day: This Saturday, May 12 We are actually kicking off our prayer walk this year tonight! Our youth are prayer walking the downtown core. These prayer walks in downtown Barrie have been incredible and our youth will be meeting to lift up the needs of our city in prayer. They’ll walk around in their small groups with their leaders and pray, then meet up for coffee after. And it's not just for the youth. If you would like to join in, you are very welcome. Details here. This Saturday is the day followers of Jesus from all over the city will be walking the streets of Barrie, individually or in small groups, praying for the people in the homes, apartments and businesses they pass. It happens at various times throughout the day. Last year we were able to cover approximately 60% of the streets in Barrie with some wards fully covered. This year our goal is 100% in all wards. In addition, there is a celebration worship service at Unity Christian High School, 25 Burton Avenue, at 2 p.m. on May 12. The vision is to provide an opportunity for those who prayed to come together and encourage one another by lifting their voices in praise. How can I get involved? Start by registering on line. Here is the link . Select the streets you will commit to prayer walking. Check out the guidelines suggested on the web site. Then pray! The Monday blog about Sunday http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=299112http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=299112 Mon, 07 May 2012 13:00:00 GMT <div>Praise God for how he just continues to pour himself out at Harvest Barrie.  It was highly evidenced again Sunday through some great worship and communion.  A song you should listen to again this week is "Jesus, Son of God." You can get it on iTunes <a target="_blank" href="http://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/white-flag-deluxe-edition/id505907026">here</a>.</div> <div> </div> <div>The message by Pastor Todd was another banger.  "Do you have a faith that believes?"  It came out of Hebrews 11:32-40.  God can literally do anything in our lives and with us if we simply believe that he can.  If you missed the service, be sure to catch up with the <a href="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/10584/blogentry/entry_id/299071/May-5-2012-Faith-believes">message online</a>. </div> <div> </div> <div><img alt="" style="float: right; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 7px;" src="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/Content/10584/2012/McLellan.jpg" />Another super cool thing being organized by one of our small groups is an amazing event happening June 2 at TCS to raise money for the McLellan family as they need $25,000 to install a wheelchair lift in their van for their growing son, Sawyer.  For more information or to learn how to donate or be a part please check out the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/events/364405000272255/" target="_blank">Facebook group</a> or <a href="http://mclellanadventure.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">website</a>. This is a great opportunity for our whole church to gather with this small group in support of this family! </div> <div> </div> <div>By the way, God is working in amazing ways like that through many of our small groups so.... if you're not in one.... WHY NOT?!  Talk to Amy Fotherby today (<a href="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/mailto:afotherby@harvestbarrie.ca" target="_blank">afotherby@harvestbarrie.ca</a>) and get in one.  </div> <div> </div> <div>Have a great week!</div> <div> </div> <div>Eutychus</div> <div> </div> <div>P.S. Small groups rock!  Join one now!</div> Praise God for how he just continues to pour himself out at Harvest Barrie. It was highly evidenced again Sunday through some great worship and communion. A song you should listen to again this week is "Jesus, Son of God." You can get it on iTunes here . The message by Pastor Todd was another banger. "Do you have a faith that believes?" It came out of Hebrews 11:32-40. God can literally do anything in our lives and with us if we simply believe that he can. If you missed the service, be sure to catch up with the message online . Another super cool thing being organized by one of our small groups is an amazing event happening June 2 at TCS to raise money for the McLellan family as they need $25,000 to install a wheelchair lift in their van for their growing son, Sawyer. For more information or to learn how to donate or be a part please check out the Facebook group or website . This is a great opportunity for our whole church to gather with this small group in support of this family! By the way, God is working in amazing ways like that through many of our small groups so.... if you're not in one.... WHY NOT?! Talk to Amy Fotherby today ( afotherby@harvestbarrie.ca ) and get in one. Have a great week! Eutychus P.S. Small groups rock! Join one now! What do I have to believe to Run Hard? http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=298732http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=298732 Fri, 04 May 2012 13:00:00 GMT <img alt="" src="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/Content/10584/2012/run_hard.jpg" style="width: 350px; height: 263px; float: right; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 7px;" />I’m still basking in the benefits of last Sunday! What a great time in worship and what a powerful sermon we all heard from Pastor Cristian Barbosu from <a href="http://www.harvestbiblefellowship.org/Article.aspx?article_id=200389">Harvest in Arad, Romania</a>.  If you missed it, <a href="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/10584/blogentry/entry_id/297673/April-29-2012-Lessons-from-the-Life-of-Joseph-of-Arimathea">the message</a> and <a href="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/10584/content/content_id/224896/Sunday-Resources">study resources</a> are available online. This Sunday we are back in Hebrews to continue our pursuit of what is Truly Epic, having “the power of an indestructible life” in us. In section three of the Hebrews sermon we are seeking to Run Hard by faith, and in the eleventh chapter we have been examining the lives of those who lived prior to the coming of Jesus and who lived a life of faith. Their example is for our benefit. Will we run hard as they did? The preacher has taken us through a number of examples in detail and by the time he reaches verse 32 you get a sense that he is watching the clock and needs to move on. “And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of…” and he proceeds to list a bunch of names and situations where genuine faith was seen. As I read Hebrews 11:32-40, the question I have is what in the world does someone have to believe to live “by faith”? With everything these men and women faced, they demonstrated “the power of the indestructible life” and showed us what they believed. The evidence is in four key phrases in the passage: “were made strong out of weakness” “that they might rise again to a better life” “of whom the world was not worthy” “God had provided something better” Take some time to think about how each of these phrases communicates something about what we must believe as the followers of Christ…as people who live by faith. I’m eager to work through this passage with you. Despite some hard things we have to work through in verse 32 about some of these “heroes”, we won’t skip any verses! We preach the whole counsel of God! It is going to be a great Sunday together! Don’t forget that it is only a few weeks now until we have our fifth and final 10th anniversary celebration weekend on May 26 and 27 with Pastor James MacDonald and Meredith Andrews. <a href="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/content.aspx?site_id=10584&content_id=273243">Details are here</a>. Get your Saturday evening concert tickets on Sunday at the bookstore. By the way, last Sunday’s Storyline video featuring Rod and Elaine Duff is now up on Vimeo. Check it out and be encouraged in how God is so faithful to us. You can prepare for our time in worship and the Word on Sunday by <a href="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/10584/article/article_id/232845/Current-Sunday-Song-List">listening to the songs</a> that Jordan has lined up for us this week and <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%2011:32-40&version=ESV" target="_blank">read and pray through the passage I’ll be preaching</a>. We will be remembering the Lord’s death and burial at the communion table too. You might want to also read 1 Corinthians 11:17-32 and refresh your understanding of why we do this. Let’s not let the Lord’s Table become too familiar and so treat it with contempt. I’m so grateful for each of you and for the joy we have in being the church of Jesus Christ here in Barrie. Pray for one another. Encourage one another. Serve one another in love. Live a life of faith for the benefit of one another. See you Sunday, Todd I’m still basking in the benefits of last Sunday! What a great time in worship and what a powerful sermon we all heard from Pastor Cristian Barbosu from Harvest in Arad, Romania . If you missed it, the message and study resources are available online. This Sunday we are back in Hebrews to continue our pursuit of what is Truly Epic , having “the power of an indestructible life” in us. In section three of the Hebrews sermon we are seeking to Run Hard by faith, and in the eleventh chapter we have been examining the lives of those who lived prior to the coming of Jesus and who lived a life of faith. Their example is for our benefit. Will we run hard as they did? The preacher has taken us through a number of examples in detail and by the time he reaches verse 32 you get a sense that he is watching the clock and needs to move on. “And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of…” and he proceeds to list a bunch of names and situations where genuine faith was seen. As I read Hebrews 11:32-40 , the question I have is what in the world does someone have to believe to live “by faith” ? With everything these men and women faced, they demonstrated “the power of the indestructible life” and showed us what they believed. The evidence is in four key phrases in the passage: “were made strong out of weakness” “that they might rise again to a better life” “of whom the world was not worthy” “God had provided something better” Take some time to think about how each of these phrases communicates something about what we must believe as the followers of Christ…as people who live by faith. I’m eager to work through this passage with you. Despite some hard things we have to work through in verse 32 about some of these “heroes”, we won’t skip any verses! We preach the whole counsel of God! It is going to be a great Sunday together! Don’t forget that it is only a few weeks now until we have our fifth and final 10th anniversary celebration weekend on May 26 and 27 with Pastor James MacDonald and Meredith Andrews. Details are here . Get your Saturday evening concert tickets on Sunday at the bookstore. By the way, last Sunday’s Storyline video featuring Rod and Elaine Duff is now up on Vimeo. Check it out and be encouraged in how God is so faithful to us. You can prepare for our time in worship and the Word on Sunday by listening to the songs that Jordan has lined up for us this week and read and pray through the passage I’ll be preaching . We will be remembering the Lord’s death and burial at the communion table too. You might want to also read 1 Corinthians 11:17-32 and refresh your understanding of why we do this. Let’s not let the Lord’s Table become too familiar and so treat it with contempt. I’m so grateful for each of you and for the joy we have in being the church of Jesus Christ here in Barrie. Pray for one another. Encourage one another. Serve one another in love. Live a life of faith for the benefit of one another. See you Sunday, Todd Because kids matter to God http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=298479http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=298479 Thu, 03 May 2012 13:00:00 GMT <img alt="" src="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/Content/10584/2012/T&T%20award.jpeg" style="float: right; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 7px;" />Wow – what a wonderful Awana year!  We celebrated with our families last night at our year end awards event.  Lots of ribbons and trophies were handed out to hard working clubbers.  Boy, did these kids memorize a lot of scripture!  Did you know that if clubbers finish three books in the Sparks program and four books in the Truth and Training program they will have memorized 582 bible verses.  Can you see why we love Awana? Not only did we spend a lot of time working through our handbooks, but our clubbers also became "Kids of Integrity".  Each week they learned what God says about things like: generosity, righteousness, gentleness, self control, patience, joy, humility, forgiveness, attentiveness, faithfulness, perseverance, respect, honesty and contentedness.  We’re thankful to our teachers for their incredible lessons. Under the expert guidance of our outreach director, our club collected enough in dues each week to support our sponsor child, Michael from Ghana, West Africa.  Our kids love sending letters and gifts to Michael.  Through our Baskets of Joy campaign at Christmas and the support of our families and Harvest small groups, we raised over $800 for orphanages in Haiti and Nigeria.  We also partnered with the Glasgow mission team and raised over $700 for them through our Grand Prix concession and bake sale.  What a blessing! The most important aspect of our program is pointing kids to Christ and we were thrilled when four of our kids chose Christ as their Lord and Saviour this year. What a privilege to be a part of this life changing decision. We have an incredible sense of community in Awana. We have friends join us each week from at least nine other churches in the area.  How great that this program brings us all together under one roof for a whole lot of fun and fellowship.  We have over 65 amazing volunteers that love on these kids each week.  They are dedicated, tireless and faithful – huge thanks to each one of you!  There is such joy in serving the Lord and it was evident every Wednesday at Awana.  Our theme verse is 2 Timothy 2:15 -  “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth”. Our team exemplifies this and how amazing it is that we have the opportunity to train up these kids to love God’s word, live for him and proclaim his truth without apology. We praise God for what he accomplished in and through this club this year.  To him by glory! Wow – what a wonderful Awana year! We celebrated with our families last night at our year end awards event. Lots of ribbons and trophies were handed out to hard working clubbers. Boy, did these kids memorize a lot of scripture! Did you know that if clubbers finish three books in the Sparks program and four books in the Truth and Training program they will have memorized 582 bible verses. Can you see why we love Awana? Not only did we spend a lot of time working through our handbooks, but our clubbers also became "Kids of Integrity". Each week they learned what God says about things like: generosity, righteousness, gentleness, self control, patience, joy, humility, forgiveness, attentiveness, faithfulness, perseverance, respect, honesty and contentedness. We’re thankful to our teachers for their incredible lessons. Under the expert guidance of our outreach director, our club collected enough in dues each week to support our sponsor child, Michael from Ghana, West Africa. Our kids love sending letters and gifts to Michael. Through our Baskets of Joy campaign at Christmas and the support of our families and Harvest small groups, we raised over $800 for orphanages in Haiti and Nigeria. We also partnered with the Glasgow mission team and raised over $700 for them through our Grand Prix concession and bake sale. What a blessing! The most important aspect of our program is pointing kids to Christ and we were thrilled when four of our kids chose Christ as their Lord and Saviour this year. What a privilege to be a part of this life changing decision. We have an incredible sense of community in Awana. We have friends join us each week from at least nine other churches in the area. How great that this program brings us all together under one roof for a whole lot of fun and fellowship. We have over 65 amazing volunteers that love on these kids each week. They are dedicated, tireless and faithful – huge thanks to each one of you! There is such joy in serving the Lord and it was evident every Wednesday at Awana. Our theme verse is 2 Timothy 2:15 - “ Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth”. Our team exemplifies this and how amazing it is that we have the opportunity to train up these kids to love God’s word, live for him and proclaim his truth without apology. We praise God for what he accomplished in and through this club this year. To him by glory! A brief history of youth ministry http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=298163http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=298163 Wed, 02 May 2012 13:00:00 GMT <div><img alt="" src="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/Content/10584/2012/YFC.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 201px; float: right; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 7px;" />Recently, The Gospel Coalition devoted some time to blogging about different issues facing youth ministry - what it's all about, where it's come from and where it's heading.  Their push is that all youth ministry strategy needs to be founded on the gospel.  I have found these articles helpful and informative and believe that they can be to you as a parent or student too. Here's the first one they sent out which outlines the history of youth ministry.  </div> <div>Enjoy. <a href="http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/04/02/a-brief-history-of-youth-ministry/" target="_blank">A Brief History of Youth Ministry</a> </div> <div> </div> Recently, The Gospel Coalition devoted some time to blogging about different issues facing youth ministry - what it's all about, where it's come from and where it's heading. Their push is that all youth ministry strategy needs to be founded on the gospel. I have found these articles helpful and informative and believe that they can be to you as a parent or student too. Here's the first one they sent out which outlines the history of youth ministry. Enjoy. A Brief History of Youth Ministry The Castle Wall http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=295554http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=295554 Tue, 01 May 2012 13:00:00 GMT Our hearts are deceitful (and desperately wicked according to Jeremiah 17:9 ) – I know this to be true in my life. There are times when I can’t see the sin in my life and need loving friends to come alongside me and gently (but firmly!) point it out. Other times I am well aware that there is sin in my life but I simply don’t want to deal with it. Sometimes my sin is comfortable, it’s just what I know. Other times it has seemed easier to live with or manage my sin rather than radically cut it off (Satan loves to feed us these lies). The reality is that sometimes we like our sin…but God doesn’t. God looks at the sin in our lives as disgusting…I can only imagine what sin would look like if we could see it in a physical sense – like rotting flesh crawling with maggots perhaps? There are times when I ask the Lord to help me see my sin the way that he sees it so that I will be so repulsed by it that I really will do whatever it takes to cut myself off from it. I need to do that regularly. I came across a great quote this week in a blog that I read regularly: Remember that the mind is the watchman of the soul, commanded to judge and determine whether something is good and pleasing to God, so the affections can long for it and the will can choose it. If the mind fails to identify a sin as evil, wicked, vile, and bitter, the affections will not be safe from clinging to it, nor the will from giving consent. This is one side of the castle wall, the first line of defense: to keep in mind that every sin is a forsaking of God (Jeremiah 2:19), to never forget the polluting, corrupting, defiling power of sin—to be shaken to the core by how much God loathes sin. When Paul said Christ’s love compelled him (2 Corinthians 5:14), he described the other side of this first defense: the mind must stay fixed on God, especially on his grace and goodness toward us. His love propels, fuels, drives us to obey. It is the fountain of our obedience, and our highest motive to finding out what pleases the Lord and doing it. In order to walk before God, this is the mind’s first duty: to know and hold on to the evil of sin and the love of God. ~Kris Lundgaard in The Enemy Within I’ve been blessed with some amazing people in my life who want more for me than the mediocre and they are constantly pointing me to Christ and urging me to strive for excellence and holiness in my life. Do you have people in your life like that? If you don’t – get in a small group, aim to be vulnerable and transparent – you WILL be blessed. Guard the castle wall…build up your defenses and GROW. Our hearts are deceitful (and desperately wicked according to Jeremiah 17:9 ) – I know this to be true in my life. There are times when I can’t see the sin in my life and need loving friends to come alongside me and gently (but firmly!) point it out. Other times I am well aware that there is sin in my life but I simply don’t want to deal with it. Sometimes my sin is comfortable, it’s just what I know. Other times it has seemed easier to live with or manage my sin rather than radically cut it off (Satan loves to feed us these lies). The reality is that sometimes we like our sin…but God doesn’t. God looks at the sin in our lives as disgusting…I can only imagine what sin would look like if we could see it in a physical sense – like rotting flesh crawling with maggots perhaps? There are times when I ask the Lord to help me see my sin the way that he sees it so that I will be so repulsed by it that I really will do whatever it takes to cut myself off from it. I need to do that regularly. I came across a great quote this week in a blog that I read regularly: Remember that the mind is the watchman of the soul, commanded to judge and determine whether something is good and pleasing to God, so the affections can long for it and the will can choose it. If the mind fails to identify a sin as evil, wicked, vile, and bitter, the affections will not be safe from clinging to it, nor the will from giving consent. This is one side of the castle wall, the first line of defense: to keep in mind that every sin is a forsaking of God (Jeremiah 2:19), to never forget the polluting, corrupting, defiling power of sin—to be shaken to the core by how much God loathes sin. When Paul said Christ’s love compelled him (2 Corinthians 5:14), he described the other side of this first defense: the mind must stay fixed on God, especially on his grace and goodness toward us. His love propels, fuels, drives us to obey. It is the fountain of our obedience, and our highest motive to finding out what pleases the Lord and doing it. In order to walk before God, this is the mind’s first duty: to know and hold on to the evil of sin and the love of God. ~Kris Lundgaard in The Enemy Within I’ve been blessed with some amazing people in my life who want more for me than the mediocre and they are constantly pointing me to Christ and urging me to strive for excellence and holiness in my life. Do you have people in your life like that? If you don’t – get in a small group, aim to be vulnerable and transparent – you WILL be blessed. Guard the castle wall…build up your defenses and GROW. The Monday blog about Sunday http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=297773http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=297773 Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:00:00 GMT Wow. What a Sunday. Amped up worship and a great message from Pastor Cristian Barbosu (<a href="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/10584/blogentry/entry_id/297673/April-29-2012-Lessons-from-the-Life-of-Joseph-of-Arimathea">listen to it here</a>). I think the only thing that we lacked were people with cool accents…oh wait, not true at all. <img alt="" src="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/Content/10584/2012/Celebration4-25.jpg" style="width: 400px; height: 200px;" /> <img alt="" width="230" height="248" src="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/Content/10584/2012/Celebration4-5.jpg" /> <img alt="" width="183" height="246" src="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/Content/10584/2012/Celebration4-11.jpg" /> Between Cristian and Jim Beattie, the church just looked so stylish yesterday, not even taking account of how great they sounded. It seemed to me that Jordan had picked a bad day to dress down. At least Pastor Todd and a few others got the purple memo… <img alt="" width="305" height="361" src="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/Content/10584/2012/Celebration4-48.jpg" />   <img alt="" width="217" height="359" src="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/Content/10584/2012/Celebration4-33.jpg" /> <img alt="" width="317" height="211" src="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/Content/10584/2012/Celebration4-15.jpg" /> <img alt="" width="240" height="233" src="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/Content/10584/2012/Celebration4-1.jpg" /> It was truly a blessing though to hear and see all that the Lord is doing through Harvest Bible Chapels around the world. So often we can feel closed off here, like we are the only ones doing what we do, but what an encouragement to see that the Lord is working in some amazing ways. The video with all the people from different countries singing the same song in their native tongues was so amazing and touching, just a taste of what heaven may feel like! The Duffs' video was amazing too, a great example of a strong faith through some big trials. Jordan’s challenge was so real to me…could I truly worship the Lord when ALL is stripped from me? Themed in so well with the message, hearing story after story of people who lost everything to follow Christ.  (We'll post the storylines video later this week.) We don’t face much difficulty at all compared to our brothers and sister’s around the globe. Let’s really take the challenge ahead and take a stand for Christ wherever and whenever. Also remember to be praying for Chad Freeman as he’s on his way to St. Vincent now to serve the Lord for six months and also keep in mind Pastor Mike and the youth team that’s headed to Scotland soon! You are loved. Wow. What a Sunday. Amped up worship and a great message from Pastor Cristian Barbosu ( listen to it here ). I think the only thing that we lacked were people with cool accents…oh wait, not true at all. Between Cristian and Jim Beattie, the church just looked so stylish yesterday, not even taking account of how great they sounded. It seemed to me that Jordan had picked a bad day to dress down. At least Pastor Todd and a few others got the purple memo… It was truly a blessing though to hear and see all that the Lord is doing through Harvest Bible Chapels around the world. So often we can feel closed off here, like we are the only ones doing what we do, but what an encouragement to see that the Lord is working in some amazing ways. The video with all the people from different countries singing the same song in their native tongues was so amazing and touching, just a taste of what heaven may feel like! The Duffs' video was amazing too, a great example of a strong faith through some big trials. Jordan’s challenge was so real to me…could I truly worship the Lord when ALL is stripped from me? Themed in so well with the message, hearing story after story of people who lost everything to follow Christ. (We'll post the storylines video later this week.) We don’t face much difficulty at all compared to our brothers and sister’s around the globe. Let’s really take the challenge ahead and take a stand for Christ wherever and whenever. Also remember to be praying for Chad Freeman as he’s on his way to St. Vincent now to serve the Lord for six months and also keep in mind Pastor Mike and the youth team that’s headed to Scotland soon! You are loved. The Fourth Man http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=296964http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=296964 Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:00:00 GMT We are celebrating 10 years of Harvest in Canada with our fourth celebration Sunday! We have heard from Ron Zappia, Joel Anderson, and Robbie Symons. Who will be the fourth man? In Colossians, Paul ends his letter with various greetings and instructions. One of the things he tells them is that he sent Tychicus along to give them news about Paul’s situation and that Tychicus is coming to encourage their hearts. I can imagine the excitement around that. I can imagine as they had these words read to them that they looked over at Tychicus. Paul describes him as a “beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord.” He has news! He has a word!   <img alt="" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;" src="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/Content/10584/2012/cristi-barbosu.jpg" />We have the great privilege of having Cristian Barbosu come and do exactly that. His ministry in Romania and beyond is an example of our heart for spreading the gospel and planting churches. He is loved in our fellowship of churches and is faithful. Along with the encouragement he is going to share about God’s work he will preach God’s Word to us. He has news! He has a word!   Just as Paul longed to bring some benefit to the church in Rome, Cristian longs to benefit us through the Word of God. This passion is clearly seen in his life and work. He is sharing from the gospel of <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2023:49-56&version=ESV">Luke, 23:49-56</a>. Read the passage over and consider that God has a word for you, and for me.   Let us remember how we have been taught to welcome such men. Those who give themselves to the Word and prayer are worthy of double honour. We want to make sure Cristian knows we are excited to hear from him and eager to be blessed from the word he brings. One way we do so is to greet him with excitement and joy when he stands to speak. Let us be a blessing to him as he seeks to bless us! We are celebrating 10 years of Harvest in Canada with our fourth celebration Sunday! We have heard from Ron Zappia, Joel Anderson, and Robbie Symons. Who will be the fourth man? In Colossians, Paul ends his letter with various greetings and instructions. One of the things he tells them is that he sent Tychicus along to give them news about Paul’s situation and that Tychicus is coming to encourage their hearts. I can imagine the excitement around that. I can imagine as they had these words read to them that they looked over at Tychicus. Paul describes him as a “beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord.” He has news! He has a word! We have the great privilege of having Cristian Barbosu come and do exactly that. His ministry in Romania and beyond is an example of our heart for spreading the gospel and planting churches. He is loved in our fellowship of churches and is faithful. Along with the encouragement he is going to share about God’s work he will preach God’s Word to us. He has news! He has a word! Just as Paul longed to bring some benefit to the church in Rome, Cristian longs to benefit us through the Word of God. This passion is clearly seen in his life and work. He is sharing from the gospel of Luke, 23:49-56 . Read the passage over and consider that God has a word for you, and for me. Let us remember how we have been taught to welcome such men. Those who give themselves to the Word and prayer are worthy of double honour. We want to make sure Cristian knows we are excited to hear from him and eager to be blessed from the word he brings. One way we do so is to greet him with excitement and joy when he stands to speak. Let us be a blessing to him as he seeks to bless us! Looking ahead http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=296806http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=296806 Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:00:00 GMT The Lord is doing some amazing things in our church and within the Harvest Bible Fellowship churches. God is at work and Harvest U was such an amazing reminder of that. We are so blessed that we are living in a country where we are free to worship the Lord. We so often take that for granted. The little oppression that we get doesn’t even compare to what happens at some Harvests around the world. This next Sunday we are privileged to have Cristian Barbosu in the pulpit to celebrate 10 years at Harvest yet again. Cristian is a powerful and passionate speaker. Come prepared to worship and hear from different tribes and nations ; ) I really want to encourage you to prepare your hearts as we come together in worship and sing to the King. We have 60 people coming back from HU (additional HU features below) that just experienced 2,000 people together singing with all they have holding nothing back. Let’s make this the new norm at Harvest Barrie! Prepare your hearts and minds for this Sunday! Blessings, Jordan PS.  Here are some additional photos from Harvest U.  Notice that Pastor Todd got to preach on ping pong ball night.  You'll also see the award presented to commemorate his year as Senior Pastor of the Year. <img alt="" src="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/Content/10584/2012/HU2012_Todd-pingpong.jpeg" /> <img alt="" src="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/Content/10584/2012/HU2012_Todd-preach.jpeg" /> <img alt="" src="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/Content/10584/2012/HU2012_Todd-award.jpeg" /> <div style="word-wrap: break-word;"> <div style="word-wrap: break-word;"> <div style="word-wrap: break-word;"> <div style="word-wrap: break-word;"> <div style="word-wrap: break-word;"> <div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> The Lord is doing some amazing things in our church and within the Harvest Bible Fellowship churches. God is at work and Harvest U was such an amazing reminder of that. We are so blessed that we are living in a country where we are free to worship the Lord. We so often take that for granted. The little oppression that we get doesn’t even compare to what happens at some Harvests around the world. This next Sunday we are privileged to have Cristian Barbosu in the pulpit to celebrate 10 years at Harvest yet again. Cristian is a powerful and passionate speaker. Come prepared to worship and hear from different tribes and nations ; ) I really want to encourage you to prepare your hearts as we come together in worship and sing to the King. We have 60 people coming back from HU (additional HU features below) that just experienced 2,000 people together singing with all they have holding nothing back. Let’s make this the new norm at Harvest Barrie! Prepare your hearts and minds for this Sunday! Blessings, Jordan PS. Here are some additional photos from Harvest U. Notice that Pastor Todd got to preach on ping pong ball night. You'll also see the award presented to commemorate his year as Senior Pastor of the Year. Harvest U - Tuesday http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=296593http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=296593 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:00:00 GMT What an incredible day!  Scott Hamilton said HBC Barrie took over the Hampton Inn for a family reunion and let them join it.  “It is like having breakfast together in the living room when we gather in the lobby.”  It was a great start to a day that just got better and better.  As if the workshops aren’t filling enough in themselves, sharing times in the hallways and after the sessions with people from all over the world makes them a full course meal!  There are so many stories of God’s surpassing grace here.  I met Pastor Norm Millar’s parents from London!  They brought more than 100 people!  Pastor James said every time a Canadian church is mentioned all the Canadians cheer to make it sound like every church has lots of people.  After an incredible worship set with a choir and unbelievable singing, he and Pastor Jeff from Elgin dissed how we worship, so when they sang another song a bunch of us rushed the stage.  Even Pastor Roger was dancing and singing up there!  Well – kind of clapping in time anyway.  They appreciated his enthusiasm. A highlight was the Harvest Bible Fellowship time.  They commissioned the graduates from the school of ministry and prayed over them.  They had a storylines kind of video about the Peacocks from Calgary and prayed over them.  Six senior pastors shared the vision and practical implications of the theme for this year -  “Building strong leaders requires enduring commitments!”  Kurt vanMannen shared what God is doing in Nepal.  They had a video of one of their pastors.  The lady beside me wept because of his faith in spite of persecution. Worship is certainly a highlight here and sure enough, we helped record a new song.  It is a powerful song about our unity and it was cool to see dozens of international believers on the stage singing it with us.  A taste of heaven! I was saying how I loved hearing all the accents here when someone told me that I have one.  Jim Beattie said we all had one when he arrived in Canada.  Hmmm Peace, Eutychus     What an incredible day! Scott Hamilton said HBC Barrie took over the Hampton Inn for a family reunion and let them join it. “It is like having breakfast together in the living room when we gather in the lobby.” It was a great start to a day that just got better and better. As if the workshops aren’t filling enough in themselves, sharing times in the hallways and after the sessions with people from all over the world makes them a full course meal! There are so many stories of God’s surpassing grace here. I met Pastor Norm Millar’s parents from London! They brought more than 100 people! Pastor James said every time a Canadian church is mentioned all the Canadians cheer to make it sound like every church has lots of people. After an incredible worship set with a choir and unbelievable singing, he and Pastor Jeff from Elgin dissed how we worship, so when they sang another song a bunch of us rushed the stage. Even Pastor Roger was dancing and singing up there! Well – kind of clapping in time anyway. They appreciated his enthusiasm. A highlight was the Harvest Bible Fellowship time. They commissioned the graduates from the school of ministry and prayed over them. They had a storylines kind of video about the Peacocks from Calgary and prayed over them. Six senior pastors shared the vision and practical implications of the theme for this year - “Building strong leaders requires enduring commitments!” Kurt vanMannen shared what God is doing in Nepal. They had a video of one of their pastors. The lady beside me wept because of his faith in spite of persecution. Worship is certainly a highlight here and sure enough, we helped record a new song. It is a powerful song about our unity and it was cool to see dozens of international believers on the stage singing it with us. A taste of heaven! I was saying how I loved hearing all the accents here when someone told me that I have one. Jim Beattie said we all had one when he arrived in Canada. Hmmm Peace, Eutychus Where to begin http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=296508http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=296508 Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:00:00 GMT Where to begin???  With incredible excitement and anticipation we stepped into a jammed packed worship centre at Harvest Elgin on Monday morning and it kinda felt like a family reunion.  Hugs, tears and a whole lot of love were shared by many, as our huge Harvest family from all over the globe greeted one another.  Our day started with an incredible time of worship – and I mean – amazing high impact worship with 2,000 brothers and sisters all lifting high the name of Jesus together in song.  Hey, I just read that we are going to be recorded as we sing the song “We’re United” together – how cool is that? We were blessed as Pastor James began teaching us from John 1:19 about Authentic Jesus – full of grace and truth.  I will never again think about grace without truth when meditating on who our Saviour truly is.  I can’t wait to hear the rest of this powerful message on Wednesday. The rest of our day consisted of attending the first two of five workshops in our desired ministry track.  As our Harvest Barrie team met together over dinner, Pastor Roger invited us to share highlights from what we had learned.  It was amazing to hear how people were blessed in so many ways by the strong teaching.  We have team members involved in a number of different tracks – Communication, Preaching, Student Ministry, Compassion & Missions, Biblical Soul Care, Children’s Ministry, Leadership, Women’s Ministry, Elder Topics, Worship – and more.  I love how we’re striving to be excellent in these areas and how willing our Harvest family is to be used by God for his glory. <img alt="" width="203" height="151" style="float: right; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 7px;" src="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/Content/10584/2012/photo%28206%29_thumb.JPG" />We also met together as regions.  So cool to see all of the leaders and people from the Canadian Region gather to share, plan and pray together...and to know that the same thing was happening throughout the campus with the other regions around the world. The day didn’t end there!  Remember when our own Pastor Todd was esteemed as ‘Senior Pastor of the Year’ in 2011?  Well, he received the honour of preaching at HU 2012.  While this task may have been daunting for some, he looked right at home proclaiming the authority of God’s Word in Elgin, Illinois.  It was a message we all needed to hear – but especially encouraging to those enduring difficult and dark days.  In walking us through Genesis 40, we learned that; a) no situation should trap you; b) no injustice should crush you; and c) no loneliness should consume you. Wish you all could’ve been there – it was a great time for our Harvest Barrie family. Todd presented HBF executive director, Kent Shaw, with his own Team Canada jersey, commemorating 10 Canadian church plants in 10 years. <img alt="" style="width: 440px; height: 329px;" src="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/Content/10584/2012/photo%28205%29_thumb.JPG" /> God is at work at Harvest Bible Chapel and it’s clearly evident at Harvest University 2012.  If you didn’t make it this year – plan on it next year. P.S.  Four of the Harvest Youth at HU, enjoying this incredible opportunity.  <img alt="" src="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/Content/10584/2012/kids.jpg" /> Where to begin??? With incredible excitement and anticipation we stepped into a jammed packed worship centre at Harvest Elgin on Monday morning and it kinda felt like a family reunion. Hugs, tears and a whole lot of love were shared by many, as our huge Harvest family from all over the globe greeted one another. Our day started with an incredible time of worship – and I mean – amazing high impact worship with 2,000 brothers and sisters all lifting high the name of Jesus together in song. Hey, I just read that we are going to be recorded as we sing the song “We’re United” together – how cool is that? We were blessed as Pastor James began teaching us from John 1:19 about Authentic Jesus – full of grace and truth. I will never again think about grace without truth when meditating on who our Saviour truly is. I can’t wait to hear the rest of this powerful message on Wednesday. The rest of our day consisted of attending the first two of five workshops in our desired ministry track. As our Harvest Barrie team met together over dinner, Pastor Roger invited us to share highlights from what we had learned. It was amazing to hear how people were blessed in so many ways by the strong teaching. We have team members involved in a number of different tracks – Communication, Preaching, Student Ministry, Compassion & Missions, Biblical Soul Care, Children’s Ministry, Leadership, Women’s Ministry, Elder Topics, Worship – and more. I love how we’re striving to be excellent in these areas and how willing our Harvest family is to be used by God for his glory. We also met together as regions. So cool to see all of the leaders and people from the Canadian Region gather to share, plan and pray together...and to know that the same thing was happening throughout the campus with the other regions around the world. The day didn’t end there! Remember when our own Pastor Todd was esteemed as ‘Senior Pastor of the Year’ in 2011? Well, he received the honour of preaching at HU 2012. While this task may have been daunting for some, he looked right at home proclaiming the authority of God’s Word in Elgin, Illinois. It was a message we all needed to hear – but especially encouraging to those enduring difficult and dark days. In walking us through Genesis 40, we learned that; a) no situation should trap you; b) no injustice should crush you; and c) no loneliness should consume you. Wish you all could’ve been there – it was a great time for our Harvest Barrie family. Todd presented HBF executive director, Kent Shaw, with his own Team Canada jersey, commemorating 10 Canadian church plants in 10 years. God is at work at Harvest Bible Chapel and it’s clearly evident at Harvest University 2012. If you didn’t make it this year – plan on it next year. P.S. Four of the Harvest Youth at HU, enjoying this incredible opportunity. The Monday blog about Sunday http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=296398http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=296398 Mon, 23 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT Hello from Chicagoland!  I am down here for <a href="http://www.harvestuniversity.com" target="_blank">Harvest University</a> (#HarvestU) with 57 other people from Barrie and I am really excited!  There are around 2000 coming from all over the world for training and encouragement. We started with worship and prayer last night and though many had not arrived yet, including many of our contingent, it was great!  To be here some of us had to miss worship and the Word at home.  Boo!  I listened to it online last night and it was another great challenge from Hebrews.  <a href="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/10584/blogentry/entry_id/296354/April-22-2012-Faith-chooses">You can hear it here</a>. The curriculum is up and even if your SG isn’t meeting there is a lot to think about in the questions.  <a href="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/Content/10584/234854.pdf">Check them out here</a>.  I think my choice to be here just might be one of those life-transforming decisions. <img alt="" src="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/Content/10584/2012/Jordan_2012-04.jpg" style="width: 300px; height: 203px; float: right; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 7px;" />I heard many enjoyed the “scaled back worship team”.  Many from the worship teams are here.  Pray they will be renewed and blessed.  Look out for next week when they are back and charged up!  If it seemed like there were less people around after second service it's because they were hitting the road to get down here.  Pray they will be greatly encouraged and learn lots! There are ten different teaching tracks offered and we have people in all of them.  There is so much to learn!  The main sessions are powerful times of seeing what God is doing in Harvest Bible Chapels around the world and then digging into God’s Word along with great worship!  I’m looking forward to Pastor Todd bringing it this evening and I know he would appreciate your prayers.    Well, the first session is starting so I have to go.  Stay tuned! Eutychus  Hello from Chicagoland! I am down here for Harvest University (#HarvestU) with 57 other people from Barrie and I am really excited! There are around 2000 coming from all over the world for training and encouragement. We started with worship and prayer last night and though many had not arrived yet, including many of our contingent, it was great! To be here some of us had to miss worship and the Word at home. Boo! I listened to it online last night and it was another great challenge from Hebrews. You can hear it here . The curriculum is up and even if your SG isn’t meeting there is a lot to think about in the questions. Check them out here . I think my choice to be here just might be one of those life-transforming decisions. I heard many enjoyed the “scaled back worship team”. Many from the worship teams are here. Pray they will be renewed and blessed. Look out for next week when they are back and charged up! If it seemed like there were less people around after second service it's because they were hitting the road to get down here. Pray they will be greatly encouraged and learn lots! There are ten different teaching tracks offered and we have people in all of them. There is so much to learn! The main sessions are powerful times of seeing what God is doing in Harvest Bible Chapels around the world and then digging into God’s Word along with great worship! I’m looking forward to Pastor Todd bringing it this evening and I know he would appreciate your prayers. Well, the first session is starting so I have to go. Stay tuned! Eutychus Faith Chooses http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=296112http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=296112 Fri, 20 Apr 2012 12:00:00 GMT <img alt="" src="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/Content/10584/2012/sign.jpg" style="float: right; margin-right: 1px; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 7px;" />Among the doctrines held in tension in the Bible is that of “election”: God chose me to be saved versus “whosoever will”: I choose to be saved. To say that this is a contentious or controversial doctrinal discussion would be an epic understatement. Theologians have made a career out of this one issue. It should be understood that some of the things we read in the Bible are to be believed and accepted though not necessarily fully understood or completely reconciled. I rest, as the Apostle Paul did, in Romans 11:33, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” because as I read the Word, I understand that God predestined us and, as Ephesians 1:4 says, “chose us in him before the foundation of the world.” Romans 8:29-30 adds to that saying, “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” But, in the simplest terms possible, Paul makes it also sound, in the very same letter to the Romans that there is some onus on us to make a decision. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” Romans 10:13. You have to call on him. So both are accurate. God chose us and calls us. We call on him. Both are taught in the Word. Both are right. We can accept Jesus or reject Jesus. Choose him or not. As one of my seminary profs would say, “the moment you reconcile God’s election and man’s freewill you have become unbiblical”. We are meant to live with the tension. I appreciate C. S. Lewis and the powerful theological themes that he wrestled with in the Chronicles of Narnia. In one dialogue between Aslan the Lion (the Christ-figure in the books) and Jill in The Silver Chair, the Lion says, "You would not have called to me unless I had been calling to you.” That’s as close as I can get to understanding how it all works. And I am happy to leave this as something that is rooted in the mysteries of God while fully grasping the mission he has given to me to proclaim the message and call people to choose Christ. So, all of that as an apologetic for the title of this week’s message, “Faith Chooses”. It is a choice. Again,  Romans 10:13 says that, “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”. By implication, whoever does not, by faith, call on the name of the Lord is not saved. So, it is a choice. And my concern is telling you what you need to know so you can make a good choice…a godly choice. Hebrews 11 has the names of people who chose faith. There are also countless examples in the rest of the Bible of people who did not choose faith. Cain was the first; the people of Noah’s day who did not enter the ark, King Saul, Absalom, the rich young ruler, the Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day, Judas…the list is long.  Make sure you’re on the right list!   In this week’s passage we will see several more heroes of the faith who made their choice to live by faith…the parents of Moses, Moses himself, the people of Israel at the time of the exodus (under Moses), as well as the people of Israel at the time of entering the Land (50 years later under Joshua), and finally a non-Jewish woman named Rahab, who lived in Jericho and happened to be a prostitute. It is a rich list of faith-filled men and women who chose faith. For the unbeliever, the choice is clear. It is Jesus, faith, life or it is all you, it is living by sight and it is ultimately death and eternal separation from God. For the believer though, there is still a powerful message here…choose faith every single day. What I know, and I’m sure you do too, is that even as a Christ-follower it is easy to get your eyes off of Jesus and onto your circumstances or onto the things of this world. It is easy to have faith in Christ and then, in any given moment, to live like you don’t. So that’s what we’re going after. If you’re a regular blog reader, you already know what I’m going to say next. Read and consider carefully Hebrews 11:23-31, our passage for Sunday. <a href="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/10584/article/article_id/232845/Current-Sunday-Song-List">Listen to the worship songs</a> that Jordan has lined up for us and prepare your heart to lift high the name of Jesus in worship (we have a small, very small, some would say “singular” band on Sunday). And pray for yourself primarily. Pray that you’ll respond to God’s Word in a way that will free the Holy Spirit to work in your life. See you Sunday! Among the doctrines held in tension in the Bible is that of “election”: God chose me to be saved versus “whosoever will”: I choose to be saved. To say that this is a contentious or controversial doctrinal discussion would be an epic understatement. Theologians have made a career out of this one issue. It should be understood that some of the things we read in the Bible are to be believed and accepted though not necessarily fully understood or completely reconciled. I rest, as the Apostle Paul did, in Romans 11:33 , “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” because as I read the Word, I understand that God predestined us and, as Ephesians 1:4 says, “chose us in him before the foundation of the world.” Romans 8:29-30 adds to that saying, “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” But, in the simplest terms possible, Paul makes it also sound, in the very same letter to the Romans that there is some onus on us to make a decision. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” Romans 10:13. You have to call on him. So both are accurate. God chose us and calls us. We call on him. Both are taught in the Word. Both are right. We can accept Jesus or reject Jesus. Choose him or not. As one of my seminary profs would say, “the moment you reconcile God’s election and man’s freewill you have become unbiblical”. We are meant to live with the tension. I appreciate C. S. Lewis and the powerful theological themes that he wrestled with in the Chronicles of Narnia. In one dialogue between Aslan the Lion (the Christ-figure in the books) and Jill in The Silver Chair , the Lion says, "You would not have called to me unless I had been calling to you.” That’s as close as I can get to understanding how it all works. And I am happy to leave this as something that is rooted in the mysteries of God while fully grasping the mission he has given to me to proclaim the message and call people to choose Christ. So, all of that as an apologetic for the title of this week’s message, “Faith Chooses”. It is a choice. Again, Romans 10:13 says that, “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” . By implication, whoever does not, by faith, call on the name of the Lord is not saved. So, it is a choice. And my concern is telling you what you need to know so you can make a good choice…a godly choice. Hebrews 11 has the names of people who chose faith. There are also countless examples in the rest of the Bible of people who did not choose faith. Cain was the first; the people of Noah’s day who did not enter the ark, King Saul, Absalom, the rich young ruler, the Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day, Judas…the list is long. Make sure you’re on the right list! In this week’s passage we will see several more heroes of the faith who made their choice to live by faith…the parents of Moses, Moses himself, the people of Israel at the time of the exodus (under Moses), as well as the people of Israel at the time of entering the Land (50 years later under Joshua), and... Extending the Blessing http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=295755http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=295755 Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:00:00 GMT We most often think of our immediate family when we think of passing on a blessing.  As a matter of fact, we probably only think of our children – and maybe only until they become teenagers.  I want to make some suggestions on how you can extend the scope of the blessing! One way is by remembering that your adult children still need and want your blessing.  They need to hear from you!  Never underestimate your continuing influence.  Would you consider a ”reverse blessing?”  Give the blessing back to your parents or grandparents, or to a significant person who influenced you.  For some reason I can see it being a pretty powerful boost for an older person to be told God still has a great plan and future in store.   When I sent out this week's curriculum I suggested to the small group leaders that there might be someone in their small group that never received the blessing.  I suggested it could be a powerful time of affirmation if the small group gathered around and pronounced the blessing over a member.  One of our men is working hard to set up mentoring relationships between men and fatherless boys.  This isn’t just “Big Brothers” and I intend no offense to that group.  But this is discipleship!  It's modeling Jesus!  And it needs to include the blessing.   What children are in your sphere of influence that you could bless? As a matter of fact, what person is in your sphere of influence that you could bless?  How about the one closest to you?  Are you daily blessing your spouse?  Here is a simple daily way to create a culture of blessing at the centre of your home.  Pray!  Pray daily with your spouse.  Pray daily with your children.  Make it the last thing you do before sleep.   Bring the one who blesses front and centre in your home. Who do you intend to bless? Roger We most often think of our immediate family when we think of passing on a blessing. As a matter of fact, we probably only think of our children – and maybe only until they become teenagers. I want to make some suggestions on how you can extend the scope of the blessing! One way is by remembering that your adult children still need and want your blessing. They need to hear from you! Never underestimate your continuing influence. Would you consider a ”reverse blessing?” Give the blessing back to your parents or grandparents, or to a significant person who influenced you. For some reason I can see it being a pretty powerful boost for an older person to be told God still has a great plan and future in store. When I sent out this week's curriculum I suggested to the small group leaders that there might be someone in their small group that never received the blessing. I suggested it could be a powerful time of affirmation if the small group gathered around and pronounced the blessing over a member. One of our men is working hard to set up mentoring relationships between men and fatherless boys. This isn’t just “Big Brothers” and I intend no offense to that group. But this is discipleship! It's modeling Jesus! And it needs to include the blessing. What children are in your sphere of influence that you could bless? As a matter of fact, what person is in your sphere of influence that you could bless? How about the one closest to you? Are you daily blessing your spouse? Here is a simple daily way to create a culture of blessing at the centre of your home. Pray! Pray daily with your spouse. Pray daily with your children. Make it the last thing you do before sleep. Bring the one who blesses front and centre in your home. Who do you intend to bless? Roger Practical ways to Bless http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=295721http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=295721 Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:00:00 GMT I don’t have easy steps to get this “blessing thing” done.  It isn’t about a ceremony, it’s about a relationship.  The five elements of the blessing that John Trent and Gary Smalley talk about in their book, The Blessing, include the following: Meaningful touch A spoken message Attaching high value Picturing a special future Active commitment Here are some formal ways some have incorporated these elements into a blessing ceremony. I was at a conference where they set aside a special time for dads to gather around their sons and lay hands on them and pray blessings over them.  You could set this up with some friends or with your small group. One family had a party for their child where family and friends were invited to celebrate a particular birthday (the 13th is often chosen).  They invited friends, family and their pastor to share a word for their child that would encourage and challenge, but also express their continued commitment to them.   There were fireworks, food and fun!  Another family takes the child out for a special dinner with dad.  (It could be mom, both parents, or the whole family.)  Usually it is related to a special time.  It could be a birthday, a graduation from a particular grade, getting the driver’s license or another coming of age point in life.  There is conversation about memorable times, changes that are coming, and the future.  It is important to include all the elements listed above. A couple of formal symbols of the blessing could be a ring, other jewelry or a special trip, a particular place, or an experience like camping. There is a multitude of ways to create a culture of blessing.  In his new book, <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/DEGREE-DIFFERENCE-THE-Things-Everything/dp/0805449833/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334767553&sr=8-1" target="_blank">The Two-Degree Difference</a>, Dr. John Trent talks about small, daily things that make a big difference.  Choosing to hug, writing a note of encouragement, asking for and following input, helping overcome an obstacle, maintaining eye contact and paying attention all promote various aspects of the five elements of the blessing.  They communicate unconditional love and acceptance.  The blessing is really an attitude of the heart!  What are some evidences of your attitude of blessing to others? Roger I don’t have easy steps to get this “blessing thing” done. It isn’t about a ceremony, it’s about a relationship. The five elements of the blessing that John Trent and Gary Smalley talk about in their book, The Blessing, include the following: Meaningful touch A spoken message Attaching high value Picturing a special future Active commitment Here are some formal ways some have incorporated these elements into a blessing ceremony. I was at a conference where they set aside a special time for dads to gather around their sons and lay hands on them and pray blessings over them. You could set this up with some friends or with your small group. One family had a party for their child where family and friends were invited to celebrate a particular birthday (the 13th is often chosen). They invited friends, family and their pastor to share a word for their child that would encourage and challenge, but also express their continued commitment to them. There were fireworks, food and fun! Another family takes the child out for a special dinner with dad. (It could be mom, both parents, or the whole family.) Usually it is related to a special time. It could be a birthday, a graduation from a particular grade, getting the driver’s license or another coming of age point in life. There is conversation about memorable times, changes that are coming, and the future. It is important to include all the elements listed above. A couple of formal symbols of the blessing could be a ring, other jewelry or a special trip, a particular place, or an experience like camping. There is a multitude of ways to create a culture of blessing. In his new book, The Two-Degree Difference , Dr. John Trent talks about small, daily things that make a big difference. Choosing to hug, writing a note of encouragement, asking for and following input, helping overcome an obstacle, maintaining eye contact and paying attention all promote various aspects of the five elements of the blessing. They communicate unconditional love and acceptance. The blessing is really an attitude of the heart! What are some evidences of your attitude of blessing to others? Roger A Culture of Blessing http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=295600http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=295600 Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:00:00 GMT “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” 3 John vs. 4.  You can imagine how joy-filled Margaret and I were Sunday!  We are excited about what God is doing in Chad and it really seems like a natural, next step for him.  That may sound strange but when God is leading there is often a settled sense of peace about things, even though there may complicating factors. One thing Todd mentioned on Sunday was that we have to be secure in God’s blessing on our own lives to pass on the blessing to our children.  I remember a conversation with Chad after we arrived here.  I told him Margaret and I had no doubt this is what God had for us, but, “Wouldn’t it be amazing if we were really here in Barrie because of what God was going to do in him?”  We believe that for the others also. I want to be so careful not to boast because God’s grace and leading and blessing are all over our being here.  His faithfulness and mercy are foremost in this story.  The prayers of both sets of grandparents and both sets of our parents and their evident faith in God as a heritage are not inconsequential!  We have indeed received the blessing and are committed to passing it on. I’m thinking right now of several questions you may be asking.  “I have a godly heritage and I’m living it out, so why aren’t my kids on fire for God?’  Or, “I never had a godly heritage; I’m first in line, so is there hope for my kids?”  I think Todd answered those questions.  Our eyes have to be on Christ, I have to leave behind the ups and downs of the past and I have to seek the blessing from God.  I do so through experiencing salvation and exercising faith today.  There is a reality that every one of our children must make their own decisions about living for God.  The key thing I am responsible for is to give them no excuse for not doing so by living a life of faith. Tomorrow I want to share some practical and formal ways to pass on the blessing if yours is “that kind of family!”   What I am trying to underline today is that there has to be a context for that, a context of faithful living for the unseen.  What are some solid ways you are living “by faith” in front of your family? “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” 3 John vs. 4. You can imagine how joy-filled Margaret and I were Sunday! We are excited about what God is doing in Chad and it really seems like a natural, next step for him. That may sound strange but when God is leading there is often a settled sense of peace about things, even though there may complicating factors. One thing Todd mentioned on Sunday was that we have to be secure in God’s blessing on our own lives to pass on the blessing to our children. I remember a conversation with Chad after we arrived here. I told him Margaret and I had no doubt this is what God had for us, but, “Wouldn’t it be amazing if we were really here in Barrie because of what God was going to do in him?” We believe that for the others also. I want to be so careful not to boast because God’s grace and leading and blessing are all over our being here. His faithfulness and mercy are foremost in this story. The prayers of both sets of grandparents and both sets of our parents and their evident faith in God as a heritage are not inconsequential! We have indeed received the blessing and are committed to passing it on. I’m thinking right now of several questions you may be asking. “I have a godly heritage and I’m living it out, so why aren’t my kids on fire for God?’ Or, “I never had a godly heritage; I’m first in line, so is there hope for my kids?” I think Todd answered those questions. Our eyes have to be on Christ, I have to leave behind the ups and downs of the past and I have to seek the blessing from God. I do so through experiencing salvation and exercising faith today. There is a reality that every one of our children must make their own decisions about living for God. The key thing I am responsible for is to give them no excuse for not doing so by living a life of faith. Tomorrow I want to share some practical and formal ways to pass on the blessing if yours is “that kind of family!” What I am trying to underline today is that there has to be a context for that, a context of faithful living for the unseen. What are some solid ways you are living “by faith” in front of your family? The Monday blog about Sunday http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=295467http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=295467 Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:00:00 GMT The Sunday after Easter Sunday picked right up where we left off last week…passionate worship and a powerful message from God’s Word. It was a no-holds-barred message…like we walked into church and got slammed with a piece of rebar across the forehead! Especially for husbands and fathers. From three pretty non-descript verses in Hebrews 11:20-22, we learned that Isaac, Jacob and Joseph, with all of the ups and downs of their faith, still managed to pass on a blessing to future generations. We even started by just defining what a blessing even is. I know I sometimes use that phrase a little flippantly. It was hard not to be convicted by this one. If you weren’t in the room for it, check it out online. Toward the end of the message it got real practical when Pastor Todd built off of some reading he was doing in John Trent’s book, The Blessing. I thought it would be helpful for you to have this. We heard that the formal aspects of The Blessing include loving touch (laying your hands on your son or daughter) and making sure you actually say it; verbalizing the blessing in a clear way. The content of the blessing itself has three elements: (1) Personal Commitment (The Blessing of Love) - “I am here for you”; as you share your unconditional commitment to him/her, to be there for them, as God gives you strength, for the duration; …and that’s going to flow from you knowing that God committed his Son to die on your behalf and that he mediates for you as your advocate before the Father; you know you’re loved and cherished by him; (2) Affirmation of Worth (The Blessing of Identity) - “You are valued”; as you let them know that out of all the children in the world, you’re grateful God gave them to you; affirm their worth and identity in Christ; …and you have to know your value in Christ as his sons and daughters if you’re going to do this for your sons and daughters; and (3) Expression of potential for the future (The Blessing of Purpose) - “You have so much ahead of you”; you see potential in them for a great future, and that their strengths and gifts are things God can use to help their own family, the church and others; …and you have to know what your potential is in Christ (not pie in the sky nonsense, but a faith-filled expectation that God is with you to do exceedingly, abundantly above all you could ever ask or think. Pastor Roger is going to contribute some further resources for any moms and dads who really want to get on this and make some changes in their homes to ensure they’re passing on a blessing as the patriarchs did. <img alt="" style="float: right; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 7px;" src="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/Content/10584/2012/Father%20and%20son%20Langford.jpeg" />As far as modeling it…well, you couldn’t miss Brian and Boaz Langford serving on the parking team before the 9 a.m. service. There’s a dad showing his son something good…passing on a blessing to future generations, for sure! Wondering if we can get orange vests to fit the junior parking attendant. <img alt="" style="float: left; width: 155px; height: 187px; margin-right: 7px; margin-bottom: 7px;" src="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/Content/10584/2012/Chad%20F.jpeg" />And is was modeled too in Pastor Todd’s interview just prior to the message.  It is always exciting to have people from our church family sense the call to serve in ministry vocationally, and Pastor Todd introduced us to Chad Freeman on Sunday. He’s heading to Harvest Bible Chapel St. Vincent for the next six months to serve as an intern and continue the process of figuring out God’s will and direction for his future ministry. He shared a couple of solid, Scripture-based prayer requests, and many of you pledged by raising your hands to pray for him. As a reminder, here’s what Chad asked us to pray:    -     Luke 12:31-32  But seek His kingdom, and these things will be provided for you.  Don't be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom; and -     Ephesians 1:17-19 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.  I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power to us who believe, according to the working of his great strength. Powerful!  Between services there was great Welcome@Harvest meeting with about a dozen newcomers to Harvest who are checking out whether or not God is leading them to be part of our church family. I thought I’d mention too that on Saturday members of our Summer Glasgow Team as well as men from our two MIA groups (Men in Action) did an extensive trimming of the brush that was choking the woods behind our Bayfield Street office. The woods are part of the YMCA property and the crew did this to make the view from the office better as well as to help the Y out with its annual property clean up. <img alt="" src="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/Content/10584/2012/mission_cleanup_crew.jpeg" /> It was a great day together.  And like Pastor Todd said, it just seems to be such a long time between Sundays! Talk to you next Monday from Harvest University in Chicago! God bless you…and I mean that! Eutychus The Sunday after Easter Sunday picked right up where we left off last week…passionate worship and a powerful message from God’s Word. It was a no-holds-barred message…like we walked into church and got slammed with a piece of rebar across the forehead! Especially for husbands and fathers. From three pretty non-descript verses in Hebrews 11:20-22, we learned that Isaac, Jacob and Joseph, with all of the ups and downs of their faith, still managed to pass on a blessing to future generations. We even started by just defining what a blessing even is. I know I sometimes use that phrase a little flippantly. It was hard not to be convicted by this one. If you weren’t in the room for it, check it out online. Toward the end of the message it got real practical when Pastor Todd built off of some reading he was doing in John Trent’s book, The Blessing . I thought it would be helpful for you to have this. We heard that the formal aspects of The Blessing include loving touch (laying your hands on your son or daughter) and making sure you actually say it ; verbalizing the blessing in a clear way. The content of the blessing itself has three elements: (1) Personal Commitment (The Blessing of Love) - “I am here for you” ; as you share your unconditional commitment to him/her, to be there for them, as God gives you strength, for the duration; …and that’s going to flow from you knowing that God committed his Son to die on your behalf and that he mediates for you as your advocate before the Father; you know you’re loved and cherished by him; (2) Affirmation of Worth (The Blessing of Identity) - “You are valued” ; as you let them know that out of all the children in the world, you’re grateful God gave them to you; affirm their worth and identity in Christ; …and you have to know your value in Christ as his sons and daughters if you’re going to do this for your sons and daughters; and (3) Expression of potential for the future (The Blessing of Purpose) - “You have so much ahead of you”; you see potential in them for a great future, and that their strengths and gifts are things God can use to help their own family, the church and others; …and you have to know what your potential is in Christ (not pie in the sky nonsense, but a faith-filled expectation that God is with you to do exceedingly, abundantly above all you could ever ask or think. Pastor Roger is going to contribute some further resources for any moms and dads who really want to get on this and make some changes in their homes to ensure they’re passing on a blessing as the patriarchs did. As far as modeling it…well, you couldn’t miss Brian and Boaz Langford serving on the parking team before the 9 a.m. service. There’s a dad showing his son something good…passing on a blessing to future generations, for sure! Wondering if we can get orange vests to fit the junior parking attendant. And is was modeled too in Pastor Todd’s interview just prior to the message. It is always exciting to have people from our church family sense the call to serve in ministry vocationally, and Pastor Todd introduced us to Chad Freeman on Sunday. He’s heading to Harvest Bible Chapel St. Vincent for the next six months to serve as an intern and continue the process of figuring out God’s will and direction for his future ministry. He shared a couple of solid,... How do we follow that?! http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=295046http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/blogentry.aspx?site_id=10584&entry_id=295046 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:00:00 GMT How do we follow that?! We’re coming off of a pretty amazing weekend. From everything we’re hearing and all we experienced ourselves as staff and elders, I’d say God’s presence was heavy in the room and that his power was in evidence. It was a high impact weekend for our church. And seven days later, we’ll do it again. I think I mentioned a few weeks ago that the reason the church meets on Sunday and not the Sabbath (according to the Jewish tradition) is because of the resurrection. Every Sunday…all 52 of them…are celebrations of the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And so, though we are coming off of an incredible weekend, we follow that up with another one where God wants to meet with us just as eagerly (we should be eager too) and to work just as much in our hearts and lives (we should want that too). So I’m excited about being together again with you this Sunday. We have two new Christ-followers in our church family since we last met together. One person in each of our services stood in response to the gospel and declared their intention to follow Christ. Praise God for that! Pray for them as they take their first steps as Christ-followers. We will dive back into our “Truly Epic” series in Hebrews, picking up where we left off at Hebrews 11:20-22, with a message titled, “Faith blesses”.  In this third section of Hebrews we are being urged to “Run Hard” and we’ve come to understand that we can only do that “by faith”. Sunday’s message will look at the lives of Isaac, Jacob and Joseph in an effort to understand what it means to pass on a godly legacy—a blessing—to succeeding generations. This is something that some of you as parents and potential parents haven’t thought a lot about, and you should! What of lasting value am I giving to my children, grandchildren and the generations to follow? It matters to God that we pass along a blessing by faith. Should matter to us too. Jordan has lined up some great worship songs for us to sing. It is always a great idea to <a href="http://www.harvestbarrie.ca/10584/article/article_id/232845/Current-Sunday-Song-List">give them a quick listen</a> and prepare your heart to lift high the name of Jesus corporately on Sunday. Read the passage for Sunday’s message and, if you want to understand the full context of these verses, take a look at Genesis 25-50 for the full story. And pray for God’s Holy Spirit to do a deep work in your heart through our time together. See you Sunday, Todd How do we follow that ?! We’re coming off of a pretty amazing weekend. From everything we’re hearing and all we experienced ourselves as staff and elders, I’d say God’s presence was heavy in the room and that his power was in evidence. It was a high impact weekend for our church. And seven days later, we’ll do it again. I think I mentioned a few weeks ago that the reason the church meets on Sunday and not the Sabbath (according to the Jewish tradition) is because of the resurrection. Every Sunday…all 52 of them…are celebrations of the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And so, though we are coming off of an incredible weekend, we follow that up with another one where God wants to meet with us just as eagerly (we should be eager too) and to work just as much in our hearts and lives (we should want that too). So I’m excited about being together again with you this Sunday. We have two new Christ-followers in our church family since we last met together. One person in each of our services stood in response to the gospel and declared their intention to follow Christ. Praise God for that! Pray for them as they take their first steps as Christ-followers. We will dive back into our “Truly Epic” series in Hebrews, picking up where we left off at Hebrews 11:20-22, with a message titled, “Faith blesses”. In this third section of Hebrews we are being urged to “Run Hard” and we’ve come to understand that we can only do that “by faith”. Sunday’s message will look at the lives of Isaac, Jacob and Joseph in an effort to understand what it means to pass on a godly legacy—a blessing—to succeeding generations. This is something that some of you as parents and potential parents haven’t thought a lot about, and you should! What of lasting value am I giving to my children, grandchildren and the generations to follow? It matters to God that we pass along a blessing by faith. Should matter to us too. Jordan has lined up some great worship songs for us to sing. It is always a great idea to give them a quick listen and prepare your heart to lift high the name of Jesus corporately on Sunday. Read the passage for Sunday’s message and, if you want to understand the full context of these verses, take a look at Genesis 25-50 for the full story. And pray for God’s Holy Spirit to do a deep work in your heart through our time together. See you Sunday, Todd