I received an email and picture from Don & Karen last night. I wanted you to see one load of our materials being loaded into safe storage. This is a real answer to prayer. However, there are serious issues with “Dove” - Don’s dumb truck and “our” transportation while in Haiti as well as the only way we have to take the materials from storage to the job site. Please make this a matter of prayer.

KAREN: Our problem now is the truck. On Saturday, he took the team to the Citadel. One the way UP… truck overheated, bad. On the way down, the brakes gave out. Started working again on level ground, but not real good. So, at the tourist market, we were standing there and realized the gas tank had a huge hole in it. Don and several guys on the team spent Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday working on the truck. (Had to re-weld the cage, too, since the lumber broke it in places.) It’s limping along again. This has been a real trial for Don.

For me it was an awesome site to see the lumber in that truck. God continues to supply and answer prayers. Have a great rest of the week. Remember the Men’s Summit, open house times at the Marietta church site, the funeral on Saturday afternoon and Sunday service. As you pray for these things pray for me as I prepare what I will share this weekend. Also, my mother remains in the hospital as we await more test results.

In the Orlando airport on the way home from Haiti (March 07) I purchased the book by Barack Obama entitled, The Audacity of Hope. I wanted to know a little more about this rising political star and I was particularly drawn to the title itself.

You should not read anything political into my reading this book (for which I make no apology). In fact, last night a couple of political comments came up and I decided that was a good time to go reload my dinner plate. As a pastor I’ve chosen to not get into politics and I think everyone in my congregation has the privilege and right to support the candidate and or political position of their choice.

Anyway, back to my point. I read the book like I do every book, with a pen and marker in hand. I read, underlined, highlighted and put the book on my shelf. But I keep picking it up just to read the cover. I am drawn repeatedly to that title and the byline beneath it. The Audacity of Hope, thoughts on reclaiming the American Dream.

Let’s think some this week about what it takes to reclaim God’s dream for your life. To do that, think about the term, “audacity of hope.”

Audacity is a great word meaning boldness or daring, especially reckless boldness. It is not calculated, not something you’ve thought out by considering all aspects and all odds. It is build on “presumption” which is our assumption that something is true.

When was the last time that any of us were daring? I find that I calculate away any possible boldness I might otherwise have. Some of that is just the way we were or were not raised and each of us finds ourself somewhere on that continuum. It is wise to not be rash and assuming on any number of earthly matters but here we are talking about the how we approach hope. How many times have we dashed hope with our calculations? How few times have we approached hope with true audacity?

Hope as a noun in the NT is defined as a “favorable and confident expectation” in terms of the future and the unseen. It is the word that describes the anticipation of good. As Christians we can feel this because all of our hopes are focused on Christ. 1 Timothy 1:1 Hope as a verb in the NT is basically translated “to trust.”

So hope by its very nature contains the element of audacity. Does my current relationship with the Lord produce in me the anticipation of good? Does it produce confidence? Does it engender actual acts of trust? Does it produce within me greater boldness and daring (audacity)?

I hope these comments serve as a STARTER to where your meditation and study of the Word will take you this week.

Good morning everyone! I had a thought or two just before I rolled out of bed this AM about the cycles of life. I realize that these cycles are a gift from the grace of God. I base this on a well known Scripture from Lamentations 3 which reads:

(Message) But there is one thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope: God’s loyal love couldn’t run out, his merciful love couldn’t have dried up. They are created new every morning. How great is your faithfulness!

Every morning God has created a brand new (fresh) cycle of his mercy and love. And he does it our of his personal faithfulness to each of us.

Have you stopped to think about the cycles in your life. The main cycle for me is Monday through Sunday. Everything in my week moves toward or in someway prepares for Sunday. Sunday is the focus of the week. Monday it starts all over and it has been that way for 37 years of ministry.

It is interesting how that has played out. Sometimes all the work seems to pay off and Sunday is a great service with rewarding moments. It is tempting then (I’ve done it often) to try to carry that into the next cycle and measure the next Sunday by the past. Of course, God never intended that. Other times the work seems not to pay off and Sunday seems flat or less than expected. The cycle provides the opportunity to leave that behind and start fresh focusing not on the Sunday past but on the Sunday coming. I wish it was always as easy as that because sometimes its a day or two before I choose to let go the the previous Sunday and whatever emotion it brings.

Having shared my key life cycle, maybe you realize yours. Do you see the faithfulness of God in it and the opportunity it provides to let go and move on?

In Genesis God created human beings and put them on a cycle. Six days of work and the seventh day was to be a day of rest from work and a day set aside as holy for God. God knew it was critical to have one day of every seven that you did no work.

My cycle of each week focused on Sunday flows into the cycle of a new month and then into a new year. Always the challenge is to leave the past behind and accept the new that is before me. The truth I hope we all see on this Friday is that these cycles are part of God’s loving design. He cares about you and offers you newness everyday and it is all backed up by a fresh cycle of his love and mercy.

Now go have a great day! - PD

I wonder how many times I’ve attempted to make the following appeal? What I do know is that it has resulted in a mix of responses from acceptance to stiff resistance. Yet I cannot stay away from it because over the past few years this one item from Scripture has stayed before me as being of primary importance. The truth of it is undeniable.

Here is the instruction of Jesus from Luke 10:2,3 The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. Pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest, and ask him to send out more workers for his fields. Go now and remember that I am sending you out…

The message says it this way: so on your knees; ask the God of the Harvest to send harvest hands.

Well it all starts with the end of the verse - Jesus emphasizes that we are to “go” that he is sending us. We have the primary responsibility for the spiritual harvest before us. Church as a comfortable and safe place for those of us already in our little family has its place but it cannot be all there is. We have a duty to be people of the harvest. So reaching others and seeing the church grow has to start with us. No excuses!

However, we cannot do it alone. We need others to join us in the harvest and Jesus says that we are to get on our knees and pray that God will send more workers to join us side by side in this ministry. For a couple of years I asked you to pray with me that God would send 10 more families into our church that would be workers with us in the harvest. Maybe some joined me in that focused prayer but if so I’m not aware of it. I am aware of those who took offense and saw the request as an indictment that those already here were not good enough or sufficient enough or appreciated enough. They misunderstood the need for more workers. Instead of seeing this as it is - instructions from Jesus it was taken more as a personal rejection or offense. This saddens my heart deeply.

Recently I talked to a pastor about his church plant. One of his comments was that his people had carried the load for a number of years and were tired. Sometimes I see that here at New Hope. This is typical of a church plant our size. The same people serve over and over without a break or the opportunity to try a new phase of ministry. I am so thankful for your faithfulness but at some point we all need to see the needs to which I refer. But, we need to see it not just in practical terms but in spiritual terms.

If all we can do is take care of what currently exist, then something is wrong. It may be comfortable enough but it is still wrong. That condition is keeping us focused only on ourselves and not reaching out. If all we can do is recognize that a few carry the load or see the tiredness that exist in some after eight years, then something is wrong. Recognition is not enough. With the knowledge we gain from recognition comes responsibility.

At some point we have to move to the spiritual place and activity God is waiting for us to reach. It doesn’t matter how many years I present this focus at some point we will have to accept responsibility for this truth. God not only wants us to do our part in service and outreach but he wants us to go to our knees and ask Him to send more workers into our family.

Like any structure we are only as good as our base. Unless you enlarge the base you are limited as to the heights you can reach. We must have a mindset that accepts Jesus instructions and buys into what He is telling us to do. You have to buy into this Biblical plan. That means that you will come to own this truth for yourself. If you don’t own it and it is only words from Pastor Doug you’ll never actually do it.

In the end there will never be a substitute for the actual praying on our knees for others to join us. This is no reflection on anyone who is already a partner in our family. Don’t let anyone feed you that line. It is way past the time when we need to be on our knees about this one matter. We are years behind.

Will anyone join me? To be honest right now my flesh would settle for even a couple of new families that were solid “workers” and willing to come along side us in this ministry. We have all the tools we could ever want with which to do ministry and outreach. We have so much that we do, that we can do and that we should do. I know that over 2 years ago I was impressed to pray for 10 new families that would be workers, sharing the load. Who will actually get on your knees and pray Luke 10:2 and persist until God answers our prayers.

Last night I was thinking about Matthew 6:14-15 (Message) which reads:

In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part.

There is always this dance between you and God and we have the lead. It is what we do or do not do that enables what God wants to do for us and through us. The Message puts it just right in saying that we are the ones who cut ourselves off for God’s part.

We are forever connected to God as we are co-laborers together with God. Labor is a work intensive term involving action on our part. I often wonder what God would have done in my own life if I had done a better job with my part of the relationship. Foutunatly, everyday the dance is new, as is His grace and faithfulness. Everyday, today, is an opportunity to do my part.

The illustration in Matthew is one of forgiveness which will be our topic this coming Sunday. The power of forgiveness on our part not only impacts our relationships here but it enables us to recieve the forgiveness we need from God. Maybe you can find the time to pre-study this topic in preparation for the coming Lord’s Day.