great things are happening again

Again, I feel more thankful than needy. God is pouring Himself out on us again and things are exploding all over! It's been a long tough year, but I feel like the corner has finally been turned, and we are well on our way.

Today, for example, started with some huge battles, but ended with some huge victories.

God help me rest well tomorrow. I can hardly wait to get my motorcycle to the car lot and get it all taken care of. Help me find a buyer quickly and get that money sowed into missions where it will do some real good. While I rest, talk to my spirit about that sermon and help me think it through well so that people can really benefit.

sad Amish families

Yesterday i learned that my good friend, Sam Zook lost two nieces in that schoolhouse murder incident among the Amish. I can hardly think about anything else. If I lost my daughters to something like that...

Last week I felt led to offer my motorcycle to God as a sacrifice for missions. I also felt that the Holy Spirit said I should not do this privately, but publicly declare and demonstrate God's supernatural provision in it, so that i can become a much better missions giver. I am very excited about this and looking forward to what God will do. I am asking God to use me to give more than $50,000 to missions in the next few years instead of living a more comfortable life myself. I am eager to watch God work and make that all possible.

Pray with my daughters as they decide what to do with their lives. God is really challenging them to great things these days, perhaps even world missions. What an honor to have a call like that on their lives!

the Amish-school shooting lose to my home

Prayer team,
Please pray for the Amish families whose daughters were lined up and executed by a gunman today- about a mile from the Amish-Mennonite school I attended. I believe some of those murdered and injured kids were probably daughters of my school mates, although names have not yet been released. I feel so much sadness for my Amish friends and community.
And pray for the safety of all of our schools. The last few days have been horrible here in the USA, with so many school shootings. Our kids need our prayers of protection.
On another note, this weekend is Friends' Day at Freedom Valley. We are asking God to bring us people who are searching and ready for a relationship with their Heavenly Father, and eternal life. We want to be part of making it hard to go to Hell from our city!

this weekend

Please pray with me as I start a new teaching series this Sunday, called The Ultimate Ghost Walk. I can't wait to see people fall in love with The Holy Ghost and all that He offers. this week I want to talk about some of the surprising things the Bible says or does not say about Ghosts.

missions, changed lives, and callings

I am just so pumped about the ability to make a difference around the world through misisons. Johannes Amritzer, (by the the Holy Spirit) lit my fire deeply about what we could do to bring the gospel to those who never heard. I cannot wait to give myself and my money to these kinds of world changing opportunities. Pray with me that God would use us to reach people who never heard!

wow

Thanks everybody for praying for me. The past few months have been tough but they seem like ancient history after Sunday night. God met me and told me the battle was over... and alot of other stuff. I feel so free, it's like I got saved again, which is exactly what happened. God is so good to me.

Please pray for my children as they sift through some great life choices right now-among them doing missions work. I am very excited about it all.

And pray for wisdom to handle the generous outpouring that God is bringing. I feel it and see it everywhere already. Much, much more is coming and I pray that i can handle it better than I ever have.

fresh ideas, vitality, effectiveness

Today I am praying about the following;

1. I have a close friend struggling with his wife's desire to divorce

2. A staff member is struggling with the demands of a growing family and expanding vision.

3. We are searching for key ways to serve our church better and grow more.

God is so good to me

Sometimes I feel completely wrong for asking God for one more thing after all that He has done for me. He is ridiculously and unfairly good to me and I don't even understand it. But He told me to ask anyway, so I ask.

He is healing me. Today I actually couldn't wait to get to work- a feeling that was once common and daily, but recently has been pretty rare.

I need so much more wisdom to lead. I am asking God to give us the ability to make each worship service and each small group event so full of God's heart and so healing to His people that the Holy Spirit can send us the hurting, people who feel lost, and those who search for meaning in life.

Thanks for praying with me...

cool stuff on a hot day

It was awesome again to see all those kids all over the church property learning together, laughing, and (hopefully) making strong commitments to God. Lots of those families are new to us, and I am hoping that some of them partner up with us to followJesus. Way to go Rick and Alicia and that huge, wonderful team of volunteers. They show up cheerfully in the blazing heat to make a difference in the life of sports minded kids.

I also loved sitting in on (6 minutes of) Adam Ritter's sermon. He is becoming a real man of God and I love the prospect of partnering up with him to affect lives for eternity through our student ministries and Gettysburg Master's Commission. He's the real deal and an anointed communicator. I love that awesome youth ministry these days!

I personally have so much to learn about leadership. Recently I have become painfully aware at how our ability to affect our counties with the gospel is so hampered by my smallness. Please pray that God will open my mind and teach me so much more about leading people to their Creator-God.

thank you God

I had a breakthrough today for which I am very thankful to God. It was less difficult to put on joy today than it has been and I want to take time to appreciate that. I also want to thank God for a great time with my family on vacation this week, for a 4 wonderful kids and an incredible wife.

This evening, I am praying about the possibility of new leadership getting involved in the recording studion, and reclaiming lost ground in that ministry. I am asking God for help to get an addition built on our house, and for blessing and protection for my son away at Student Council Leadership Camp.

Thanks for praying my friends! I love you guys.