Sunday Gameplan – Oct. 21st and 28th

31 10 2007

Taken from Adams blog.
Music set Oct. 21st:

What I’ve done – Lincoln Park (Prelude)
We Shine – Steve Fee
Marvelous Light – Charlie Hall
Mighty to Save – United (didnt get to do because of broken string)
From the Inside Out – United
Jesus paid it all – Chris Tomlin
The Reason – Hoobastank

Worship set this week:

LIVE TO WORSHIP – NEW LIFE WORSHIP
NOT TO US – CHRIS TOMLIN
O WORSHIP THE KING – DAVID CROWDER
FOR WHO YOU ARE – UNITED
HERE IN YOU PRESENCE – NEW LIFE WORSHIP
I STAND AMAZED – CHRIS TOMLIN


Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : Sunday Gameplan

Proud Dad

31 10 2007

There is nothing like the pride of being a parent when you hear something your child did, said, accomplished or learned that just makes your heart swell.

Monday, Mariah was attending pre-school as usual. They were talking about the story of Balaam and the talking Donkey from the Old Testament. At school Mariah was the only one in the class who knew the story when the teacher asked who knew it. The teacher told Sabrina that the other kids had no clue what the story was and Mariah knew it. I was so proud of her.

Each night (barring extenuating circumstances) we have family devotions around the dinner table. It can be pretty funny. We read through the Bible, one story at a time, out of a childrens Bible story book. Then each of us pray for someone we know. It’s been such a joy to see our children become “prayers”. I keep telling Makalah she’s going to be a prayer warrior. She loves to pray it seems like. Sometimes we have to keep ourselves from laughing it is so cute.

I remember family devos as a young kid. At times I HATED it. I wanted to go outside and play. Turn on the boob tube or do anything but pray and read the Bible. Know what? Because my parents made it a priority it made me into who I am today. Influenced the way I parent. Because it helped me so much, I now know the value of it for my kids, even when they may not feel like doing it at the time.

I am so proud of my kids. Can they be a handful? Well, is there sugar in syrup? THEN YES! But seeing God in the little child is a beautiful thing. Jonah, as wild as he can be, has a gentle spirit. He’s always concerned about other kids. Other people. Wants them to be included. He loves serving at church already and at the soup kitchen (when we make it). Anyway, this is getting too long.

If my heart swells when my kids do godly things, how must our God feel when we do things in His name? When we live for Him? Chase holiness with reckless abandon? Defend the defenseless and fight for the oppressed? When we stand for truth and justice? When we share our faith, pray, seek, love, hope? I have a feeling His heart swells too.

Proud Dad,

Jeff


Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : Parenting

Pictures

31 10 2007

Here is a picture slide show from Church on Sunday. We taught on worship so thought we’d build a set design with some “traditional” flares to them. We borrowed some Hymnals from a local church in town to display with candles. We also built two giant stained glass window replicas. Funny thing is, at least 2 people thought they were surfboards, and one person thought they were idols. LOL We should have clarified. We’ll reuse them again. I want to know what the thoughts in the peoples minds were as they were trying to figure out what surfboards had to do with worship. If we ever do a beach theme we can pull them back out.
You can also go here or click on the slide show to view in a larger format or check out other Element pictures.


Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : pictures, updates

Father to Son

31 10 2007

Read some great words today in my devotions that David said to his son Solomon before anointing him as king. They kind of go along with our sermon on Sunday and with this whole task of “building a church”. The really stood out to me.

1 Chronicles 28:9-10 “And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. So take this seriously. The Lord has chosen you to build a Temple as his sanctuary. Be strong, and do the work.”

Wow. Did you know that God has chosen YOU as well. He has chosen you to DO His work. As David said “So take this seriously”. Ephesians 2:10 says that we are God’s masterpiece, created to do “good works” which He has prepared in advance for us to do. God has planned some “building the Temple” type things for YOU and for ME. And if we don’t do them, they won’t get done, for God prepared them for US to do. Those words from David are challenging and convicting words for us as we live our our lives and God sized purposes God lays out before us.

More to come on this on Sunday. I’M STOKED!!

Following Christ,

Jeff


Comments : 1 Comment »

Categories : discipleship

Purpose of this blog

31 10 2007

I’ve learned recently from some Elementers of some new readers to the blog. I’m glad people from our church and others are reading up. This is a great tool for Element Church folk, family, friends, and onlookers to be kept up to date with the happenings of Element Church, and some personal family moments as well. I am excited that people are following along and enjoying the blog. With that said, I wanted to share the purpose of my blog. I have open comments so people can make comments if they like. However, I typically don’t respond to comments (good or bad). This blog will not be a forum to debate or discuss with anyone doctrines, beliefs, or strategies. It’s a place to share from my heart. If anyone would like to discuss those issues, I’d be glad to take you to Starbucks, meet in my office or swing on the swingset at the park while we talk. Seriously though, if someone wants to talk about anything on this blog I’ll be glad to in person. Anyway, with the increased blog readership I thought I should post that. I also added a disclaimer to the top right portion of my blog. Please feel free to comment, just understand I probably won’t respond. I do enjoy reading comments. Ok, PEACE!

Following Christ,

Jeff


Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : Random

Excited!

30 10 2007

I’m working on my sermon right now and am totally pumped about the message this week. We’re talking about our core value of Significance. I believe in this core value for God’s people so much it hurts. I’m preaching on a passage I’ve never preached before and it is challenging me to the core. Adam and I met today to discuss the creative elements of the next couple of weeks and am excited about that as well.

If you’re an Elementer, don’t miss this Sunday. I truly believe that what we are going to talk about is something our enemy the devil does not want us to figure out cause it will destroy his cause. I believe so strongly that God through the local church and HIS people is the hope of the world. If we as God’s people don’t RISE UP. If we as the church don’t CHANGE the way we do things, we may as well pack our bags and go home. MAN, I can’t wait for Sunday. I need someone to preach to right now.

Well, now I probably over sold our service and you’ll come and be dissapointed. Had to get that off my chest. I can’t wait for Sunday.

Following Christ,

Jeff


Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : Random, updates

Sunday Night Rumination (on Monday morning)

29 10 2007

ruminate |ˈroōməˌnāt| verb [ intrans. ] 1 think deeply about something : we sat ruminating on the nature of existence. 2 (of a ruminant) chew the cud.

Grant and Adam that phrase is now copyrighted “2007 Jeff Maness“

What a day. I forgot to blog last night so I’m doing this Monday morning right before staff meeting. Again, I am humbled and blown away to be a part of what God is doing. I still have so much to learn as a lead pastor and so much more room to grow. I feel like at any moment I could mess this whole thing up somehow. Several weeks ago in my devotions I read of Solomon when he asked God for wisdom. A phrase he used made me feel a lot like him in that moment. In 1 Kings 3:7 “Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around.” That’s how I feel a lot of the time. God is running and I’m chasing after him like a little kid. I just want to make sure that God is the one running ahead and I’m following. That is the key.

— 206 in church yesterday. Amazes me! 5 decisions for Christ. As of today 15 people have indicated that they have made first time decisions to follow the Lord.

— $2144.30 in the offering. God continues to have his people give.

— Yesterday we talked about our core value of worship. How worship is so much more than singing. Worship is ALL LIFE. Romans 12 “Offer your bodies as living sacrifices…this is your spiritual act of worship”.

— Adam and I tag teamed a message. It was hard, yet good to do. Since we were talking about worship I wanted the people to hear from Adam’s heart about worship. Neither Adam or I “felt” good during the whole service. I think God was making us learn from our message cause we talked the whole time about how we cannot base whether worship was good by a feeling. HA, nothing like God preaching at the preachers.

— We have received several comments on the service and message yesterday. Worship is hard to preach on because everyone has their own opinion on it. All in all it was a great day. People got saved and that’s what it is all about.

— Our volunteers are out of this world. They have been SO HUGE for us. I wish I could say it differently to them but all I can say from the bottom of my soul is “THANK YOU!” I’ve had at least 2 comments since Sunday on how great our greeters are.

— Staff meeting needs to start. I love our God, our church and our team. PEACE

Following Christ,

Jeff


Comments : 1 Comment »

Categories : Sunday Rumination, updates

Devotional thoughts…

24 10 2007

Oswald Chambers says: When we are born again, the Holy Spirit begins to work His new creation in us, and there will come a time when there is not a bit of the old order left; the old solemnity goes, the old attitude to things goes, and “all things are of God”. How are we going to get the life that has no lust, no self-interest, no sensitiveness to pokes, the love that is not provoked, that thinketh no evil, that is always kind? The only way is by allowing not a bit of the old life to be left; but only simple perfect trust in God, such trust that we no longer want God’s blessings, but only want Himself. Have we come to the place where God can withdraw blessings and it does not affect our trust in Him?

Wow. A lot like what we talked about on Sunday. God wants to change me. He wants to change my appetites, my actions and my attitudes. Are we there? Where we no longer want God’s blessings but JUST God Himself? What a wonderful place to be.

2 Kings 18:32 Sennacherib was threatening an attack on Jerusalem. His chief of staff informed the Israelites that they had no chance. No other god had ever stood up to this great king of Assyria. Then King Sennacherib offered the Israelites this. “Then I will arrange to take you to another land like this one — a land of grain and new wine, bread and vineyards, olive groves and honey. Choose life instead of death.” Sound familiar? Isn’t that the same land that God was offering the Israelites of they would just obey?

The devil tries to offer us a counterfeit “Promise Land”. Counterfeit “Life”. BUT HE CAN’T. The land he offers might appear to have grain, new wine, bread, vineyards, olive groves and honey. But it’s a desolate land that eventually is parched and barren.

Like the Israelites, we too have our own King Sennacherib who will try to offer us a counterfeit “Promise Land”.

Following Christ

Jeff


Comments : 1 Comment »

Categories : discipleship

Good progress today

23 10 2007

We were able to work through our sermon series all the way up until next Fall. It was great to get some stuff hashed out and start talking about coming sermon series. Some of the issues over the next year we’ll be tackling are going to be VERY tough to tackle but we feel that they need to be addressed. It’s nice to start talking about creative elements months in advance.

We love the theater and the feel and vibe we get in there. I love not having to worry about a building payment and upkeep. It is actually going to be hard for me to leave the theater when we have to. At the rate we are growing right now that “have to” moment may come too soon. We actually went and looked at a building today. We are always searching out options and seeing what is out there so we know what our possibilities are.

Looking forward to tomorrow and getting some stuff for this Sunday finalized.

Following Christ,

Jeff


Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : Random, updates

Sunday Pictures

23 10 2007

Here is a link to some pictures from our Sunday stage set up. You can see our giant Lite Brite we used for an illustration.

Pictures Link


Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : pictures

« Previous Entries