Pastor's Blog

On January 17, 2010 at 10am, Hope Church will “officially launch” as a brand new, gospel-centered, Spirit-filled, multi-cultural church here in the Henry / Clayton County area of Southeast Metropolitan Atlanta! Our venue will be the Clayton County Schools Performing Arts Center.

A few months ago, we moved our administrative offices north a few miles. At that time, we were in a smaller, one-room office suite in McDonough. We relocated to the larger, multi-room administrative suite that we now secure in Stockbridge/Jonesboro. This is where we house our current Sunday morning worship gatherings, as well as our Bible studies & various launch team training meetings.

After being here a few months – It’s nice to finally get a sign up on the building!

To learn more about Hope Church, click HERE. To join our movement, click HERE.

This past Sunday at Hope Church was a little different. We interviewed a godly couple in our church, Miles & Sharon Reynor. They’ve been married for over 25 years. They shared their story of how they both came to Christ at a young age, and how they were very involved in serving the Lord as young single adults.

They told us how they met at a gym — and how it was love at first sight! How they dated for 6 months and then had a beautiful wedding.

They talked about how they prayed and asked God for a healthy boy and a healthy girl — and God blessed them accordingly. They told us how they prayed together as a family, how they went to church together, how they sent their kids to the best private schools, and how they taught their children the Scriptures.

Then the interviewer asked them, “What was the most difficult thing you experienced as parents endeavoring to raise their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord?”

Here is Miles ~ in his own words…

“The toughest thing we went through as parents happened on our daughter’s 16th birthday. Our daughter was preparing to go out with a group of her friends. I was lying on the couch with my feet up. The doorbell rang and a few of my daughter’s girlfriends came in to get her. As they were all about to walk out the door, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart very clearly and said, “Stop them — and don’t let her go!” So immediately I called for my daughter and her friends to all come back inside. My daughter said, “What is it daddy?!” I could tell she was embarrassed. At the same time, my older son who was home from college said, “Uh-oh…daddy’s about to preach to y’all!”

At that very moment, I was warring inside… It was like the Holy Spirit was telling me, “Don’t let her go Miles, something bad is going to happen!” but at the same time, another voice was telling me, “Leave her alone, you’re embarrassing her in front of her friends.”

So, after a few moments of looking at them real crazy, I finally said, “Go on ~ be safe…and have a good time.”

As soon as they walked out of that door, I knew that I had disobeyed the voice of the Holy Spirit.

My wife and I later found out — that was the night our daughter lost her virginity…

But as if that wasn’t enough… In her very first sexual encounter — she had gotten pregnant.

I – was – devastated  …

I couldn’t believe this had happened to my family. I mean, I dated my daughter… She’s always been Daddy’s Little Princess! My wife & I taught our children the Word of God. We taught them to keep their gift of virginity to give to their spouse after their weddings.

My initial thoughts were, “How could this be happening to us?! How could God allow this to happen to MY family?!”

I was angry with God… Why didn’t God stop this from happening!!! (as if He didn’t speak to me by His Spirit.)

I sank into deep depression. I didn’t want to go to work. I didn’t want to eat. All I wanted to do was lay in bed with the blinds closed.

After a few weeks, I went with my daughter to visit her doctor for a prenatal visit. The doctor gave us some amazing news that really revealed God’s sense of humor… After identifying my daughter’s stage of gestation, the doctor said the baby would be born on July 5th…

You see, July 5th is MY birthday.

We knew that it was highly unlikely for the baby to be born on that exact day, but sure enough, our daughter went into labor on July 4th, and the baby was born on my birthday. God is so amazing. My grandson is the most beautiful, precious person you could ever lay your eyes on…and I love him, and my daughter, so much.”

Here are some of the lessons gleaned from Miles & Sharon’s testimony:

1. When God speaks to you, through His word and/or by His Spirit — LISTEN to Him, and OBEY.
2. Parents, don’t try to be your child’s friend at the expense of being his or her parent.
3. You must be willing to have the “tough talks” with your children, even at the risk of embarrassment or inconvenience.
4. All of us have made parenting mistakes. Repent for your sins, apologize to your children, and move forward. Don’t worry — you’ll have another chance to do better with tomorrow’s next test!
5. Crises don’t just visit bad parents… They visit us all.
6. A family’s success isn’t defined by the absence of crisis; What matters most is how you respond to the crisis.

Some related Scriptures to consider:

Psalm 73:25-26 Whom have I in heaven but you? and there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart (and even my family) may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 

John 2:5 “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

Luke 12:12 …the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.

John 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things…

I’m a pretty disciplined guy. My days require a lot of structure and organization. Mornings start early for me…I drop my wife off at the park-and-ride station, and then I drop our daughter off at school. After that — the “organized chaos” begins!

To start with, our 2 year old son is with me pretty much all day every day. We made that decision to aviod the additional day care expense.

Keeping a 2 year old all day might not sound like an overwhelming task to some, but when you’re the lead pastor of a brand new church, things can sometimes get a bit sticky. There are meetings & conference calls, study & sermon writing, lunch appointments with key leaders, correspondence with visitors & guests, coffee with someone on my list of “who I’d like to reach” list, dinner with a new family, or leadership stuff with our elder candidates.

And while getting all those things done — I still have to structure time for daddy-duty FIRST!!! That means cooking breakfast, changing pull-ups, working on potty training every hour, watching “Your Baby Can Read” videos, laying the big boy down for his nap at a consistent hour every day (thank GOD for nap time!), fixing lunch & snacks, reading flash cards, and throwing in some random, good-ole’ fashioned rough-housing!! Truth is, I’ve learned EVERY character on Sesame Street! I can sing the jingle to “Curious George” backwards and forwards! I can do every goofy dance with “Sid the Science Kid!” And after all the singing, dancing, and church planter stuff — I still have to pick up my daughter & wife from after-school & park-and-ride. Sure there are some days where I don’t finish all the items on the “to do” list, but overall, I’d like to think I’m doing a pretty decent job at being a husband, a father, and a pastor.

Lately, I’ve realized that I’ve been a bit stressed. You know the feeling… It’s when you follow through on your disciplines & you’re still getting stuff done, but yet your fuse is a little shorter and your patience is a bit thinner.

Earlier today, while having a phone conversation with one of my friends and mentors, I yelled at my 2 year old son for something that didn’t deserve that harsh of a reaction. I immediately felt terrible, not because someone heard it, but because I was disciplining my son out of frustration — and I knew that wasn’t pleasing to God.

My friend talked with me about the extra stress I was feeling. I told him we were waiting until January to put our 2 yr old into daycare. I told him that would help the church by keeping my salary as low as possible…Then, he helped me to see that by not putting our son in daycare sooner — I was doing everyone an injustice — including myself, my son, and our church.

Before hanging up, he told me he was sending me a check in the mail to cover the registration & daycare for the entire month of December.

…I’m feeling better already.

by Craig Groeschel

Becoming obsessed with what people think about you is the fastest way to forget what God thinks about you.

My mom taught me the common truth, “You can’t please everyone.”

From my observation, ministers seem to be more vulnerable to people-pleasing than most professions.

In reality, we should be the most resolved of all not to live for the applause of men but the approval of God.

• Don’t let anyone talk you out of following God’s voice.
• Don’t let anyone’s criticism distract you from your passion.
• Don’t long for affirmation before you move forward.

Say what God prompts you to say. Go where God leads you to go. Do what God puts on your heart. Let go of living for people. Become obsessed with living for God.

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 To all our veterans — we solute you today.

Today, many of our armed forces servicemen & women will be in their uniforms or fatigues. When you spot them, here are a few simple ways that you can bless them and show your appreciation:

1.   Go over to them and actually express your gratitude and appreciation for their service to our country. Might sound corny, but they’ll really appreciate it.

2.   Invite a veteran and his or her family over to your house for a nice, tasty home-cooked meal. (key word ~ tasty!)

3.   Listen to a veteran. Let them talk and share, and don’t interrupt them…really, really listen.

4.   Do something nice or special for their children.

5.   Purchase their gas at the gas station.

6.   Baby-sit their kids for the evening so that they can have a nice quiet evening out, or a quiet evening at home.

7.   If you see a uniformed veteran in your rearview mirror at a drive thru, pay for their meal at the window!

8.   Gift cards to their favorite shop, restaurant or store.

9.   Stop by your local drycleaner, ask them to spin the rack and see if they have any military uniforms (they’ll do it!) and you pay the ticket!

10.  Pray for them and their families.

Click the “comments” button to give a shout-out our veterans!

by Jim Elliff

1.   Because a little sin leads to more sin.

2.   Because my sin invites the discipline of God.

3.   Because the time spent in sin is forever wasted.

4.   Because my sin never pleases but always grieves God who loves me.

5.   Because my sin places a greater burden on my spiritual leaders.

6.   Because in time my sin always brings heaviness to my heart.

7.   Because I am doing what I do not have to do.

8.   Because my sin always makes me less than what I could be.

9.   Because others, including my family, suffer consequences due to my sin.

10.  Because my sin saddens the godly.

11.  Because my sin makes the enemies of God rejoice.

12.  Because sin deceives me into believing I have gained when in reality I have lost.

13.  Because sin may keep me from qualifying for spiritual leadership.

14.  Because the supposed benefits of my sin will never outweigh the consequences of disobedience.

15.  Because repenting of my sin is such a painful process, yet I must repent.

16.  Because sin is a very brief pleasure for an eternal loss.

17.  Because my sin may influence others to sin.

18.  Because my sin may keep others from knowing Christ.

19.  Because sin makes light of the cross, upon which Christ died for the very purpose of taking away my sin.

20.  Because it is impossible to sin and follow the Spirit at the same time.

21.  Because God chooses not to respect the prayers of those who cherish their sin.

22.  Because sin steals my reputation and robs me of my testimony.

23.  Because others once more earnest than I have been destroyed by just such sins.

24.  Because the inhabitants of heaven and hell would all testify to the foolishness of this sin.

25.  Because sin and guilt may harm both mind and body.

26.  Because sins mixed with service make the things of God tasteless.

27.  Because suffering for sin has no joy or reward, though suffering for righteousness has both.

28.  Because my sin is adultery with the world.

29.  Because, though forgiven, I will review this very sin at the Judgment Seat where loss and gain of eternal rewards are applied.

30.  Because I can never really know ahead of time just how severe the discipline for my sin might be.

31.  Because my sin may be an indication of a lost condition.

32.  Because to sin is not to love Christ.

33.  Because my unwillingness to reject this sin now grants it an authority over me greater than I wish to believe.

34.  Because sin glorifies God only in His judgment of it and His turning of it to good use, never because it is worth anything on it’s own.

35.  Because I promised God he would be Lord of my life.

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