Faith in Real Life – Page 11

In Faith in Real Life

Thoughts on Life

May 22, 2009 1 Comment

As I am writing, I am in Waxahachie Texas at my parents house. I took a day off, and headed down south to spend some time with my mom and my sisters. It has been eight months since we said goodbye to my Dad. These have been some of the most difficult months that we as a family have gone through. God has been good, and He has lovingly shown us His peace, His mercy, His grace, and His amazing care for us. I have been so blessed to have a dad like my dad.

I was reading on the plane ride here to Texas, all while trying to keep my arms from touching either of the “elmo-esque” furry arms that awaited me on either side. I was finishing up the book, “Next Generation Leader” by Andy Stanley. There are several amazing lines in this book, but one stood out to me. It feels right to share it with you…

“The question is: Have you determined what you want to become? Your doing will flow from who you are. The outer man will reflect the inner man. The inner man determines the legacy of the outer man.”

Many of you who read this blog did not have an opportunity to meet my dad. There are a few things that I have learned about my dad since he has gone to be with the Lord. I knew that my dad was a man of God, but I didn’t know just how much! His legacy has left an incredible mark on my life, and the lives of so many. There was a time when he determined… when he set before himself, his wife, and his family that he was going to follow and serve God no matter what the cost. His inner man was set. He was sure. His outward actions reflected his inward convictions. He knew he was to be a man following God’s leading.

Have you determined what you want to become? It’s not to late. It’s never to late. What is the condition of your inner man? Is your outer man truly reflecting your inner convictions?

As I look ahead, I know that the single most important thing that I can do is to set before myself convictions that I believe that God himself has placed on my life, and follow them with all that I have.

What about you?

hmmm….

~Peter

In Faith in Real Life

Let down

May 18, 2009 No Comments

Hey guys,

SO, here’s the deal… I know that the last week was a little rough here. When I checked this morning and realized that the last post was a whole week ago! I am realizing that was a little pathetic! Sorry…. So anyway, as you continue to check, I will continue to make sure that there are some new thoughts here…

Last week was really fun. I was getting ready for this Sunday’s sermon, and I am praying that God uses it in big ways in your lives! I am getting really excited about it, and for it! Seriously!!! I am so thankful for every opportunity that I get to stand before you guys and share with you what God is teaching me and showing me… Thank you for letting me!

A couple things that also really excite me today…

1. I almost welcomed our head elder/Five regular attender/incredible lasagna maker/all around cool guy to Twitter…

2. Reading “In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership”

3. Almost welcoming Tiffany/my wife to Twitter…

4. Looking forward to heading out to Texas for a short but great visit with my Mom and sisters this Thursday-Saturday…

5. Waiting to hear about when we will close on our house…

6. Relistening to Francis Chan’s sermon: “Living a Life that Matters: Living with Jesus” challenged me the first time, and I don’t want to forget it!

7. Still laughing about meeting Mr. Willy from Tennessee. Loved that guy! If you’re there on Sunday night at The Five, you might hear a few stories about our trip down south!

I hope that you have as thrilling and exciting of a day as I expect to have!

~Peter

In Faith in Real Life

Tough Calls

May 6, 2009 2 Comments

So, I have been challenging myself in the area of leadership lately. Unashamedly I want to be the best leader that I can be through the strength and leading of God! So, I have been reading and listening to all kinds of things… However, I just read something this morning before my meeting with some guys that blew me away…

“A leader is someone who has the courage to say publicly what everybody else is whispering privately. Next Generation leaders are those who would rather challenge what needs to change and pay the price than remain silent and die on the inside.” ~Andy Stanley, Next Generation Leader. This made me really think! Do I have the courage it takes to be a leader even in the most difficult times?

I pray that the answer is YES! GOD GIVE ME THE STRENGTH!

What do you think? Would you rather speak up, or remain quiet?

In Faith in Real Life

Thoughts on Chan: Part 2

May 1, 2009 2 Comments

Francis quoted Oswald Chambers… “Be careful not to turn your experiences into principles; Allow the Holy Spirit to be as original with others as He was with you.”

Well, this blew me away and convicted me to the core. See here’s the deal… I’m going to be honest with you today, in hopes that you’ll be honest with me. For me, I needed to change the quote to read this way, “Be careful not to turn other’s experiences into principles; Allow the Holy Spirit to be as original with ME as He was with others!” Too often I find myself looking at other successful church’s who seem to be lighting up their towns and cities and just doing some serious stuff for God and I look at that and go, “MAN! I want to be doing THAT!” Then quickly I realize that I am not like that. I am who God has made me. See, for me… Sometimes I get frustrated because I feel like I need to be doing what Francis Chan, or Pete Wilson, or Andy Stanley, or Perry Noble is doing.

Here’s what it boils down to. God has not called me to be Francis Chan, Bill Hybels, Rob Bell, Pete Wilson or Perry Noble. God has called me to be Peter Gowesky. He has uniquely equipped me to do the task that He has laid in front of me. God will speak to and through me uniquely.

I need to pray and ask God, what have you asked me to do? I don’t know about you, but it is easy for me to get distracted by what God is doing in other peoples lives so much so that I can’t see what God wants to be doing in my life.

Does this resonate with anyone else? Are you letting God be as amazingly creative in your life as He was in the lives of all those around you?

Isaiah 64:8

“You, Lord , are our Father.
We are nothing but clay,
but you are the potter
who molded us.”

Thankful…

~Peter

In Faith in Real Life

Thoughts on Chan: Part 1

April 30, 2009 2 Comments

Okay, so I promised that I would expound a little bit more on what I learned from Francis Chan’s challenge to the group at the Shift Conference, at Willow Creek Community Church. Well, here we go. (If you haven’t gotten a chance to watch his teaching yet, jump over here and do it now!)

I couldn’t agree with Francis more… Let’s just put it out there right now.

I was challenged… moved… and convicted. At the end of this session I was just blown away. I loved the quote that Francis said, “I believe the church needs a radical shift, I believe youth ministry needs a radical shift, I believe I need a radical shift. Every time I read the book of Acts, I don’t put it down and say, ‘Man that’s just like us.'” I laughed out loud, and winced a little on the inside. It was funny and sad at the same time. Clearly he was being sarcastic there at the end… Funny because he worded it in a humorous way. Yet at the same time, there is truth that resonates with me and it is unbelievably painful to think about. Are our churches like the book of Acts?

I love when Francis just says really simply, okay, so it’s not the same as back then, but they had the same Holy Spirit that we do! This is an incredible thought! We have the same Holy Spirit that Peter and John had, and we have the same “Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead” inside of us, why are we so complacent and frustratingly timid?

What’s got my attention:

April 29, 2009 1 Comment

So, here’s a little bit of what’s got my attention these days.

1. Catalyst– I’m hoping to get down to Atlanta for this one! This seriously looks like an amazing line up!

2. Reverb: Catalyst Worship CD– I can’t seem to stop playing this one. I don’t want to wear it out though… BUT, it’s too good. Seriously.

3. Twitter– I know… I know… now that Oprah and Ashton are on it, it’s all old school right? Well, maybe but I love the community that it seems to be developing. Check out thefiveonline, to stay connected with the five, or follow me pgowesky on Twitter.

4. Hunger+Thirst- Willow Creek Community Church– They are doing some awesome work in getting clean running water to villages in areas in the world where clean water is just about unheard of. More importantly they are raising awareness in the lives of us, people who eat and drink to our fill everyday… Check this out.

5. Andy Stanley– Need I say more? Okay, I will… I have been listening to his leadership podcast… it’s awesome! Check it out here… I also started reading the book, “The next generation leader” I can’t wait to see what I learn.

6. Francis Chan- This guy seriously convicts me of my sin and inadequacies any time I hear him speak. I just finished Crazy Love, and I loved that book. I just heard him at the Shift conference at Willow Creek last week. I will post about what I learned there later.

7. Hopefully Homeowners: Seriously enough said… this is an unbelievable process… Got tons going on there…

8. Flat Tires- Tiffany’s van has had two in two days… Man, let’s go for all four in four. That sounds like a sweet sermon series, four in four. Who knows what it would be about, but I should write that down somewhere… 4in4. Fourin4 or quatro y quatro. Yeah, that’ll show up somewhere, sometime….

9. All things Mac related… we have a good relationship, mac and I. I pretty pleased to see that this church now has a total of 3 macs not including my personal one right now! Seeing as how when I got here, there were none… TRAGEDY… I know. I’m slowly helping them. Now I’ve got to get Todd to switch over.

10. Driving with the sunroof open… Love it… windows down, Reverb- Catalyst Cd playing… (loud)

11. Michael Scott is back in the office. Totally relieved.

Just a few things…

~Peter

In Faith in Real Life

Brown Bagging it!

April 16, 2009 1 Comment

dominos

I don’t know if you heard the story yet, but it came up on the Iphone this morning… That’s just nasty! So, I think that I’ll be avoiding that Domino’s for a while…

I brought a brown bag lunch today! What about you? Are you going out to eat today?

So this brings up a good question… Are you nervous about complaining at a restaurant about food quality or service for fear of some sort of server/cook retaliation? Are there any restaurant that you won’t go to anymore? Come on spill it! I need to know…

Hungry…

~Peter

In Faith in Real Life

April 15, 2009 1 Comment

This morning I came across this verse in Acts, one which I am familiar with yet it struck me differently today… “And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the eart, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist,” Acts 17:26-28

Have you ever been in the dark? I mean the absolute dark. As in the absence of any light? One time I think I can honestly say I was in the dark. We went on a field trip when I was in 6th grade to Crystal Cave Pa. Apparently this is “Pennsylvania’s Greatest Wonder”. Anyway, it was cool, but the best part was when they took you in the cave and shut the lights off. And I mean all of the lights. It was pitch black, dark, like devoid of any light DARK! I can remember feeling infinitely small, and even remotely scared. I couldn’t see. I wouldn’t be able to find my way out, etc… It was a strange feeling. I would have done anything to find the light, had I not known that the guide was trustworthy enough to turn the lights back on… (Which he was…)

Back to Acts… Paul is writing here that we are to search for God, and to find Him. I like the wording that the New American Standard Bible uses, “that they might grope for Him and find Him.” That totally carries some great mental pictures. Can’t you just picture someone who is searching for something but can’t find it? Jesus calls Himself the light of the world. Things are so much better in the light then in the dark. Shouldn’t we do everything we can to get back into the light? {See Ephesians 5:6-16}

What prevents you from finding God? I don’t mean finding God as in for the first time… I mean what prevents you from getting on your knees every day and groping for more of God… searching and seeking and earnestly looking to find out more about Him?

on my knees looking…

~Peter

In Faith in Real Life

Tuesday’s Thoughts

April 7, 2009 2 Comments

crazy-love

I can’t stop thinking…

“God put me in Simi Valley, California, to lead a church of comfortable people into lives of risk and adventure. I believe He wants us to love others so much that we go to extremes to help them. I believe He wants us to be known for giving- of our time, our money, and our abilities- and to start a movement of “giving” churches. In so doing, we can alleviate the suffering in the world and change the reputation of His bride in America. Some people, even some at my church, have told me flat out, “You’re crazy.” But I can’t imagine devoting my life to a greater vision. We need to stop giving people excuses not to believe in God. You’ve probably heard the expression, “I believe in God, just not organized religion.” I don’t think people would say that if the church truly lived like we are called to live. The expression would change to “I can’t deny what the church does, but I don’t believe in their God.” At least then they’d address their rejection of God rather than use the church as a scapegoat.” {Francis Chan, “Crazy Love pg. 21-22}

What if OUR church looked like that.

What if we looked like that…

or…

What if I looked like that?

See, it starts with me. It starts with you!

WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO DO IN ORDER TO SEE THIS HAPPEN?

~Peter

In Faith in Real Life

Fatherhood

April 1, 2009 1 Comment

Yesterday and today I had the privilage of watching both of my kids close their eyes and enter into a time of rest. Much like their dad, they like their back rubbed in order to fall asleep. (to Noah’s future wife: I’m sorry, if this is setting you up for countless nights of back rubs…) So I was gladly rubbing their back and watching my little 3 1/2 year old and 2 year old fall asleep. It really was amazing. If you aren’t a parent you may be wondering why this is so inspiring. I didn’t get it till I became a dad. (so, hold onto your hat…)

There is nothing that disturbs me more than when my child is distressed. Crying in fear, crying in pain, and crying in panic. I hate that. I want nothing more than to wrap my arms around them both and protect them from feeling that way. So, as I watched their tears turn to calm steady breathing, turn to resting, it was a beautiful picture; one which I will not soon forget.

Noah and Grace, it is a joy to be your daddy. I love you both so much.

At The Five, we are in a sermon series called Plan B. This is looking at what do we do when life doesn’t go our way? How do we react and respond? I couldn’t help but think about how God must feel when we are all in a panic, and we are running around like crazy people. Don’t you think that if God created all of our emotions, and we are made in His image, that we must be feeling a portion of what He would feel? I wonder… if God gets as much joy and pleasure out of watching us rest in Him? I’m willing to bet He does.

Take a break. Quit trying. Rest in God.

~Peter