The Last Three Weeks

Been a long time but sometime the schedule get the best of me. January '09 will go down in the record book (not really sure how but lets just say memorable). After National midwinter board meeting, it was back to the challenges of a building program. Vision is the easy part but keeping people focus and committed is a whole new ball-game. The challenge is that excitement has to rest near commitment. As a predominately Africa American church we have the tendency to start together but finishing together presents some challenges. It is a everyday work - the buy in is incredible and will have eternal implications. The "promise" is what has been the glue that has held me together. There are some days where that's all you have as a leader - just the fact that God said it & if He said it He will see it through.

The first part of this week was spent in Supulpa a town right outside Tulsa OK for the Oklahoma Baptist State Convention midwinter board, very eventful. Just like the National this is an election year as Dr. John Reed steps down there is a great need to move the state convention forward in order to ensure the continued growth of the churches associated with convention. It has a strong past but a some point we need address the future.

Today, we're visiting my youngest son at college. He's away and it become an necessity to visit. Young Zachary is a music major and a basketball player. I hopeful that I would get to experience both but because of a recent bout with a bad cold he opted out of singing the national anthem before tonight game. So it will be basketball - Zachary is very athletic, his skill are developing in the college game (this is his sophomore year but his 1st year because he was red-shirted playing basketball). He's struggling to breath but is getting a few minutes to catch is breath every now and then. I'm very proud o his growth both academically, athletically and personally.

Tomorrow I will continue a new series of messages called "A Dangerous Church" thesis a dangerous church is a church fill with people who possess a dangerous faith that transforms their individual life and their church life. Hebrews chapter 11 is the back-drop for this one - week 1 we looked at what a dangerous church looks like and how faith plays an tremendous role. Week 2 looked @ the dangerous faith of Abel. Week 3 we will look @ the dangerous faith of Enoch.

I just want to thank all of you who have been praying for both the pastor and the people of the Greater Bethel Church.