Tory Farina

NO NOTES!

I can only imagine that sky diving is like what happened on Sunday! It was a busy weekend. We had the blood drive and I had a few other things rolling through my head with set up and tear down. I had some how lost my focus because I left my notes on the second row when i went to greet a family.

To my Horror at offering time I was enjoying Elizabeth's talk and then it hit me... What happened to my notes folder?

I was in a Panic... I got up and searched in the usual places. And then I heard the intro video call me. It was time and I was out there riding the wild edge. So I walked up focused my mind and went for it.

Note free is like a tightrope walker working without a net. If you forget then your dead. But I guess this taught me an amazing lesson. If you cant remember it while your up there how will people remember it when they leave? OUCH. I am realizing that sometimes the more complicated isn't always the better message. I am Realizing that the simplicity of our stories and our message is key and that the most important is the application. Can I walk out of here with something tangible to do?

We Had a great week again... I feel like we are really in a stride right now. I also felt this week a neat thing happen. I felt that most of the crowed on Sunday was rooting me on. I know it sounds silly so let me explain. For most of the 2 years when I would look out at the crowed I would feel like people were sitting back unsure about me or the church or what they were feeling from God. But this week I felt like most people were there because it was there home and we were family. I have been excited to see the transition. Studies say that it takes 18 months for a person to really connect with a church and make a decision if they are going to stay. I felt like most of the people on Sunday had made that decision and were excited about our future.

I am wonderfully challenged and Excited about our Future!

Highlights...

• We had 160  people again! WOW... people matter and we are seeing growth each season of the church. I love it because it means we are healthy. Healthy things Grow!
• 20 people gave blood. That means we gave 60 people a second chance at life. Pray that the blood we gave will draw people to Christ.
• People filled out involvement cards without being asked. I love when people say, "Use me!" It fills me with a sense of... YES! we can do it!
• Andrea and Orion Worley did the planning and implementation of the blood drive and did an outstanding job.

Notes from Sunday...

Natural Disaster

WE’RE HERE TO RESCUE THE WORLD

EPH 2:10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Jesus came to rescue us Super Naturally and we were commissioned to rescue the world Naturally

GAL 6:9-10 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

DON’T GROW WEARY ----

SO MUCH NEED

NOT ENOUGH HELP –

PEOPLE ARE DRAFTING OFF OF US

2 THESS 3:13 and as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right.

MAYBE WE DON’T DO GOOD BECAUSE WE FORGOT TO..

HEB 13:16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

THOUGHT SOMEONE ELSE DID IT

OUT OF ROUTINE

IN A HURRY

DISTRACTED

IN THE BACK SEAT… NO NOISE

Prov 3:27 Do not withhold good from those who deserve it,
       when it is in your power to act.

James 3:17… full of mercy and good deeds…

MERCY – PITY ON THEM EVEN WHEN IT’S THEIR OWN FAULT…

1 timothy 6:17-19 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

Give

Turkeys

at Thanksgiving

$10 per turkey

 

What a week... part 2

Monday... One last thought on Monday. I loved hanging with some of the brightest minds I know. I was able to ask some questions about High Point and get some Ideas. I love hanging with people smarter then me.

Tuesday... This was a gauntlet of a day.

• It started, after a tough night sleep in a strange bed, early. We went to the national headquarters of the Assemblies of God and started our day with chapel. It was the Christian honky-tonk version of Mannheim Steamroller. I know, Strange.
• We spent from 9 am until after 1:30 with Dr. Wood. He is an amazingly charismatic, intelligent and genuine man. We from our youthfully perspective were able to interpret our lay of the land for him and he in his wise and stately position was able to walk us through some very important steps he is planning to help the AG become more relevant for the next generation.
• I am more convinced that you can tell a lot about the stories a leader tells. Dr. Wood told some amazing Stories. He has an office full of paintings and pictures and an amazing piece made of sheep's wool. Each piece has a story behind it and many of the pieces speak to Gods amazing work behind the scenes of humanity. I love hearing stories about God's work in the supernatural.
• We talked about everything from who would be a good council speaker to how do we get more young ministers involved. We spoke passionately and he listened then asked more questions. It was a treat.
• We meet with GPH the printing and publishing arm of the AG. That was an interesting meeting. They are doing well fiscally but out of touch to the more contemporary new church like the five of our churches. I think they heard an honest assessment of what we were looking for and I am hopeful that they will begin to make some changes to resource us, the local church. It is a hard line between satisfying your bottom line and resourcing your churches. I think that there is a market that might take some time to build that will accomplish both more effectively.
• Dinner- Dr Wood brought us to his new home which was a fantastic place. He laughingly said, "I have always wanted a home with a view." It has that. We at together and laughed together for a long time we talked about Dr. Gene Scott and Dr Wood made this statement. "He knew about God enough to talk about him. But he know Who God was enough to not talk directly to him." (This Guy was a brilliant theologian that became wacky on a TV show and became a negative and loony example of a television preacher.) We talked about life in ministry and for us Young Bucks it was fun to hear the years of ministry experience come through. We were able to ask open and honest questions about beliefs, methodology, experience and life in ministry. He shared his life with us and we were so much the better for it.
• We prayed at the end of the night and I found it to be the most energizing time we had.

I walked into this day not knowing what to expect and what to think. I walked out Feeling a confirmation that we have the right leader in the right position. It was a truly spectacular day.

Wednesday- I flew home and felt like my little girl had grown another inch longer. We went to lunch and spent time together at the MOA. I love Tuchi Benuchi so we had a little chicken Parm. Later we watched the show "Life" it is a fun and interesting show.

Thursday- FULL Day! I started the day at the office cleaning up projects... then went to chapel at NCu to hear my uncle preach a great message about doing ministry in the rural setting. It isn't for me but it sounded good. Then I rushed down to meet my old Youth Pastor for lunch. He is coming to speak for us one of these weeks. I am so excited to share him with you. He was foundational in my life. I have so many stories about him and trips we went on and times we had. I will save them for another time. Then I went back to the office to clean up more work. The sermon I had been working On i felt I needed to change so Went back to the drawing board and then... Off to a fund raising dinner at "The Depot" down town for NCU.

I look forward to this every year. I get to see old friends and make new ones. It is a blast. E and I give every year. I thoroughly believe in education and one day will go on to get my masters degree...

Friday- Message day... Then Connection group...

I love my connection group. we have such good conversations. We talked about scripture. It was refreshing.

Then I watched "Transformers" truly more than meets the eye.

Saturday- I slept in a little this morning. I am trying to catch you up and get back to my message.

***Final Thoughts***

I am truly humbled at what God has given me. I Think about the church and the home and wife and child I have. Some days it is good just to think about all the beauty in your life.

Psalm 19 speaks of the heavens declaring the glory of God. I think about how my life declares the glory of God. I am truly not the cause of what is good in my life. It is truly God!

What a week... part1

Ill try and recap things as they happened starting with Sunday and then moving through today.

Sunday- It was another great week. We saw people respond to the message of

Stop... when the fires of live start to rage.

Drop... to your knee and get below the smoke of the situation.

Roll... Let things roll of your back and leave them in Gods hands.

It was another good attendance day. I am encouraged because whenever you do a mailer you are unsure of the results but I feel like this has been our best turn out from the mailer and our best season of keeping those who are visiting. It has been a lot of fun.

Don't miss this week. There are still some spots open for the blood drive.

Monday... I spent the morning with E and O. They are my favorite people to spend a morning with. We made some chicken tortilla bean soup. It is so good and good for you as well. I love my wife's cooking.

Then I hit a plane for Springfield Missouri. I tell you this is the strangest place to have the National Headquarters for the Assemblies of God which is the credentialing organization that our Pastoral team is connected with. I got in around 7:30 and met up with some of my blogging friends. Paul Stewart, Mark Batterson, Brad Leach, Jeff Leake and George P.Wood. We went to a little dive called Mexican Villa that was Marks trip down memory lane. He told us stories and had to take a picture or two. I on the other hand left my camera in my bag in the car.

Paul my best friend who is going to Des Moines as there small group pastor and I spent and hour or two being friends and talking life with one another. We have both been walking through some stressful days.

It is always good to step away from life for a few hours this trip was less than 48 hours but it was a gauntlet, But I came home much more relaxed.

Ill tell you more in a few... I have an uncle in law speaking at North Central University today and Have to go support the team.

it is the simple things in life...

I am working on my message and just had a thought that seemed so simple but after thinking and praying about it I realize that God wants to take the bible and help us apply it to our lives as simply as possible. There are complex deep mysteries in this great ancient text but man I'm I glade that there are also some simple truths that we don't really connect with some times...

Sundays Simple Preview... Ill be interested to see how this fleshes out but here it is...

Stop...  When the fires of life come... and they will come. We have to choose life before fire and Stop. Focus on God and realize that he takes care of things...

Drop... Get below the smoke and get away... He promised that if we will 1st... not second... focus on him he will supply our needs.

Roll... most fires that we deal with in life are not as urgent as they seem. There is often a lot of smoke and heat but in reality the fire can be put out by a small amount of water... So Roll with it...

See how things change for Sunday!

Pei Wei, Prayer and creativity

The Team minus E and I cranking out our next four months of our series. We have some great stuff on the way. We had so much to work with we actually planned another two months ahead.

Let me say that this is going to be a great season for us. We are jazzed to have our two year anniversary coming up I am so excited to see what God has been up to this year in your life. We are going to open our Impossible envelopes and see what God has done.

Pray that these messages impact people in new and fresh ways.

The big TRI meeting

I don't know what this meeting should be called. The big TRI sounds fun. A few months ago we started a new planning concept. We decided that we work at High Point in Trimesters based on the season of life that we all live in. Fall, Spring and Summer.

We are meeting tonight as a team to pray, plan and chart the preaching course for the spring trimester. It is going to be AWESOME!

Pray for us. Pray that God will speak and that he will keep us walking in step with him. Pray we can impact this region with a creative and innovative presentation of Christ and his message.

Ill try and get some pictures up of the meeting a little later.

Sunday Review 10-13-07

Domestic Disturbance was an aw some Sunday!

We hit over 160 in attendance again and Kicked of connection groups but more importantly I feel like God gave me a good word to share for families in crises.

I watched at the end as hands went up all over the place crying out to God for a restoration and renewal in families. I watched people as they walked out wiping tears from there eyes. (Now I know crying is not the evidence of heart change but I do know that most people only cry when something really grabs them.) It was a powerfully day! I am so excited about what God is doing at High Point right now!

Get into a Connection Group! We have a ton of things going on especially the "Starting Point" Group... If you are new to Christ, testing out the waters or its been a long time sense you have been apart of a church let me know I want you to connect with us on Friday nights. It should be a great time of discovery and getting to connect with God and one another... don't miss it.

How rockin was the Bad Boys tune the "house band" did after the offering! I love our church!

here are some of my notes...

Domestic disturbance

Gods Roles for our Family

Colossians 3:18-20 message Wives, understand and support your husbands by submitting to them in ways that honor the Master. Husbands, go all out in love for your wives. Don't take advantage of them. Children, do what your parents tell you. This delights the Master no end. Parents, don't come down too hard on your children or you'll crush their spirits.

Your family is on a mission and Each person plays a role…

What is your families God given mission?

Men your job is to lead your family into Gods great unknown... Women your job is to come in step and together you can go father then you could alone.

Role of wives: Colossians 3:18 Wives, understand and support your husbands by submitting to them in ways that honor the Master.

Submission- The Greek word means “to arrange one’s self under a delegated authority”

Ephesians 5:21: “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

Marriages are like a bridge and when we are bent in support to one another we can carry the weight of the world but when one of us is no longer submitting to one another then the weight of the world can crush us.

Role of the husband…

19 niv Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

First step in “God rescuing your family” is to Respect and Honor and love and support your spouse…

BEST THING YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR KIDS – LOVE EACH OTHER… Be there example of love…

Second step in “god rescuing your family is” To cry out to him in Prayer

Parents to Children

21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

Ways we embitter our Kids

IGNORE THEM

SHOW FAVORITISM

·        Think there all the same

·        Show No affection

·        Over indulge them

·        Insult them

·        Discipline to harshly or not enough

·        Insult them

·        Be inconsistent

·        Be phony

Action steps

·        Ask for help

·        Tell them you love them

·        Pray for them- no one prayers for your kids more than you

Children to Parents

20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

Ephesians 6:1-3 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the first commandment with promise: ‘that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.’”

Obedience with your parents is the starting block for all authority in life

Obedience is Practice for Hearing Gods Voice…

God wants to work on each role in the family

Wives- Husbands- Kids

God wants to Work a Miracle in family’s in crisis

Psalm 50: 15 (nlt) Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.”

I love that when we call on the Lord He hears us and responds!

-How Cool was it to have a Police bike on the stage?-

Friday with my Ladies...

I worked really hard this week and didn't really have a day off so I took a much needed Friday off. Rest is the ultimate save to lack of creativity. When you are tired you can not be creative. God has called each one of us to live on the cusp of creativity and that means some days we need to pack the family up and head out to still water to look at all the useless stuff that they sell in the hundred or so stores there.

We ate at a great restaurant called "Savories" It was a little French restaurant with great food and awesome deserts. Check it out when your up on the river. I spent a half an hour lost in a "antique" store that was more like a junk yard than and antique store. It is amazing how much junk they had there. But what is the saying... "one mans junk is another mans treasure"...?

I would go back to Stillwater. It was nice to visit.

I am wrong...

I was wrong the other day. I know it is hard to believe but I was writing on a post on a blog that I moderate called www.futureag.blogspot.com. I said two things out of frustration I shouldn't have.

I was ticked at a guy who told me that I needed to preach more like he likes and less like I do. He said at the end of His post... I teach in this certain method and only people 50+ that are Christians come.

This torqued me because I think we have got to be less concerned about ourselves and realize that the church is not about or for us. We are the church and like any body we have a role and a function. If we want to cater our church to our likes and dislikes that is cancerous. But when we realize that the church is us on mission then We stop saying I don't like and that and start saying I can help change that to make it more friendly for my friend who is coming Sunday. See the difference. One is self focused and the other is externally focused.

So I had to apologize because I said "That is my problem... If I would just preach in that method then I could have Christians over 50 come to the church..." I was trying to be sassy and say that I am happy that we are reaching younger than 50 who are not church goers predominantly. But I shouldn't have been so cynical. I should have said nothing and let the guy's statement stand on its own. I was wrong. So I apologized.

I said something else I apologized for but it wasn't as biting as this was. Just thought you should know that your pastor makes mistakes and says things he shouldn't.

I hope you can identify:)

I should start practicing these sayings...

Top Ten Dumb Things Parents Say
10. Because I said so!
9. Clean up that pigsty you call a room!
8. What part of "no" don’t you understand?
7. When I was your age...
6. Money doesn’t grow on trees.
5. This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you!
4. Eat your dinner! There are starving children...
3. You better cut out that crying, or I’ll give you something to cry about!*
2. If your brother jumped off a bridge...
1. This is my final warning...

That was my dads favorite... I wonder if Ill use it?