The Five – Peter Gowesky

In Uncategorized

Hot dogs and the back of a VW

October 13, 2009 1 Comment

Ministry happens…

It’s true. I’ll tell you what, I do a good amount of reading, wether it is blogs, books, tweets, or online papers… I want to know what is going on… I want to be apart of it…

Recently I’ve been reading and thinking about what service looks like. What does it mean to serve your community? How can serving our community make a difference in the kingdom of God? How can our church community jump in on it?

I haven’t arrived at any concrete solid answers yet. Probably never will, (every place is different, and circumstances always change) but I do know that there are certain avenues that I want to head towards.

This past weekend we did just that, service. There was a handful of us and we did just that.

It was pretty simple…

Our tools were:

1 VW hatchback
1 EZ-Up tent
1 mostly working grill (Grease Fire and all!)
1 camping grill
200 hot dogs
water bottles/soda cans
a couple coolers
1 small vat of sauerkraut
1 small vat of chili (I’m still not convinced it really was chili)

Here’s a few pictures…

What we were able to do was give away a whole bunch of hot dogs and make some great connections with people headed over to Del. Val.’s football game. It was great. A huge win for us (CONNECTION with people!) and for them(free hot dogs)! This is a win for us because we were able to honestly say, this hot dog is truly free,and we don’t want/expect anything from you. We just are here to serve you. And in the words of my friend Rick, “We are here just trying to do whatever we can to help our community. We’re from the church up the street.” Love it. It almost even sounds like a great name for the church…

What church do you go to, where are you from? “Yeah we’re from the Church up the Street”…

So, I think that there are two more home games. We should be at both. Let’s try and double our connections, double the amount of hot dogs given away and make this place a better place to live because of the difference that Jesus has made in our lives…

Thank you to Kris & Jan Gellar, Keith Cooper, Rick and Sarah Craven, Bruce Houser, Tiffany Gowesky, and many of you who donated food! We are in this together. Let’s keep serving our community.

Remember MINISTRY HAPPENS!

~Peter

In Faith in Real Life

Action vs Advertising

September 4, 2009 1 Comment

I just started a new book last night, and I am loving it already. I knew it was going to be good when I was already underlining in the Foreword! I have started Killing Cockroaches by Tony Morgan. I made it all the way to page 7 when I had to stop and think about this one for a little bit… This was too good not to share!

“Action speak louder than advertising”

WOW! That is spot on. We need to be defined by who we are and how we serve those outside of the church rather than the image of our building or who the current hot shot pastor is in town.

James 2:15-17 “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accomplished by action, is dead.”

Morgan writes, “You can’t buy the media coverage you’ll receive if you remain faithful to God’s design for the church and stay active in people’s lives by addressing their physical and emotional needs.”

I think that this is right on the money… What do you think?

~Peter

In Uncategorized

Carry the Conversation

August 24, 2009 3 Comments

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

In Faith in Real Life

Carry the Conversation

July 27, 2009 2 Comments

It was a great privilege for me to be able to speak at all three of our church services yesterday. It started with the 9:00 and motored through the 10:30 and finished up with the 5! A big thank you to Pastor Chris for giving me the opportunity to speak and to each person there yesterday…

As you know, we finished our teaching series 19.12. We have been working through this at the Five and we were able to share this last portion with the rest of the church yesterday. So, here are some of your comments and your questions… Remember, it isn’t all about my answer… it is about our conversation! So join in! Let’s go…

1. A church is a place but the Church is everywhere. A bank is just a building unless there is money tellers and bankers. A hospital is only a building unless there are doctors, patients, and medical supplies. And similarly a Church is just a church unless Christians are there. Some churches aren’t Churches and some buildings that aren’t churches can be a Church.

~good thought! I think the part I like best is that some buildings that aren’t set up as churches can be used as some of the greatest Church’s. God can use anyone and anything. The Church is God’s people… He said I will build my Church! I am so incredibly for the Church! I can’t wait to see the Church grow into what God has intended for us…

2. Hebrews 12:27 connects to me with each person’s faith. If a person’s faith cannot be shaken, it will remain. Also, nice use of the MFUGE video. That was exactly what I was thinking when I saw the sermon title.

~You are right on the money… the only thing that will remain is our faith! Cling to it!

3. I really have tried many times to witness Jesus to people but they usually will tell me whatever and won’t listen. I want them to know Jesus but what are some ways to witness without trying to seem like I’m forcing it on them? Because most people I try to witness to will just say that I am just accusing them!

~First off, there are many ways that you can witness to people. I’ve used everything from the gospel braclet, evangecube’s, Four Spiritual laws, Roman’s Road, tracts, stories, situations, etc… Sometimes one of the greatest tools to use in witnessing is your convictions! Just stand on what you believe to be right, and hold firm to that. People will look at you and ask you why you choose not to curse, or drink under age, or smoke, or whatever the circumstance may be. When you set yourself apart from the world it makes you stand out. People will notice! Use the opportunities that arise to have a conversation. Build that relationship… Honestly and genuinely care for the individual. Shower them in love, and be compassionate and gracious towards them!

Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the Light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

4. Doesn’t the text say that you have come and not you have been called?

Yes, you are correct!

~Peter

In Uncategorized

Carry the Conversation

July 20, 2009 No Comments

Last night we had a lot of fun… It was good to be together with all of you. Let’s jump right in… We were continuing in our series 19.12 and we were looking at how our commitment to Christ calls us to be committed to others!

Here’s last night’s question…

I read Hebrews 12:12 to be speaking to us to strengthen ourselves, not others- right before it talks about being disciplined and not growing weary, – what part leads you to think that it is speaking about strengthening others?

You are correct in saying that it applies to yourself. However, there is a much broader principle that applies beyond just yourself. The New Bible Commentary says this about vs. 12

“The call to strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees recalls the image of an athletic contest. It is a challenge to abandon fear and despair and not become exhausted in the race of faith (cf. Is. 35:3–4). The quotation from Pr. 4:26 (‘Make level paths for your feet’) is a warning about following the way that God has provided, not swerving to the right or left. It is particularly important to help those who are spiritually lame to keep to the right pathway, so that they may not be tripped up and permanently disabled, but rather healed. In other words, Christians have a responsibility to care for one another and to encourage one another not to fall by the wayside. The practical implications of all this are revealed in the following section.”

Hope this helps…

~Peter

In Uncategorized

Carry The Conversation

June 22, 2009 2 Comments

s10074

Last night was another great evening at the Five. I’m glad that you were there. It really has been great getting together each week… You can keep on praying for the ministry of the Five here at FBC.

Last night I gave a challenge for Dad’s to step up there game in watching out and protecting their children from sin. However it doesn’t just apply to us as Dad’s. There is a universal call to every man woman, teen and child to guard their heart and mind from sin! We were in 1 Samuel and the story found there reminds us about how serious sin is to God. It is not something to mess around with and take lightly.

On to the questions…

1. Why do you think that God needed to punish the whole house of Eli and not just Eli and his sons?

I think that God needed to punish the whole house of Eli because it seems to me that the whole house of Eli was living in sin. It wasn’t just the boys… It was everyone. Each one of us is responsible for our own actions. Eli was responsible to judge the nation of Israel and lead the nation in the direction that the Lord would have them go. He unfortunately was accused of putting his sons in front of God. The punishment that God chose we cannot explain. God’s ways are higher than our ways. The Bible says who can understand the mind of the Lord. What I can tell you is that God is a just and fair God. He would not have done something out of anger or high tempered emotions. This was necessary.

2. You mentioned a period when God killed those that mixed with the Moabites. I get that they were sinners, but can’t racists use that as an example to justify their actions?

First off, there is never any kind of justification for racism. The passage that I referenced last night was Numbers chapter 25 verses 1-5. This passage recognizes the fact that those that were killed from Israel were going to a neighboring nation and joining themselves to that nations gods and idols. They were worshiping false gods and that is unacceptable according to the Lord. This is yet again another example from remaining pure, staying away from sin.

This would be a very difficult passage to argue racism from. God does not require the life of those who do not declare Him God, it is the lives of those who know better and run and worship at the feet of false idols. God deals very seriously with our sin. Therefore so should we!

3. What constitutes a man?

This is a difficult question to answer. Each culture defines manhood in a different way. I am reminded of something very simple and insanely ridiculous to even be drawing a spiritual truth from, “Madagascar 2”. In that movie Alex the lion reunites with his family and has to go through a rite of passage ritual in order to be allowed into the pack. I know, that was just outlandish. However, all that to say each culture has an age that it is recognized when a boy enters into “manhood”. I don’t know that I can answer this question. I think however the real question that you should be asking is, “What types of things should I be doing as a man after God’s heart?”

4. The enemies of Israel often said to Israel “May your children be fatherless.” This was a statement not only of “I wish you were dead” but also recognizes the leadership role the dad has in the family and the community. It was like saying “May your family and community lose its rudder.”

What about single dads? Sometimes hearing about the role of fathers just heaps guilt onto single dads, especially if they sinned and caused the family to break and realized it later (often too late). What about the role of moms in supporting the dads – letting him take appropriate leadership, supporting him, etc.

Clearly each one of us makes mistakes. There is no doubt. Some of us will make mistakes that leave deafening marks in the lives of those around us. God has something called Grace and Forgiveness for that. From that point forward there is an incredible opportunity for each of us to do the best that we can with the time that we have to help make amends and build the bridges back in the lives of those that we’ve hurt. My point last night was not to inflict guilt or heap on regrets of should haves or would haves but to help each one of us as dads reflect on the responsibility that we have in the lives of our children.

I didn’t have an opportunity to speak to the moms supporting the dads… Yes this is a very touchy and time consuming issue of men being the leaders in their household.

My prayer is for dads both married and single to turn to God and seek God’s heart as they raise their children.

Whew! Well, you guys have some great thoughts… Let’s keep this conversation going! I love it!

~Peter

In Uncategorized

Carry the Conversation

June 1, 2009 5 Comments

It was really good to be with everyone last night at the Five. There is just something about getting together and praising God! It was a great night. I was really excited to see all you guys there. As you know one of the things we value at the Five is conversation, and relationships. The church does not exist to only meet together for one hour a week only to return again the next week for another hour. The church exists to be more than that! We should be encouraging each other, praying for one another and meeting the needs of those we find ourselves surrounded with…

So, one of the things we like to practice is an open line of communication during our teaching times at the Five. Each week I encourage you to text any questions or comments that you may have so that we can interact with them here on the blog.

Last night we continued in our series Raw Worship. We picked up in Psalm 51 and looked at what true repentance really means. If you weren’t able to be at the Five, head over here and listen, then join the conversation below…

Here was the question we received last night….

If everyone is born in sin what happens to the babies that die in birth? Are they going to hell? Or how does that work?

I need to start off by saying this is a very difficult question which the finest and brightest of theologians still do not agree on. So for me to think that I am going to solve this question, that is going to be a tough one… However, I can try to give you some insight into what I think is going on here.

Psalm 51 is written by David after he is confronted by the prophet Nathan for committing adultery with Bathsheba…(read about that here in 2 Samuel 11 & 12) One of the consequences for David’s sin is that the child was to die. “The Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had born to David, and he became ill.” -2 Samuel 12:15 While the child is sick and dying, David is beside himself and fasting and just a real mess, as you can imagine. Once he hears news of the child dying, David gets up washes up, cleans up and eats. His servants are a little perplexed by these actions and they ask him what’s up? He says, “Now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” This seems to imply that David has an eternal perspective, or eternal hope that he will see his son in heaven one day even though he died.

Many people also believe that there is an age of accountability. Meaning that there is a point in time when children just do not know that they are sinning. This is a difficult thing to nail down, because then you have to ask yourself, well what is that age? Is it four or five? Could it be three? However, this makes a lot of sense to me.

Personally, I do believe that when babies die they go to heaven. Above all else I rest assured in the fact that God is a good God. He is not shy in lovingkindness. He has great concern for children (See Matthew 19:13). God cares more for our children than we could possibly ever! So, I know that this doesn’t answer/solve the problem, but I hope it helps…

~Peter

In Leadership & Calling

Carry the conversation

May 26, 2009 4 Comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZhsHsCuR5g&feature=channel_page]

As usual, here is the rundown from last night’s service. Honestly, Sunday night was kinda funky, huh? There were just so many crazy things happening. Sound issues, technical issues, and all kinds of strange things… I know that I was feeling like there was something going on under the radar… With that in mind, can I challenge you to keep praying for the Five? We would really appreciate your prayer…

So, we were picking up in the series Raw Worship, where we take a look at what happens when worship and life collide. We were in Psalm 130 last night and we were taking a look at what does it mean to worship God in and through the waiting? As always we look forward to and encourage questions/comments, here are this weeks…

You mentioned that you are tired of all the “smallness”, referring to what we wait for God to do. What encouragement and assurance do we give to those God calls to do the boring, unpopular, uncool, and truly small tasks?

This specific comment was made by me while we were discussing the concept of hoping in the Lord. What I was referring to was how I feel that we as the Church for the most part do not expect God to do incredible things. I think that instead what we expect from God is for Him to show up and do small things (as I mentioned); pay the mortgage, make sure that the budget is met… etc… See here’s what I mean… Why are we shocked when we hear stories about how God provides miraculously… As if this was like an unbelievable feat for God to provide? I mean honestly, this is the God of the universe that we are talking about! Why is the box that we think/allow God to operate in so stinkin small? When we read verses like 1 Cor. 2:7-9, or Eph. 3:20. do we go, Man God is huge, or do we say, eh, God is pretty powerful I guess. I realize that we can’t comprehend how HUGE God is… so, why then do we make Him so small? Whew, I better stop here and actually answer the question before I turn this into a book…

The seemingly “small” tasks that we have the privilege to be responsible for are not just that: small and insignificant. Those types of tasks may be uncool, unpopular, and even monotonously boring. We would be sorely mistaken if we viewed God’s calling on our lives to be small and insignificant. The gifts and talents that God uniquely gives each one of us are given to us in order that we can bring honor to God, and cause others to see God for who He is… I don’t care if you are filling communion cups, or cutting the church lawn… Your role in this huge organization that God has established; The Church, is not insignificant. You are vitally needed. Paul was a hero for this cause… watch what he does here in Ephesians 4;

11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up

13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.

16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

To the one who feels marginalized, underused, unimportant, small, insignificant, negligible, frivolous, and peripheral: You are incredibly important. Your work may not be cutting edge, it may not be flashy and all that attention getting… In fact you may not be thanked or praised much, if at all. However, we work not for the approval of man. We work diligently, unswervingly, whole-heartedly dedicated to the cause of Christ! We sacrifice our time, efforts, talents, money, and everything else we have in order that we may see the Gospel go forward to just one more person. The part you play is vital in the ministry of the Gospel. Don’t you for one minute think that you are unimportant, expendable, or peripheral. Just because your task may be borin, unpopular, or uncool, I don’t believe for one minute that it is small. As a pastor I praise God for people like you. You are the types of people that allow me to do what I do. (Go do a study on Acts 6:1:7)

To the one who submitted this question: thank you! It is conversations like these that get me charged up to keep doing what I do, and to help equip others to keep doing what they do! It really is all about Jesus. It is about introducing more people to Him. We are all charged with that mission…

To those who have a public ministry, a flashy ministry, a lot of responsibility, get a lot of thanks because of the publicity of your position: Find three people today who are behind the scenes people; i.e. The counters, the janitors, the lawn maintenance guy, the one who changes the sign out front, the one who folds and stuffs the worship guide… THANK THEM FOR WHAT THEY DO! CHANCES ARE YOU WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO DO WHAT YOU DO IF IT WASN’T FOR WHAT THEY DO!

Who do you see in your church that is a great example of an unnoticed servant? Share their story! Click on the comment button below and let it rip… Let’s encourage one another…

Thankful for those behind the scenes people…

~Peter

In Uncategorized

Carry the conversation

May 19, 2009 No Comments

Well as promised, we have some answers to some of your questions…

Why r we blessed?

The Israelites, the priests and the God-fearers (Psalm 115:8-11) were blessed because they chose to put their trust in God. They trusted God to save them, to be their help, to be their shield. We are blessed when (because) we choose not to have any idols (Psalm 115:4-7). We are blessed when (because) we choose to remind others of the many ways that God has worked in our lives, and in so doing we tell them that we serve an awesome God.

In Psalm 115 what indicates the purpose?

The purpose of God blessing us is so that we will in turn be a blessing to others. When God blesses us, He expects that we will in response to His blessing, then bless the next generation by reminding them of how God has specifically blessed us. That’s why we need to build altars, stones of remembrance. We need to creatively and personally decide what those altars will look like.

Who r the People watching the Israelites? (Nations)

The people watching the Israelites were the nations who were the neighbors of Israel. At that time they were the Moabites, the Edomites, the Syrians, the Egyptians, the Ammonites, the Canaanites, etc. etc.

Who R the nations 2 Day?

The “nations” for us are all the people within our sphere of influence who we have contact with in our day-to-day existence. The nations for us are all the people around us (in our sphere of influence) who do not yet have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Keep the questions coming… Let’s carry the conversation beyond just Sunday Night!

~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