Like a child…

I had an incredible experience last night.  As Worship Director, I get the opportunity to do a wide variety of things.  Last night, I had the privilege to work with the kids praise team in preparation for Family Time (2/28/10 6:00pm @180).  I was doing the normal things…teaching stage presence, working on timing, and singing.

A few minutes into wearing my “teaching hat”, I was drawn to the innocence and beauty of watching children worship our creator.  Most children don’t carry the “spiritual baggage” that us adults drag around with us.  They usually don’t have “past church offenses” that pull them down.  They don’t worry about style, professionalism, stage presence, volume, or distractions that keep us adults from participating.  Children seem to be able to move past the preferences (because they haven’t really formed them yet) and focus on the Father.  It was refreshing to watch the children move toward the Master as if there was nothing in the way.  No road blocks, no baggage, no pretense.  I asked God to forgive me for carrying around the baggage that keeps me from “moving toward” Him.  Isn’t that what we all really want to do?  Drop the baggage that keeps us from moving toward our gracious Lord?  This week, as we assemble to worship, make an effort to “move toward” God like a child.  Drop the baggage of worrying about what your neighbor might think if you abandon yourself to move toward the heart of God.  I promise that as you make the effort, it will be worth it.  Our God wants our heart.  This week, I challenge you to surrender your heart like a child.

I leave you today with the text from Pastor Marty’s sermon 1/31/10.  Matthew 19:14  But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.”

As an added bonus, I have included a short video of my experience.  Keeton Grantham is the boy on the right and Noah Sweet is on the left.  As you watch this, imagine how extremely pleased God was as He watched his children singing to Him .

What is Praise?

As I write today, I’m being inspired by the devotional book that the entire worship department is reading (Pure Praise by Dwayne Moore).  What do you think “Praise” really is?  I’ve heard a lot of definitions of the word over the last several years of ministry.  Todays devotional has put it in very simple terms for me.  ”Praise is that upward focus toward God.”  We worship a lot of times with our lives without even knowing it because it is an outflow of our hearts. (Prov. 4:23)  We worship God almost unconsciously with our lives because it flows from our hearts and minds because of the character of God that resides inside us.  ”Praise”, however, is a decision that we make.  We know when we are praising because it is something that happens because of a choice.  It is direct and deliberate adoration.  This Sunday, I challenge you, to make a deliberate choice to boldly praise God.  May we all praise, celebrate, bring glory, sing and boast.  Strong’s Concordance even includes in the definition “to rave”.

In order for us to really grasp our Vision scripture of the year (Matthew 6:33), we will almost definitely have to learn how to “Praise”.  We will all need to be intentionally seeking the Kingdom of God and be intentionally Praising God.  When we seek the Kingdom, we are Praising.

Deron Freeman

Ready to Run?

It’s taken me several days to process what has taken place over the last 8 months.  Harvest Time (my home church) has just started a new leg of the race.  After 38 quality years of ministry, Pastor Holden, has handed the baton of leading this church over to my new pastor (Marty Sloan).  I’m proud to say that our church has handled the transition with dignity and honor.  Our congregation has embraced the new Pastor while honoring the founding Pastor.  It has been a joy to watch and be a part of.  It was an emotional day for me.  It was a day full of reflection, but at the same time, a day full of looking forward and dreaming of the possibilities.

There are several critical components of a good relay race.  The hand-off of the baton is a critical moment.  It is often dropped.  When that happens, it is possible to recover, but it takes the wind out of all the momentum.  HT had a spectacular hand-off!  Now comes the part of the race where we all bear responsibility.  It is not just up to Pastor Marty to carry us to the finish line.  I believe that every person who calls HT their home needs to carry some weight.  I am running as hard as I can to help make HT THE church in the River Valley that makes the most impact.  Every staff person here will run this race hard.  The thing we need the most right now (at this critical moment) is for the people of HT to step up to their spiritual posts and run with their baton.  We have a lot of work ahead.  I believe that we can win Fort Smith for Christ!

I close with a question… Are you ready to run?

Schedule

Sometimes in this busy world, we look at the word “Schedule” as a dirty word.  I’m starting to realize it is my friend.  The better I stick to my schedule, the more I accomplish.  One thing we should do is make sure we aren’t just busy for being busy.  Two words that must accompany the schedule is Focus & Goal.

Are you focused today?  Do you have any goals?  What are your priorities?  Not the list you made at the beginning of the year…but are your REAL priorities?  It’s almost 9 months into 2009…are you focused?  If not, change your schedule to line up with your priorities.

Hopefully, these few words have made you ask yourself some questions today.

Check back soon.

It’s been a while…

     There are times in everyone’s lives where we all get so busy doing busy work that we neglect things that mean a lot to us personally.  I would be in that category lately.  I’ve been doing everything that had to be done.  All of the things were important and useful.  I was just needing more time in the day.  Sometimes, family does that to you.  Sometimes ministry does that to you.  This particular season EVERYTHING did that to me.  All that to say…I’ve not been able to make a post in a while.

     Since I’ve been gone, a lot of things have taken place…too many to mention them all.  I will only hit the highlights.  

1. Our worship choir is growing.  We had a “Gathering” that snagged us a few new people and also, some of our regulars have come back.  It’s amazing to me how 10 more people make us so much better.

2. My oldest son, Hunter, worked very hard and made the all-region choir as a 10th grader. (several of his friends did this too.  Way to go Mark Beam (Alma), Jordan Cole (SHS).  I’m very proud of them.

3.  My daughter competed in a dance competition and their team did very well.  Go CJHS!  Go CATS!

4. My youngest son, Matt, has been playing alot of baseball and has become the absolute MVP on his team.  He is tearing the league pitching up and is a vacuum cleaner behind the plate. (he’s the catcher).

5. I’ve seen several people on our worship team step up and take on more leadership.  Our World Harvest Sunday was the best yet.  Jon Morris & Stephanie Morris took a lot of leadership and did an outstanding job!  Stephanie wrote custom choir parts for a click track song that Jon put the video work in and also sang.  I wrote custom horn parts for the song and the people of our church gave over $170,000 in 1 day!  

6. The leadership team has stepped up and taken care of several people who needed ministry.  This thing is bigger than me.  It’s bigger than any of us on staff.  This is a God thing.

Pastor Marty made a great statement last night.  ”I’m a Kingdom guy.”  You don’t hear a statement like that very often.  Too many preachers and churches are too busy building THIER thing that they miss building the KINGDOM thing.  I’m proud to be on a team that is putting more emphasis on Kingdom building than our own thing.  In the last few days we have sowed $176,000 toward building the Kingdom and also worked very hard to build the worldwide church.

     I will close by saying how proud I am of our team.  There is no way to explain the way I feel about our team and our church.  I’m encouraged at where we are going and how quickly we are getting there.

Praise God!

Monday Random Rambling

These are just a few thoughts running through my mind this morning following a GREAT day of ministry yesterday (8/24/08).  

#1. We have a great team of musicians & singers & worship leaders.  People who completely “get” what we are doing.  The technical side of what we do is completely professional, but the integrity of the people is more important than the skill and expertise that each one brings.  Each doing their job for the Glory of God.  wow!  Thanks Jon, Paul, Dana, Sylvia, Doug, Tom, Ken…and all you peeps that make it happen!

#2. We have 2 of the best pastors in the world.  Each one brought a message yesterday that was stronger than most any church in the nation.  Each one with their own “style”, but yet, completely effective with the audience.  What a great place to serve.  It is my honor and dream to be able to do what I do!

#3. The authenticity and passion in the service yesterday was undeniable.  Everyone doing what they do with a childlike joy.  Man,…does it get any easier?  Leading people to serve when they love serving makes what I do a real joy.

#4. Healer:  I watched our people react in a real innocence to the song that most of them had never heard.  They have never seen the video, never heard the story, the lie, or any of the baggage that I struggle to get past.  I made up my mind yesterday in the morning service that when a song contains truth, ministers to the people and to God, it is completely valid.  The origin is not really important as long as God can use it.  I’m reminded that God continues to use me everyday in spite of all of my humanness and baggage and imperfections.  Thank you God, that I don’t have to be perfect.  Thank you for continuing to use me!

More next week!

What are you looking for?

John Lubbuck said “What we see depends mainly on what we are looking for”.  This is so true.

Here is another quote.  This one is from Sophocles, the great playwriter… “Look and you will find it”.  Both of these quotes makes me think of Luke 11:9.   And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

 What are you expecting?

The late great Sam Walton said…”High expectations are the key to everything”.  I’m convinced that we don’t see things happen in our lives because we don’t expect anything to happen.

What about church?  When you come to a service, what are you looking for and what are your expectations?  We don’t see God move in our lives because of our own non-expectations.  Seek after Him and expect Him to meet your every need. 

The next time you walk in the church door ask yourself… “What am I looking for and what are my expectations today?”

 Look for something great today and Expect to meet with God.

 

Production Thursdays

Thursdays are so great.  When I look back over the last year, I see that Thursday is the day that I accomplish more than any other day.  More planning.  More tasks finished.  More dreaming about how to finish goals.  I’m a planner.  Pastor Holden calls people like me “Plodders”.  I’m fine with that title. (Pastor also puts Dale Yerton in that category)  I’ll settle for just about any category the great Dale Yerton resides in.

No matter what day your production day falls on…make the most of it.  Pray, dream, produce, finish, and most of all…lead by producing.  Because, when it is all said and done, if you are leading people, you are producing!  Have a great production Thursday