Saturday night is alright

It's Saturday night and I'm thinking about what's around the corner for us at SCCC. I'm so grateful for what God is doing here. And He has set before us a challenge. We can't build fast enough to take care of our current needs. Since building is a process (up to 24 mos. from beginning to end) we need to do something now. After talking with many of our people and our staff, we have made a decision. We're adding a third service! Wow.

It wasn't an easy decision, one which I agonized over for some time but it's the right thing to do. As many know, it's really difficult to maintain more than 80% of your seating capacity. We're in August and we're bumping that so we see the Fall coming when people attend more regularly and know that we must make room in advance for more people to come. So beginning the first weekend in October we'll be adding a Saturday evening service, 6 p.m. It will be mostly identical to Sunday morning. Perhaps a touch more casual, but the same message and great music that you hear on Sunday morning.

I'm hoping that many in our church will make the decision to sacrifice their Sunday morning and attend Saturday night since Sunday morning is still the most popular time for pre-believers to check out what's happening. We also need partners in every area of ministry to help us make this successful: greeters, ushers, children's ministry, music team, a/v, cameras, parking lot greeters, lobby welcome team, and the list goes on! But I've listed the most critical needs.

These are challenging yet exciting times. Now you'll have three options each weekend on when to gather with us in worship. (Pray for me too, as I'll be speaking three times instead of two per weekend! But by His grace this will not be a problem!)

It all depends

Sunday was great. Terry Smith from W. Orange preached "We're in the futures business." I heard someone say yesterday it was one of the most motivational messages he'd ever heard. I think this is one of Terry's life messages--this idea that your future will not just happen without your significant participation. It all depends.

I couldn't help thinking about the many lives that are being impacted through SCCC. Futures are being transformed and shaped because of C3 partners who are serving, members who are giving, saints who are praying and people who are sharing the gospel wherever they go.

Along the future note, I'm excited about what's on the horizon for SCCC. The pastor's council is continuing to examine options for us as we look toward expanding our facilities. These men are smart men who have gifts of administration and insight that I don't have--guys like Dave Heyl (CFO of J.B. Marine) who has experience as an entrepeneur, in real estate and in financial accounting, Shawn Hughes who has a PHD in human resource psychology, Dave Derryberry an architect at Korte, Tom Hagar who brings a wealth of knowledge from the banking industry and Jim Cocos (Mo Botanical Gardens) who has an extraordinary gift of management and great common sense. All that to say that these are super-qualified men to participate in the planning of our expansion.

To update our friends, no decision has been made regarding our expansion. We are looking at property within our immediate vicinity as well as examining how much we can do with what we currently have. These men are doing research and I know sometimes we wish we could push that big red "easy" button and make things happen. But this is a big decision. The one thing I think that I can safely say is that we are leaning toward a longer-term solution rather than a short-term one. I assure you that we will keep you updated when we have something more solid to tell you. We're still in the research mode however. Please pray for these gentlemen as they pray, plan and research.

What does the future look like? It all depends...

Southfork Mudbowl

Last weekend, PCD was part of the KLTY Freedom Fest. I think the title more fitting may be, "KLTY Mudfest." We were scheduled to sing about 5 p.m. and as soon as we got there, the skies opened! It obviously had been raining a lot as you see by the pics. We went on a little later than scheduled and surprisingly there were still a lot of folks who stuck it out. Usually they have upwards of 100,000 in attendance at this free event. Not sure how many stayed but we always love singing to the Dallas believers. Thought you'd enjoy the pics. (And yes, this is the original site of the show "Dallas" at Southfork that some of you may be old enough to remember!)

Too much informality

(The following is from my e-prayer bulletin but it is so much on my mind that I felt compelled to share it here as well.)

TOO INFORMAL?

There is a struggle in prayer. For me, it centers on how I should approach God. How do you approach the One who is both a “consuming fire” (Deu. 4.24) and our loving Father? He is the One whose judgment is sure and awesome. Yet He is also the One of whom John writes has “lavished” His love on us (1 Jn. 3:1 NIV). Do you feel the conflict? I identify with Tony Jones’ thoughts on this subject. He writes in Christianity Today:

“In two decades of youth ministry, I've heard a lot of conversational prayers to Father Weejus. You know, "Father Weejus ask that you'd be here tonight, and Weejus hope you'll really bless our time." I've heard a lot of unnecessary "justs" and "reallys" over the years, and inappropriate uses of the subjunctive mood ("We pray you would move your people and you would do your will …"). I'm all for conversational prayer. But a lot of it is sloppy, which, I'm afraid, has been bred by too much informality.” http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2007/001/12.75.html

“Too much informality.” I don’t mean to be harsh. But I’m afraid I agree. God sounds less like God of the universe and more like Santa Claus in some of our praying. The prayers of the apostles and the early church sound like they had a revelation of a bigger God than we pray to. Consider this one:

(Acts 4:24-25 NKJV) "So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: "Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, {25} "who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: 'Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things?"

At the same time, we must hold this reality of a big, sovereign God in tension with another reality that is equally revealed in Scripture:
• God is a loving Father (1 John 3:1)
• God is compassionate as revealed through His Son (John 11:35)
• God is personal (John 14:21)

Maybe the answer is all the above. Maybe the struggle we have in the approach is a healthy thing. Let’s not hold one reality to the exclusion of the other. He is both a consuming fire and a loving Father. I don’t know about you, but rather than decreasing my faith, that revelation increases it.

The promised land

We received a letter a couple of weeks ago from our dear Pastor Thompson in Guntur. As you know, our church has been donating funds toward the building of a new orphanage for these children who have been displaced and abandoned. Presently, there are about 80 kids who make their home in 750 square feet. It is nearly incomprehensible the conditions in which these beautiful children are living.

But we're hopeful! Due to the generosity of many, we made a down payment on a 3 acre tract! The children are so excited and of course Pr. Thompson is dreaming again. Here's a pic of the kids on the new property. Thank you SCCC for caring.

T.G.I.G.F.

They call this "Good Friday" because it is the day we remember our Lord's death. It's a day to reflect on the agony of the cross in anticipation of Resurrection Sunday. I've heard some say, "Why focus on the cross? He's not there anymore. He's Risen!" Yes, He is. But it's only as we get deeply in touch with the sorrow of Friday that the joy of Sunday comes home to us.

It's sort of like the bad news/good news scenario. I always ask for the bad news first. Because the good news will sound even better when you know the "badness" of a situation. The deeper the sorrow, the greater the joy.

That's why we love great "comebacks." A score of 35-17 is a good win in football. We might call it a massacre, getting smashed, a thrashing. But suppose the team with 35 points came back from 17-0 to win? And suppose it was your team, the underdog? It's even better. It makes the victory that much sweeter. Because we know what they came back from.

That's the nature of Good Friday. Yes, Sunday is great. Yes, Jesus is Lord. But think about the darkness of Friday before the Resurrection. Remember how bleak things looked. Feel the agony of His followers, the despair of a grieving Mom mopping her son's cold brow. Then when you get to Sunday, it makes it all the more great. Because we know what He "came back" from.

For this reason, I say, 'Thank God it's Good Friday."

How to Carry Love

I've been thinking about this idea of changing your world through love.
I saw this today, "How to carry a lot of money."

• Cards are generally preferable to cash, as they can be stopped.
• If you are with someone that you trust, like a parent or good friend, ask them to carry some money for you.
• Put some coins, enough for bus fare and a phone call, in your pockets. Not bills, in case you forget and put your trousers in the wash.
• If you have a very high amount, put some bills in your shoe.
• Don't show off your money. Put your wallet back in your bag once you've used it.
• If someone threatens you for money, give them your wallet. You have other money. You only have two legs.

This is close to our view of love. We think it's a possession.

• We prefer no-risk love so it can "be stopped."
• If we "trust someone" we expect them to "carry some love for us." Get someone else to love for you. That way there's less risk.
• We bring just enough love for the fare and some in our pocket. But not "big bills" of love in case it's wasted.
• If our life or heart is threatened, we hold onto our stash of love...because we love ourselves.

How different than the kind of love God commands and demonstrates...(Rom 5:8 NKJV) "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."