Great to see fruit.

This morning at our men’s breakfast we began to discuss the events of the week. While some were discussing our desire for Winter Haven churches to share the gospel and to show fruit, we had a great testimony from a gentleman who has been attending Deep Roots since we began. It was encouraging because he shared that he was talking to a man on the street asking for some money to get a room for the night. The guy from our church, we will call him Frank, was amazed at himself for being led to tell this other gentleman that he needed Jesus. The other man discussed that he would not be acceptable in the eyes of Jesus because of his past. Frank though was not going to have it. Frank gave the man what he had to help the individual but on the condition that the man seek out a church and to give Jesus a chance.

It is stories like this that help to keep the church motivated to do what it does. This is what it is all about. People taking the time to really go out of their comfort zones to share the Gospel. If you had asked Frank if he would have really thought he would be able to share his faith with a stranger a few years ago, he would have stated that it would have been a real stretch for him.

I would like to encourage Frank and all of the rest of those in our community to continue to step out and to discuss the name of Christ to all of the people that you encounter each day. I know that it would please Jesus more than us just attending a comfortable church service on Sundays. Remember that we are not called to go to church, but rather to be the church.

Peace,

Mike

Priesthood of all Believing Fathers

One of the biggest issues in the church in North America today is our deniablity desire. With the Gospel and with the status that we are afforded by our position in Christ comes a great responsibility. Especially as men we have a grave responsibility to always be leading.

I was encouraged especially today by a young man in his twenties that was working in the Dunkin Donuts store this morning. I have been having short conversations about church with him while he gets our order prepared for our services. He stated his desire last week to attend church, and I was happy to extend an invitation to him to attend our church plant here in Winter Haven, Deep Roots Fellowship. This week as I came in, I mentioned that I probably wouldn’t see him today. He mentioned that he was the only man working in the home and that he had to take care of his family. While I am disappointed that we won’t see his family in church today, I completely understand his need to lead his family.

We need to not only be leaders in our family but also in our community and in the church. I am not suggesting that we go marching up to our Pastors and to throw our weight around with some issue that we want to address, but if you see sin in your community or congregation you need to be proactive about it. If you know things in your church are not being handled in a biblical way then you have a responsibility to defend in a biblical way the church. God will hold all believers in judgement for the times that we don’t stand up for the truth. How many of us are allowing sin: sexual, financial, and other forms to continue or not to be handled in biblical ways in our churches? Church is supposed to be a sanctuary where people can come to discover God without fear of the evils of the world. We are judged by our community to be hypocrites because of our lack of leadership in the church.

My prayer for you is that all men will become the leaders that God is calling them to be in their families, community, and churches. May God grant you the courage to be bold for you.

 

Holy Thursday

This night nearly two thousand years ago, Jesus prepared for his last moments here on Earth. He had done all that He could to pour himself into the twelve that he had selected. Regrettably, one of them would hand him over to those who sought to destroy Him, and the others would scatter when things would get dangerous. On this night, Jesus shared a meal with His followers as a symbol of the New Covenant that was to be established between God and men. He sweat literal blood in a garden while seeking in prayer the strength to face the next few hours that remained. And before the night was over he would voluntarily hand himself over to a court of men who were unworthy of conducting their illegal trial.

He did all of this because of Love. Love for you. Even if you feel you aren’t worthy of anyone’s love, even if you feel that no one can love you because of your past, He did.
He lived a perfect live for you that He gave up voluntarily because of the love He has for you. So, this evening, know that you are loved. Loved by the only one who can make your life everything that you could imagine and so much more.

Passion Week – Monday

Nearly two thousand years ago, the people of Jerusalem were going through their typical Monday routine. Many of them were wondering if the man whom they had cheered into the city the day before with palm leaves and shouts of “Hosanna!” would really be the one they had hoped would come. They were hoping that today would be the day that He took over. Yet, they also were making preparations for the Passover. They were spending time cleaning all of the house making sure that the tiniest bit of yeast was removed from the house. The yeast was a representation of their sin and they were required to cleanse their homes of it. Also, a lamb was selected to be the sacrifice for the family. Children were taking care of it and giving their families’ lamb names. In their hearts, they were not looking forward to having to slay the lamb because of their own sin. It made them consider the cost of their trespasses over the year.

Preview Service – December 6, 2009

Just a reminder to all of you that Deep Roots is having its third of four preview services. In each preview service we are taking a look each of our core values: Community, Service, Relationships, and Growth. This service will be dedicated to the topic of community. This is an area where the church has really messed up. Plan on being there at 10:00 am on Sunday the 6th of December. We meet at Polk State College in the Library Resources Building (WLR 106).

Thanksgiving

This past Thursday Deep Roots Fellowship participated in the feeding of the homeless in our city. We were able to feed approximately 100 homeless individuals from all walks of life from our city. They received a hot meal and were treated like real people. It was a tremendous experience for all involved. Not only were we able to help feed them on a traditional holiday a hot meal and share the love of Christ, we also had enough food left over that Street Angels is going to feed about 50 more individuals again Saturday. I am getting ready to head out there to check things out and to give away some sleeping bags other things that can be used during this cold season.

Thanksgiving brought in one of the first cold snaps of the season. The next morning we woke up to a temperature of 41 degrees. I know that we didn’t solve the problem of homelessness that day, but we made a difference because of how Christ was involved in our work. As I saw the interaction among our volunteers and church family with those being served, I saw love transferred. The homeless want to continue to have that love year round. That can happen if we continue to show love in our community.

Each day we need to capture that same spirit and to continue sharing Christ’s love to others in this city, nation, and world. I look forward to experiencing what Christ has in store for us next. I encourage each of you to discover where God wants you to share His love for others and grow closer to Him. This weekend many of the homeless that we fed didn’t continue to have meals. Some shelters and food banks gave their volunteers a much needed holiday.

There are many ways we can share Christ with others. Our church is going to be involved in continuing to help locally. This December we are feeding approximately 5,000 people a meal at The Mission’s “Children of the City” event on December 12th. At this event, parents register to be able to provide their children a small gift and the children receive a gift from Santa. Additionally, we are asking that you reflect on your own giving this year. Restore Christmas to the tradition that it should be. Take a moment to give relationally rather than superficially. Our congregation is going to take some of the money we would normally spend on Christmas gifts and using those funds to support Living Water (www.livingwater.cc). Living Water provides wells around the world so that people can have clean drinking water.

Grow Deeper,

Mike

Dead man walking

In John, chapter 11, Jesus raises his friend Lazarus from the dead. We discussed this in our sermon this past Sunday. There are a couple of things that I wanted to bring to your attention about this passage. One is that when you read through this, even on the worst day ever for the disciples, Mary and Martha, and for Lazarus, Jesus was in total control of the entire situation. The disciples feared getting close to Jerusalem and being killed, Mary and Martha just lost their brother Lazarus, and Lazarus died. (That makes for a bad day.)

Yet, Lazarus really had a worse day, when four days later Jesus called him from the presence of God in Heaven to come back to earth. You see, Lazarus was a believer in Christ and had a relationship with Christ. To him, death was a new beginning. Lazarus for four days enjoyed being with God in intimate relationship and worship. Then, Christ having the power of God, called him back from the dead. Talk about a bad day. One minute you are hanging out with the prophets and patriarchs talking about how silly Joshua must have looked leading the band around Jericho, and then the next minute he was standing in a dark tomb with smelly rags wrapped around his head, hands and feet.

It was all right though. Jesus was there, and when He is around, everything is possible to overcome.

Then there is the part of where Jesus is in control. Jesus used this moment to teach everyone around that He is the man! Not only can he heal the blind and restore the lame, Jesus has control over death. Now this is the real thing. When people begin to come back from the dead, people better start paying attention. How about you? Are you paying attention to Jesus?