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Why We do stuff like this weekend…

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fall_retreat_title

I’m excited for this weekend… It’s going to be awesome… There will be memories built there that we otherwise wouldn’t have if we didn’t do something like this.  This weekend is Detox.  This is our second year running a Fall Retreat for our Senior High Students.  It has been extremely profitable…

Here’s why I love it…

  1. We get away early in the school year so that we can remind students that God has called them to be a testimony to their school
  2. We spend time camping; which always allows for tons of fun, and builds memories that last a lifetime
  3. Students become vulnerable and are willing to share how God is leading them/working on them during weekends like this
  4. Leaders have some of their best conversations with students on a white water raft, a hiking trail, or sitting around a campfire (I love enabling these types of conversations)
  5. Camping is just all around fun
  6. Students who come away knowing that the night time low temperature is going to be somewhere around upper 30’s and definitely low 40’s definitely are ready to learn something
  7. Students who don’t normally associate with one another are given opportunities to do just that throughout a weekend like this
  8. Friendships are strengthened/formed
  9. Jesus is honored
  10. Singing under the stars around a fire unplugged reduces worship down to it’s core… Honoring God, declaring His worth, and that never gets old

So, if you remember, or God brings it to your attention, pray for us as we go away that these 10 things would happen… but not just these ten, but many more!

~Peter

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Carry the Conversation

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9UKj3GThis past Sunday night was our last week in the series “empowered”  next we are headed into a series based on the book of Joshua.  I’m really excited to see where God takes us in this series!  You are going to want to join us for this series.

This week I had a comment in regards not so much to the teaching time, but more with the music.  It was very good and worthwhile…  You should check it out…

“As it seems to be a favorite song of yours, I just wanted to share with you the guys who wrote “God of this City”. They’re a band from Belfast called Bluetree, http://www.myspace.com/bluetreeonline. Maybe you already know them & if so I’m glad! … … they are really genuine, nice guys. The story of “God of this City” is an amazing one-they wrote it on stage while playing in a bar in Thailand.”

Very cool… GO check out their music over there at myspace.  It is a favorite song of mine, and I am continually challenged to see Doylestown through the lens of faith knowing that God wants to do greater things still here in Doylestown.  I am convinced that He wants to use His Church, which is you and me, to make that difference!  SUIT UP church… It’s time that we get out of here, and go there…

I’m excited to see what God does through you all!

~Peter

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Carry the Conversation

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wldndp

Last night was fun… Man I love when we get together at the Five.  Thanks for coming!  If you weren’t there, check over here for the Podcast from last night’s teaching.  It is www.thefiveonline.com there it is… put it in your favorites…

Anyway, we continued in the teaching series “Empowered”.  I hope that this has been as challenging to you as it has been to me.  Let’s keep the conversation rolling from last night…  As usual, we have the text questions throughout the service and there were two really good ones that came in last night.  I would love to hear your feedback as well on them.  So here they are…

1. You talked about God having plans laid out for us.  Where does this leave free will?

God has a plan for our lives.  God had a plan for Jeremiah’s life and He has a plan for your life and mine.  Free will comes in to play here: what do we do with the plan that God has laid out for us.  A builder gets all kinds of plans and sketches done for how to build and frame a house.  Now when it gets into the hands of the framers, the HVAC guys, the masons, the fireplace guy, the carpenters, the tile guys, then you can see what ends up where and how well they stick with the plan.  That’s where free will comes into play.  It’s your choice wether or not to follow what God has planned for you.

2. So how do you know when to say no to serving opportunities? I mean obviously bad things but like the whole “some things are good to do but some things are best” discussion.

Well this is a tough one.  I think that this is where prayer comes into play.  If I were you I would pray and ask God to clearly lead you in the direction that He would have you go.  That way you know without a doubt that you are doing the right thing.  I would pray and ask God to show you which area of service you are needed most. This is where checking your attitude comes in to play too.  Sometimes it’s easy to get the attitude of “I’ve already done enough…”  We need to be careful about not having this attitude.

I think the reality is that you need to be the judge of how much is to much.  You need to know when doing one more thing will take away from your effectiveness of all the other things that you are doing.  When you can become aware of that and remain balanced, that is where you will know when to not do the next “good” thing.  Stick with those things that you do “best”.

What do the rest of you think?  What has helped you?  Thoughts?

~Peter

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Unbelievable…

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IMG_1411Many thanks to all of you who came out late last night to come rescue us from Frenchtown!  Yes, the rumors are true… The bus broke down.  BUT… There were plenty of people who rushed to come pick us up, and we are really, really thankful!  SO, thank you so much!  Without you, we would still be walking home…

~Peter

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Carry the Conversation

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Empowered

Last night was awesome!  It was one night that was packed with all kinds of great stuff…  Last night we unveiled our new website: www.thefiveonline.com.  This is where we will have our podcast hosted as well as much more information.  I am so excited for this!  Again, it’s just a tool to help us be the Church and do what God has called us to do.  Go ahead over there and check it out!

Thanks to all of you guys being there last night!  I love what God is doing through each one of you here at FBC!  It was tons of fun for me to get to know our friends from the Philippines, as well as to learn how to properly say their names!  It is so cool to see what God is doing around the world through others, isn’t it?  My favorite part was when Pastor Faustino was talking about how excited their church gets for worship.  So cool…

I am proud to let you know that last night alone we received $602.65 for our Filipino friends at PhilSol.  You all continue to amaze me.  Having just heard about the opportunity to give, that is very impressive!  Let’s see what we can do next week!  Let’s come prepared to come alongside of them and support them in their efforts to purchase a base of operations for this vital ministry in the Philippines.

Thank you to all of you who made our Second Sunday dinner such a huge success!  Many many thanks to the Simmons, the Rhoads, Gastgebs, Meg Burger, and others who were hanging out helping to clean up!  You guys are all incredible!  I watched as everyone chipped in and made the whole evening happen.  It doesn’t ride on two peoples shoulders, but everyone!  Great job!

We had one question last night so here it is…

Do you use a commentary, and if so which one?

Yes, I definitely use a commentary…  Actually I use several!  I rely on learning and studying as much as I can, and commentaries and other sources are so helpful in this area.  I take each and every opportunity that I have to stand in front of you all as a privilege and a very high calling.  So, in my effort to be prepared and accurate I use a couple different commentaries.

Here are a few of my favorite:

  1. The Teacher’s Commentary
  2. The New Bible Commentary
  3. The Bible Exposition Commentary
  4. N.T. Wright has written commentaries on many books of the Bible entitled “For Everyone”  (great book to read alongside of your particular book of the Bible)

Hope this helps!

There is so much to be excited about!  Let’s make movement in our communities!  Be the Church!

~Peter

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Spewing Bitter Water

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Building on yesterday’s post about our Senior class and our trip together, I wanted to share with you one particular thought I had while spending time in James.  I was sitting right next to this:Hawk Falls, Hickory Run State ParkIt was about 30+ feet tall in my estimation.  It was a beautiful water fall.  It was found right along the Hawk Falls trail.  We stopped here for our first reading break.  I got to James 3 and I read verse 11 and I was just struck again by the simplicity of this illustration yet the depth of it’s intended meaning!

This waterfall was nothing but crisp, cold, crystal clear, fresh water.  I expected nothing else to come from it.  Had it been hot, that would have been weird.  Even weirder would be if it was hot and cold alternating at random times!  That would just blow me away.  (It’s like when your in the shower and someone flushes the toilet, and then the washer is filling, as well as the dishwasher doing it’s thing… You never know what kind of water you’ll get)

I would be surprised if that waterfall produced anything but that crisp cold water.

Are people surprised when your mouth utters both bitter speak and crystal clear language?  Or are we so clear that people can depend on us for encouraging, edifying, clean, Godly language?  James warns us about the danger of our language…  “With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing.  My brethren, these things out not to be this way.”  James 3:9-10

Are you consistent?  Or do you tend to oscillate between bitter language and clean fresh talk?

Just a thought…

~Peter

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Seniors, Transitions, James, and all that stuff…

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In an effort to help our senior’s graduate well, we have started a new tradition this year.  I think that it was a great time, and well worth the time and effort invested in making it happen.  Last night I just got back from spending a weekend with 9 of our seniors and 4 other long term leaders that have invested in these students lives.  It was  an awesome time to just relax, talk, remember, reminisce, look forward, be in nature, study God’s word, and wrap up their years in our Youth Ministry.

This is a special senior class who has seen several transitions, between three youth pastors, a building program, and all kinds of other countless things, I am impressed with their resilience and their maturity to see things in a Godly perspective.  I have truly learned something from each one of them, and I look forward to seeing what God will do through this unique graduating class.

The game plan for this weekend getaway was to spend time and allow for conversations to happen, both naturally and planned.  It happened!  We talked about all kinds of things.  From demon possession to roomates… (not sure if they go hand in hand, or if it was just a coincidence!)  Saturday was our big day out… We went to the beautiful Hickory Run State Park, and hiked a 4 mile trail…  At key locations on our hike we would stop along the way and read through James individually and journal what we were learning and what God was teaching us…

I loved it.  I was thrilled that we took the leap of faith to add this to an already busy summer calendar and make it a priority to help our Seniors transition well.  I got this idea from a friend in ministry over in Lancaster.  So thankful for guys like this who encourage and spark creativity in me and my ministry…

Here are two pictures from our trip…

Stopping to read JamesBeautiful water falls

As you can see, it was beautiful!  It makes me excited to go with next years Senior Class!  Do me a favor, let’s pray for our Seniors today…  Let’s make that our focus.

Pray:

1. That they would find a church body to get involved in by their college/university

2. That they would develop strong christian friends

3. That their relationship with the Lord would grow

4. That they would excel in their school work

5. That God would use them in the lives of the students they find themselves surrounded by

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone…  This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” ~ 1 Timothy 2:1,3-4

Let’s do our part!

~Peter

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