Here are some highlights from Pastor Schmidt’s teaching today. You can hear the entire message by clicking on the podcast link to the right.
Vision, Part I-Physical Building, Part II-Spiritual Renewal, Part III-Celebration
This week we talked about Celebration. Here are some highlights (and especially the questions for reflection and life application)
CELEBRATION
- Worship on grand scale
- Pause for remembrance
- Not the end of the vision, but a MARKER of something important; a MILESTONE and a FOCAL POINT.
- CONNECTING the past (and everything that it took to get to this point) and the FUTURE (the continuation of the Vision)
SO WHAT?
What milestones in your walk with God need to be celebrated?
What milestones in the pursuit of this Vision need to be celebrated?
How do we make sure GOD is the center of the celebration?
How do we make sure we keep the MIRACLES of the Vision alive for the NEXT generation?
How will I participate in the Celebration/Dedication that’s coming up September 6?
How will I bring JOY to the celebration that’s coming up?
Nehemiah 12:30 The Purification process.
What’s significant about the order of purification?
SO WHAT?
What in my life do I need to cleanse/purify? How will I do that?
What in our church do we need to cleanse/purify? (what actions and attitudes have taken root that are contrary to God?)
How will we/I do that? How have we taken a step today? (confession/announcement of forgiveness)
How will we/I continue in that direction?
How will we dedicate “these stones” — this project — to God? Set it apart for His purposes?
Nehemiah encircling the walls (compare with Nehemiah’s night time tour in Nehemiah 2) and the people walking on the walls.
SO WHAT?
What do you remember about our journey in building these walls?
Were you there when we walked the site? Prayed over the land?
Remember those jars of dirt?
Anyone remember the time before that?
Remember some of the miracles we marked along the way? And now?
How will we continue to mark the miracles for the next generation?
Nehemiah 12: 43 So much rejoicing going on!
Why does God desire JOY to be an essential part of worship?
It is a call to come back to the essential Character of God.
Conclusion:
Who gets the credit? Who is remembered? Who is honored? Who fills us with JOY??? Who keeps us moving forward in mission — pursuing a vision that’s bigger than any one building? GOD.
We’ve already seen him do the impossible. SO…let’s pause to CELEBRATE that — to worship God — to thank and praise, to let the joy of the Lord lift our spirits, to THANK him for the privilege of taking us along for this incredible ride, and like Nehemiah and the people of Israel, letting us having a part in doing IMPOSSIBLE things….things that people said could not, and should not, be done, yet are — because NOTHING is impossible with God!!!!
Let’s celebrate with JOY!! As big as we can. And MARK it, remember it, celebrate it — for THIS GENERATION and for FUTURE GENERATIONS! So we continue to stay on the path that GOD has put before us! It’s been an incredible journey…and there’s even more coming….so let’s PAUSE to celebrate God — and to re-dedicate, to consecrate ourselves, to get ready for the next step.
“Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.”—Matthew 6:10.
What an amazing day! The morning was crazy and workers were still installing door handles, checking air conditioning wiring and ducts, wiring the monitors for the check in system, etc……
In the middle of the day, we had an opportunity to pray together and focus on the privilege of being a part of this important work.
Pastor directed the ribbon cutting ceremony and festivities. Our business partners and restaurants were very generous in their gifts of food and the Concordia ladies did up an amazing refreshments table! Together we were able to recognize how amazing it is to see a vision realized especially in the face of considerable obstacles along the way. It was good to recognize the hard work of the entire team. The Architect Tony Mansour, the amazing General Contractors, Good and Roberts (they had never seen a building this big go up so quickly), Rick Engineering Landscape Architects, David Poole (who stuck with us through 10 extensions in purchasing the property) of Brookfield Homes, etc.
The teachers worked hard getting their rooms up and when we ran out of time, they just hid the rest of the boxes as best they could. After the ribbon cutting, everyone got to tour the preschool from the amazingly wide hallway through the oneway glass into the classrooms so that the santized classrooms could stay pristine for the Monday morning first day of classes. The teachers will work yet again tomorrow.
Monday is going to be crazy. Pray for us as we welcome families to their new school (looks like the count is close to 90 on the first day and then on Tuesday another 20 or 30 first timers!)
Here are some photos to enjoy of the day.
This week we tackled Part 2 of Nehemiah – “Spiritual Renewal.”
Nehemiah 8:1-12
WHAT?
- Why, do you think the people were weeping after the reading of the Law?
- Isn’t there a proper place for “godly sorrow and repentance?”
- Why, do you think, the emphasis on JOY here?
- What is the essential character of God?
- How does God feel when people repent (Luke 15)?
- What happens to our sin when it is confessed and forgiven? How does that make you feel?
SO WHAT?
- Where do you need to recover Joy in your life?
- Where do we need to recover Joy in our churdch?
- How does the JOY of the Lord strengthen you?
- How do you get/increase the JOY of the Lord? Where does the WORD fit in?
- Where does CORPORATE WORSHIP and REMEMBRANCE fit in?
Nehemiah 8:13-18
WHAT?
- What was the wilderness to teach them?
- What had forgetting that story — or forgetting to “live out” that story — done for the spiritual life of the nation?
SO WHAT?
- How important is READING THE WORD to spiritual renewal?
- How important is REGULAR REMEMBRANCE to keeping your spiritual bearing?
- What plan/process do you have in place to make it so?
- Are there PLACES we’re not doing what the WORD says we should be doing, because it seems like no big deal? Is it a big deal? What needs to change?
Nehemiah 9:1
- After all this JOY comes another round of confession. Why?
Nehemiah 9:2
- 3 hours of Scripture, 3 hours of worship for 8 days during the Festival. Why weren’t they tired of it?
Nehmiah 9:4
- Notice how the prayer reflects the SCRIPTURE they had been reading.
SO WHAT?
- What are the implications for our inner life? And, specifically, for our Prayer Life? What’s the connection between WORD and PRAYER?
Nehemiah 9:7-38
SO WHAT?
- What ACTION does forgiveness “require”?
Nehemiah 10:30-39
- What were Israel’s “pet” sins?
SO WHAT?
- What are ours?
- Where are we out of line with God’s LAW or God’s VISION?
- What will we do about it?
WHAT?
- Mixed marriages. (Where are we tempted to compromise for the sake of expediency?)
- Sabbath. (Where are we tempted to try to find a “legal” wayaround God’s Law/principles?)
- Offerings. How are we tempted to have a similar attitude (taking care of me before God)? Do tough times change either the command or the promise of God?
- Firstfruits. A sign/pledge of what was to come. If we want BLESSINGS, who can we give leftovers? Do we want leftover blessings? What ARE you going to do about giving?
A time of CELEBRATION, DEDICATION, WORSHIP and then Nehemiah returns to Persia after 12 years of governor. What happened then?
They return to the same SINS!
- Why do you think that was? Do you think they kept that same fire/intensity for the WORD?
SO WHAT?
- Why do we need to keep hearing THE SAME THING from the Word over and over and over again?
- What, on the inside (spiritually) is not all as it should be right now?
- How can we rebuild and strengthen it?
- What do we need to do to take care of our “inner self” to build spiritual strength from the inside out?
- How can we help each other?
- How/Where do we recover the JOY of the LORD, which is our strength.
Next Steps:
- Memorize Psalm 127:1
- Pray 1 minute/day for the mission launch
- Read the Bible 5 minutes/day
- Discuss today’s “SO WHAT????” questions during the week.
- Form my own Bible Study group.
Last night’s photos. For complete prayer requests go to www.concordiatogether.com
(Note: Moving men not in photo-Dean Frost)
Pray for missionary Stephen Oliver and his family. He writes:
After a month in the hospital on complete bedrest before giving birth, and then after a month of recovery, mommy and baby are at home and doing well. Thanks so very much for everyone’s prayers and care during this time, when daddy was also the cheif cook and bottle washer at home with two year old Isaac!
Thank the Lord for a healthy little Gary and for mommy’s health and recovery.
Photo: First Family Devotions with Little Gary
Isaac helps read Bible stories for our first family devotion with little Gary after his birth.
Pastor’s teaching on Sunday took us through 6 chapters of Nehemiah on the topic of vision…..a timely one for Concordia.
“Vision begins with a heart burden” Nehemiah didn’t need to leave his cushy job (or we our comfortable home here on Oxford) except that Nehemiah had a burden for his people (we have a burden for those far from God).
“Vision begins with seeking God—-Nehemiah prayed day and night for four months. (We began praying and asking what God wanted of Concordia with our family meetings in 2004. Later, our vote was unanimous to pursue where we could have a greater impact for the Kingdom)
“Vision has its source and success in God.”
“Vision begins with confession—–deal with me so that I can do your work.”
“Give your servant success —– opportunity and favor.”
“Concordia vision: Reaching people far from God and providing environments where people feel at home and can take steps toward their real home — Jesus.”
“It’s not about buildings, its about heaven…..it’s about “home.”
“There are threats, external and internal. We go forward investing all of ourselves. It is not an easy path but we do this together because it’s not of us, it’s of God. When we get discouraged we remember the Lord who is great and mighty. Our God will fight for us. (Nehemiah 4:20)”
“Some people from Concordia who “saw” the vision didn’t get to see it realized because they went to their heavenly home. In heaven they will meet someone who will say: “I’m here because you sacrificed so that Concordia can pursue the vision of God.”
News from the Mission Field:
Pray for the servicemen and women on the front lines. Here are some chilling updates of just these last two days sent in my Terrie Lohmeyer. We have prayed before for her friend and serviceman Dan M. on the front lines.
NOTE: As I began to pray (I clicked on Psalm 18) I thought of this: How would we approach Scripture, our relationship to God, prayer if we were on the “front lines”? Guess what, brothers and sisters, Christians ARE on the front lines and the battle is a spiritual one. Take what you read below from Dan’s vivid descriptions and transport it to your home front…..how is that going to change your perspective as you go out each day? Pray for Dan, all there … and for those Christian soldiers battling all over the world. Put on your armor, take up your weapons and FIGHT!
Melissa S.
JULY 18 Note from Terrie Lohmeyer.
Here is an email update from Dan M. Recall that he was an Officer Recruiter with me for 5 years but a Nurse Practioner by professional trade.He has been in Iraq since April and is in a VERY dangerous area. We are praying for the safety of our troops in harms way and for Dan and his family that God will keep them in his care and safety.
Dan called me from Iraq this week as he does have his cell service (this amazing technology!). Although the signal wasn’t always clear, It was great to hear from him! In spite of his strong faith in God, he is lonely, exhausted, scared and overwhelmed – and he still has 8 months to go. He cannot imagine how lonely, exhausted, scared and overwhelmed he would feel without God except that he can see it in others who are there with him.
Dan and his family appreciate your continued prayers.
Thanks and God Bless,
Terrie
JULY 18 update from Dan
Hello Everyone….. my fourth attack leads to death….
Psalm 18 is definitely for me right now…. take the time to read it
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2018&version=9;
it is exactly what i am experiencing right now…… God protecting me, keeping me safe from the mortars, enemies , and it even talks about a ride in a helicopter that night…. (at least that is how i looked at it - SMILE)….
the mortar hit into our quick response force tent… these are the guys that go out after the bad guys shoot mortars at us… ugh… now how did they know exactly where this tent was….? hmmmmmmmmmm
went in through the tent like it was butter and killed 4 – CNN and 12 were in the tent….. I heard IN COMING, IN COMING, IN COMING… i hit the deck… and BOOOOOOOmmmmmm, and a second and a third…… if u dont think they stepped off that location with GPS, etc…. then….. it was just a lucky strike..? i think the first…. just like Viet Nam… hitting us on the way out….
Love you guys,
there is talk that i get moved again to Camp Delta…. i am pushing NO… pray i wont go there…..
Dan
JULY 17 update from Dan
they hit us last nite at 930 one hour b4 i was scheduled to fly….
hit our MP tent, killed 3 and injured 9+,,,,,
God protected me… i am now in tillil and will board a chinook for kalsu by 2100 hours …will be in kalsu by 0130…. for 40 days…. i am so done with this place……
Pray i come home in one piece, not in a box and totally alive and ready to play ball with u guys…
love u,
dan
Quotes from Pastor Schmidt in his message on Sunday:
- “Go!”. The goal is reaching people.
- It’s about eternity not about the present.
- Evangelism is about opening my own mouth to someone I know.
- How can I walk across the room without tripping over my tongue?
- Do you want to change the world? Irreligious people do too!
- All of us want to participate in healing, justice and hope. That is God’s mission too!
- Don’t make the Good News sound like bad news! The “you are going to hell” and “where would you go if you die tonight” sounds like bad news.
- Jesus came to start a revolution ….to overcome evil by bringing healing, hope and justice.
- Engage in conversations. Gage what you say by whether it will help you do this or not.
James Choung, “True Story: A Christianity Worth Believing In” Get your copy HERE.
At Concordia we value the concept of the Farm Team. In keeping with that, Pastor Schmidt has worked with Elder Mike Rodemeyer to prepare him for preaching. Mike led the congregation a couple months ago in the Christian Education Hour through the Bill Hybels book, “Just Walk Across the Room.” Today Mike offered the message entitled “Living in 3-D” and you will find it on our podcast. Click on the sermon podcast link to the right and then click on “Play Audio”
Here are some snippets:
- Ephesians 4:11 “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets…some to be hedgetrimmers.” Huh?
- I tried evangelism and it didn’t work that well. I took a class, I had a coach, I knocked on doors, I talked to strangers……
- My deal with God was I would be a very faithful hedgetrimmer and God wouldn’t ask me to do evangelism anymore.
- Seinfeld show where Elaine has a Christian boyfriend who never talks about his faith. Elaine finally asks why he isn’t trying to save her and doesn’t it bother him that she isn’t? He says: “Why should I care, you’re the one going to hell!”
- Could it be true that a Christian doesn’t care? Is it possible I don’t care?
- Do you care about the lost?
- I didn’t understand that God’s way of accomplishing everything was through relationship!
- Relationship is God’s preferred method of evangelism.
- Jesus was a people person.
- He feeds people, he heals people.
- He crosses ethnic , social, religious, economic barriers.
- Jesus sacrificed himself so that we could be in relationship with Him for eternity.
- Practical steps to follow. 1. Develop friendships with an unbeliever and have an eternal goal in mind. The key? Be you and do a lot of listening. Be non judgmental and prepared to show a lot of grace. 2. Discover stories. These will happen if the first step is being done well. Be prepared to listen and listen some more. 3. Discern the Spirit. Recognize God is opening doors and when the time is right to turn the discussion to spiritual things.
- I used to think my job in evangelism was to “dazzle people with a profound biblical knowledge and to drag them kicking and screaming if necessary across the finish line and into heaven. It was a huge relief that it was my job to take someone up a notch at a time.”
- Maybe you help them from negative 8 to negative 7 and someone else will take them another step closer. I didn’t have to do the whole thing myself. I am a small cog in the wheel.
- Be prepared (1 Peter 3:15 15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect)
- PRAYER: ”My life is in your hands God. Use me to point someone towards you today. I promise to cooperate in any way I can. If you want me to say a word for you today, I’ll do that. If you want me to demonstrate love and servanthood by your Spirit’s power, I will. I am fully available to you today so guide me by your Spirit. Amen.”
Pastor also reminded us to share the video clip and seek others we know to pray for our mission launch….it is just 22 days away! Here is the video.
Don’t forget. Beginning last Sunday, we are on a single service worship schedule. If you are serving on the Welcome Center team, that means you should arrive at 8:30 or 8:45 depending upon your task.
We will also be doing the video interviews after church. Drop in the fellowship hall and take a peek at the history and photo albums of Concordia’s history since 1961. Goodies are prepared by some of our ladies so that you will have a cup of coffee and a goodie and sit and chat a while.
Even if you didn’t sign up, please contribute to the video interviews. We are beginning with those of our people who are 50 years old and older. The 3 short questions are on the welcome table for your review.
Have you been following our Prayer Partner’s blog? If not, you will find prayer needs here: www.concordiatogether.com Please continue to invite others to pray. When they say “yes” send their email to mgsalomon@gmail.com and Melissa Salomon will add them to our special Prayer Partner elist. We are reaching 275 prayer partners on the road to 350 prayer partners. If you haven’t shared Pastor Schmidt’s video clip requesting others to pray on behalf of this new mission launch, here is the link to send it to your entire contact list! VIDEO HERE: http://www.twoak.com/dbif
Here are some easy tips to create relational bridges which are opportunities to serve others. Opportunities to share our lives with others, gives us opportunities to share the source of our joy and peace…..Jesus Christ!
8 Ways to Easily Be Missional
Jonathan K. Dodson
- Eat with Non-Christians. We all eat three meals a day. Why not make a habit of sharing one of those meals with a non-Christian or with a family of non-Christians? Go to lunch with a co-worker, not by yourself. Invite the neighbors over for family dinner. If it’s too much work to cook a big dinner, just order pizza and put the focus on conversation. When you go out for a meal invite others. Or take your family to family-style restaurants where you can sit at the table with strangers and strike up conversation. Cookout and invite Christians and non-Christians. Flee the Christian subculture.
- Walk, Don’t Drive. If you live in a walkable area, make a practice of getting out and walking around your neighborhood, apartment complex, or campus. Instead of driving to the mailbox, convenience store, or apartment office, walk to get mail, groceries, and stuff. Be deliberate in your walk. Say hello to people you don’t know. Strike up conversations. Attract attention by walking the dog, taking a 6-pack (and share), bringing the kids. Make friends. Get out of your house! Take interest in your neighbors. Ask questions. Pray as you go. Save some gas, the planet, and some people.
- Be a Regular. Instead of hopping all over the city for gas, groceries, haircuts, eating out, and coffee, go to the same places. Get to know the staff. Go to the same places at the same times. Smile. Ask questions. Be a regular. I have friends at coffee shops all over the city. My friends at Starbucks donate a ton of left over pastries to our church 2-3 times a week. We use them for church gatherings and occasionally give to the homeless. Build relationships. Be a Regular.
- Hobby with Non-Christians. Pick a hobby that you can share. Get out and do something you enjoy with others. Try City League sports. Local rowing and cycling teams. Share your hobby by teaching lessons. Teach sewing lessons, piano lessons, violin, guitar, knitting, tennis lessons. Be prayerful. Be intentional. Be winsome. Have fun. Be yourself.
- Talk to Your Co-workers. How hard is that? Take your breaks with intentionality. Go out with your team or task force after work. Show interest in your co-workers. Pick four and pray for them. Form mom groups in your neighborhood and don’t make them exclusively Christian. Schedule play dates with the neighbors’ kids. Work on mission.
- Volunteer with Non-Profits. Find a non-profit in your part of the city and take Saturday a month to serve your city. Bring your neighbors, your friends, or your small group. Spend time with your church serving your city. Once a month. You can do it!
- Participate in City Events. Instead of playing X-Box, watching TV, or surfing the net, participate in city events. Go to fundraisers, festivals, clean-ups, summer shows, and concerts. Participate missionally. Strike up conversation. Study the culture. Reflect on what you see and hear. Pray for the city. Love the city. Participate with the city.
- Serve your Neighbors. Help a neighbor by weeding, mowing, building a cabinet, fixing a car. Stop by the neighborhood association or apartment office and ask if there is anything you can do to help improve things. Ask your local Police and Fire Stations if there is anything you can do to help them. Get creative. Just serve!
