Things I think about

My Prayers This Week

2012-01-31T12:24:00.001-08:00

It seems like I have a lot more things to praise God about this week than to pray for. Let me start there. Here's what I'm praising God for :

I just came off a fantastic trip to PA. The team that came with me was awesome and we connected and worked on some God-ideas while spending long hours in the van. We also saw God move greatly as we served at 3 of our network churches on Saturday & Sunday
I am on Day 21 of a 21-day fast. I cannot describe to you how much my faith has grown and how much the voice of worry has diminished. God is truly answering my prayers to have bigger faith. Of course, I'm not even close to done praying those prayers.
There are several key components to our church that are taking shape right now. Some of them are corporate prayer time, youth ministry, membership process & and a new, more inclusive, small group structure. I'm very excited about that and about some new leaders I think God is in the process of promoting right now.

Some prayers I'm praying this week:

We have a lady in our church who has a very sick mom in South Carolina. She is praying she could find a way to visit her soon. She told me she needs about $500 to make the trip. I'm just praying with her that God provides the money. Can you join me?
I'm praying for a couple families that have visited our church lately who liked it very much. I'm asking God for them to join us and get involved. They are great people who have a lot to offer God's Kingdom.
Would you join me in praying over my prayer circles again for 2012. I pray over these daily, but would like to ask you to join me, from time to time. You can view them here.
Like I said above, we are working on a bunch of ideas to bring the water-level up at our church. Can you pray with me for great wisdom and guidance as we go about implementing them over the next few months.

I love you guys and hope you're having a fantastic week so far. Please let me know if I can pray for you about anything this week. I'd love to.

Day 21 - What's Your Assignment?

2012-01-31T04:04:00.000-08:00

Bible Reading Plan: Luke 15

"A man can no more take in a supply of grace for the future

than he can eat enough today to last him for the next six
months, or take sufficient air into his lungs at once to
sustain life for a week to come. We must draw upon God’s
boundless stores of grace from day to day, as we need it."
—D. L. Moody

Prayer Focus: Are there areas of your life that need more clarity? Are you

walking in the power of the Spirit and living in God’s purpose for your life?

Write down those things God is speaking to you. As you conclude your fast,

pray that God continually reveals His purpose and gives you ever-increasing

clarity and strength to walk it out.

Day 18 of 21 - Pray Instead

2012-01-28T03:53:00.001-08:00

Bible Reading Plan: Luke 13

Prayer Focus: what consistently causes you to worry? Today, recapture each worried thought and send it to God as a prayer. See how dramatically your outlook improves when the peace of God is activated through prayer.

Also see Philippians 4:6-7

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Day 17 of 21 - Humility

2012-01-27T11:17:00.000-08:00

Scripture: Proverbs 2

"being humble before God is realizing our need of Him, submitting to His will, pursuing Him and being confident the outcome will occur in God's perfect timing."

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Day 16 of 21 - Take Off the Grave Clothes

2012-01-26T07:53:00.000-08:00

Bible Reading Plan: Luke 12

"Talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to God

for men is greater still." —E. M. Bounds

Prayer Focus: Who in your world is still walking around in grave clothes?

Think about friends and family or those you know who may not know God.

What part has God called you to play in the life change He wants to bring

them?

Download your own Awakening Devotional here.

Look how fasting and prayer is working in her life!

2012-01-25T12:48:00.000-08:00

From Phebe Duncan, who lives in Tulsa.

"I can tell you that in the last 8days God has REALLY opened my eyes to the authority he has delegated to me. I have learned a new way to combat the enemy and I am LOVING this new 'power through Christ' woman I am becoming. I can't even begin to explain the things that have just jumped out at me in the scripture concerning my authority! God is so good!!! I hope everyone else is finding the spiritual, physical, mental and emotional breakthroughs that they are seeking! . . . I wish more Christians would step up into the authority God has delegated to them through Christ. The freedom found in that authority and power is amazing! Oh, something else I discovered, it seems I am a little behind in this realization but, the Armor of God...everything is for defense against satan and his attacks, except for the Sword of the Spirit, it is for offense, to attack, it is an active weapon. I am guilty of being the Christian that puts up all the defensive elements but I was never one on the attack. Now satan can bet that I am coming after him! He doesn't stand a chance! Anyway, this fast has been amazing! God is so awesome!"

Remember, you still can download the 21-Day Awakening devotional for free right here.

Some prayers YOU can pray with me

2012-01-25T08:52:00.000-08:00

Got a busy week ahead that is filled with opportunities and could use your prayers

Trip this week - I'm leaving Tulsa Thursday evening with 4 others from our church to spend the weekend in PA. I'll be preaching at Freedom Valley in Gettysburg, reconnecting with some of our other network pastors and our team will get to serve at some of our other network churches. I'm asking God for a quick and safe trip free of ANY poor weather, for our team to build bonds that will go far in building God's Kingdom, lives to be changed in all the churches we get to serve in and for the trip to be blessed financially. Also asking God to bless our church in Tulsa with a great day with strong attendance and the Holy Spirit moving!

New Church Launching this Sunday - Cross Culture Church in Owasso, OK is launching this Sunday. They are not a church we planted, but Pastor Jamie Varnell and his team have become good friends. We are sending a couple people from our church in Tulsa up there to serve with them during their launch service. If you know someone in their area, tell them about this great new church that's starting this Sunday.

21 Days to Move Mountains - We're in Day 15 of our 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. I'm asking God to move mountains in my life, the lives of the people in our church and our city. He can do it and He is doing it!

This Week @ Freedom Valley

2012-01-25T08:50:00.001-08:00

Really good stuff happening this week. Here's some highlights:

Prayer Meeting Tonight (1/25) - Come out and spend an hour with your church family praying for God to move those mountains in your life and our city that only He can move. 7-8pm. Childcare is provided for kids up through 5 years old. Kids six and up are very welcome to pray with us. It's such a great experience for them to have, even if they seem to be bored or unengaged. Hope to see you tonight.

If I . . . finishes up this weekend. This Sunday we will conclude the "If I . . . series. We're talking about what the Bible says about the things in our life that we see as limiters to our dreams and vision. This week, "If I . . . Could change THEM".

21 Days of Prayer & Fasting continues. Today is day 15 of our 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. Even if you have not been fasting and praying yet, it's not too late to begin. I'm hearing great stories of what God is doing in your lives. I would love to hear yours. Reply to this email and tell me what God is doing in your life as you create space for Him through prayer and fasting. If you would benefit from our free 21-Day Awakening Devotional Guide, you can download it right here.

I'm praying that YOU have a great week. Also hoping to see you tonight and Sunday.

Day 14 of 21 - Alignment with Heaven

2012-01-24T03:36:00.000-08:00

Bible Reading Plan: Luke 10

"The purest motivation for our prayers is that God will be glorified and that His will would reign supreme in our lives, just as it does in heaven." - Stovall Weems

Prayer Focus: What does God’s will “on earth as it is in heaven” look like

in your life? Do the desires of your heart line up with the will of God? As we

seek God together, let’s pray as Jesus taught us, “Thy kingdom come, Thy

will be done.”

Your own copy of the Awakening 21-Day Devotional Guide is right here.

Day 13 of 21 - Cultivating Spiritual Hunger

2012-01-23T04:27:00.000-08:00

Bible Reading Plan: Psalms 6–7

"Fasting helps to express, to deepen, and to confirm the resolution

that we are ready to sacrifice anything, to sacrifice ourselves, to
attain what we seek for the kingdom of God.… Prayer is the
reaching out after God and the unseen; fasting the letting go of
all that is of the seen and temporal." —Andrew Murray

Prayer Focus: During this time, you will find that being still before the

Lord will set you in a place of increased strength, peace, and hunger for God.

Are you disconnected from things that nourish your body and soul? What

do you need to deny yourself to make this a powerful time in your life?

Here's your free 21-Day Awakening Devotional Guide.

Day 12 of 21 - Praying Boldly

2012-01-22T04:42:00.000-08:00

Bible Reading Plan: Luke 9

"Fasting is not an end in itself; it is a means by which we can

worship the Lord and submit ourselves in humility to Him.

We don’t make God love us any more than He already does

if we fast, or if we fast longer.… [Fasting] invites God into

the problem. Then in the strength of God, victory is

possible. "—Elmer L. Towns

Prayer Focus: Do you approach God with timidity or confidence? Seek

God boldly today knowing you are fully forgiven and Jesus has made you

righteous. When you approach God in prayer, seek a fresh revelation of who

He is in your life.

Get your own 21-Day Awakening Devotional Guide here.

Day 11 of 21 - Prayer & the Process

2012-01-21T22:05:00.000-08:00

"Prayer is not just about the answer; it’s also about glorifying God in the process of waiting for the answer." - Stovall Weems

Bible Reading Plan: Luke 8

Prayer Focus: What prayers of yours are still awaiting an answer? Throughout this fast, thank God for His process at work in you…and trust Him.

Your Awakening Devotional Guide is right here for free. Please make use of this incredible resource.

Day 10 of 21 - Unwavering Faith

2012-01-20T12:50:00.000-08:00

Bible Reading Plan: Luke 7

Prayer Focus: What are you trusting God for in this season? How can you

line up your expectations with the Word of God when you pray? Find promises

in His Word that answer your need and write them down today.

There is no way that Christians in a private capacity can

do so much to promote the work of God and advance the

kingdom of Christ as by prayer. —Jonathan Edwards

When we depend upon organizations, we get what organizations

can do; when we depend upon education, we get

what education can do; when we depend upon man, we

get what man can do; but when we depend upon prayer,

we get what God can do. —A. C. Dixon

Get your own 21-Day Awakening Devotional Guide right here.

Day 9 of 21 - Clean House

2012-01-19T07:19:00.000-08:00

Bible Reading Plan: Luke 6

Prayer Focus: As you pray and fast today, ask God to show you any areas

where you could use a refreshed spiritual focus. Pray as David did in Psalm

51:10–12 that God will cleanse your heart, renew your spirit, and restore the

joy of your salvation. Pray with confidence, knowing that He wants to fill

you with His life and peace.

If you have not yet, I really encourage you to go and get your own copy of the 21-Day Awakening Devotional Guide. It keeps getting better everyday. It's right here for free.

Look what's going on @ Freedom Valley

2012-01-18T07:46:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to take a minute to let you know what's happening this week:

Praise & Worship Night - It's tonight from 7-8pm. Come spend an hour praising and worshiping God. I know many of you are praying and fasting for specific breakthrough in your life. Tonight's worship night could be when that breakthrough happens. Childcare is provided for kids up through 5 years. Children 6 and up will worship with you in the sanctuary and are very welcome.

21 Days of Prayer & Fasting Continues - Today is Day 8 of 21, but it's not too late for you to begin praying and fasting with us. I know, by now, God has been moving in some of your lives. Could you email me your stories? I want to know what God's doing in your life and want to celebrate with you! If you still need a copy of the 21 Day Awakening Devotional Guide, you can download it free at our website, right here.

If I . . . could change the past - This Sunday continues our "If I . . ." series. We're talking about the things that limit our vision and dreams for the future and what the Bible says about them. This week, we tackle the limiter, If I . . . could change the past. I can't wait to help some of you get free from that guilt and shame you feel about your past. It's this Sunday. I hope you'll join me.

Love you guys. I'm praying today that you have a great and powerful week. See you tonight & Sunday.

Pastor Jason

Day 8 of 21 - Hear Him

2012-01-18T03:37:00.000-08:00

Bible Reading Plan: Luke 5

Prayer Focus: How does understanding the New Covenant of grace

change the focus of your fast? As you pray and seek after God, let His be the

loudest voice you hear.

"If heaven were by merit, it would never be heaven to me,

for if I were in it I should say, “I am sure I am here by

mistake; I am sure this is not my place; I have no claim to

it.” But if it be of grace and not of works, then we may walk

into heaven with boldness." —Charles H. Spurgeon

Download your Awakening Devotional Guide right here!

Have you ever been a little embarrassed about "walking by faith"?

2012-01-17T12:55:00.000-08:00

This one is a little longer than usual, because I want to explain a little background first.

As you know, last year I took a job at St. Francis Hospital. I worked there for 5 months and I really disliked the job - no secret there. But over the last month or so at that job, I was wrestling with leaving. I felt like God wanted me to leave. Some mentors of mine encouraged me to leave and some of you who were praying with me on that shared with me that you thought you were hearing God say that it was time for me to leave.

Well, the point of leaving was to live by faith. In fact, one person who is very dear to me, spoke so boldly as to say, "You ought to leave that job and show your church what it means to walk by faith." I think he was right. But I only did half of that. I left the job. I did not walk by faith. I freaked out. And that freaking out, along with some unrealistic expectations I was holding onto brought me to my little breakdown you all had the opportunity to pray me through last year. Thanks, again for that, by the way.

It was at my lowest point, that I was open to God re-teaching me what my real expectations ought to be and who the source of everything is. So, it brings me to today. I am living by faith and God has provided all I need, to date. So, I wrote all that to lead to what I'm asking you to pray with me about today. Even though I am no longer fixated on my needs and how God will provide and I'm truly enjoying seeing Him as my source, I am still embarrassed to tell other people that.

If I was looking at my life from someone else's perspective, I would tell me it would be a good time to go and get a job. Even looking in the mirror, I feel like I ought to look for some income somewhere. But the more time I spend praying about that and God meeting my needs, the more I feel Him saying to just stay on this course pastoring this church and He will take care of all my needs. I have no problem with that. I have a problem with how that looks and sounds to you . . . or whomever I talk to. It comes up, fairly often, that I have no sure source of income. And as much as I know I'm following God's lead on this, I still feel sheepish admitting that because I feel like it looks irresponsible to others.

So, the prayer I'm asking you to pray is not that God provides for my needs. I think that's a foregone conclusion. I asking that I would be able to get above feeling self-conscious about finally modeling what it means to walk by faith and be able to feel passionate, not sheepish, when those conversations come up. I know this sounds kind of strange and maybe even trivial to you, but it's been a big deal to me over the last few weeks.

That's it. Thanks for your prayers. I love you guys and would love pray for you this week. Let me know what you're believing for and I'll add it to my prayer list this week.

Day 7 of 21 - Fervent Prayer

2012-01-17T04:12:00.000-08:00

Bible Reading Plan: Psalms 3–5

Prayer Focus: As you close out this first week, continue to pray fervently

for the main areas of concern in your life. Trust God to bring an answer as

you journal your thoughts and inspirations through this time.

You can download your own Awakening Devotional Guide right here.

Day 6 of 21 - The Spirit is Willing . . .

2012-01-16T05:07:00.000-08:00

Bible Reading Plan: Proverbs 1

Prayer Focus: Are there areas in your life causing an internal struggle?

Make a decision today to yield to the Holy Spirit and lean on His strength,

not your own, to overcome obstacles of sin and selfishness in your life. Surrender

and release those areas to God, knowing He will help you.

"[Prayer] turns ordinary mortals into men of power. It

brings power. It brings fire. It brings rain. It brings life.

It brings God." —Samuel Chadwick

Make sure you go to our website and download your own Awakening Devotional Guide. It's right here.

Day 5 of 21 - When Grace Comes Down

2012-01-15T03:52:00.000-08:00

Bible Reading Plan: Luke 4

Prayer Focus: Have you been looking at God through the veil of legalism

and religion? In Jesus, we see the full revelation of the nature of God: His love

and holiness, mercy and justice, compassion and power all perfectly and

beautifully expressed. Pray that the Holy Spirit will help you see God through

the eyes of grace and truth given to us in Jesus Christ.

You can download your own Awakening Devotional Guide right here for free.

Day 4 of 21 - Agreement with God

2012-01-14T13:03:00.000-08:00

Bible Reading Plan: Luke 3

Prayer Focus: Pray today that you can walk in agreement with God and

enjoy the life He desires you to have in Christ.

"I believe firmly, that the moment our hearts are emptied

of pride and selfishness and ambition and self seeking, and

everything that is contrary to God’s law, the Holy Ghost

will come and fill every corner of our hearts; but if we are

full of pride and conceit, and ambition and self seeking, and

pleasure and the world, there is no room for the Spirit of

God; and I believe many a man is praying to God to fill

him when he is full already with something else. Before we

pray that God would fill us, I believe we ought to pray

Him to empty us." —D. L. Moody

You can download your own Awakening Devotional guide right here. Enjoy.

Day 3 of 21 - Fasting Removes Unbelief

2012-01-13T06:51:00.000-08:00

Bible Reading Plan: Luke 2

Prayer Focus: What do you need faith to believe for? Align yourself with God’s Word and will during this fast. Release your unbelief. Pray with confidence, knowing “nothing will be impossible” for you.

You can download your own Awakening Devotional Guide right here.

If I . . . could see the future

2012-01-12T09:31:00.000-08:00

All of us are tempted, from time to time, with some kind of device to know thefuture, (fortune teller, medium, witch, time machine, etc) because if you knew the future, you could bet strategically on today, right?

Butwhat if it's turned around? What if there was a way to define thefuture and cause it to happen? What if there was a way to imaginewhat could happen, and cause it to happen!? And maybe the only way toimprove on that plan would be to have someone look over your shoulderand make sure you don't ask for things that are bad or selfdestructive. Ephesians 3 implies that maybe there is a way, and teaches usthis way, to define the future and make it happen...

That's the idea we will unpack this Sunday at Freedom Valley. In the meantime, enjoy one of my all-time favorite video clips . . .

Day 2 of 21 - Tune In

2012-01-12T03:41:00.000-08:00

Bible Reading: Luke 1

Prayer Focus: In this time of fasting, what is your mind tuned to? What

distractions do you need to remove so that you can focus on God? Prepare

your heart to hear the voice of God, and ask Him to help you remove distractions

that keep you from focusing on Him and hearing His voice clearly.

You can download you own 21-Day Prayer and Fasting Guide right here.

How we can pray together this week . . .

2012-01-11T11:49:00.000-08:00

I'm beginning my 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting today, as I know many of you are too. I can't tell you how excited I am for this. I've never felt this way about a season of intentionally seeking God before! Some areas you can pray with me this week:

Please pray with me for breakthroughs and healing for many people in our church during this 21-day season.
Please continue with me praying circles around those prayer goals I mentioned to you last week.
Please pray that God will speak to many people tonight at our prayer meeting at church.
This Sunday is Friends Day at Freedom Valley. Please pray for great favor on each person who is inviting friends, family and neighbors to church this Sunday. Also, please pray that many of those guests are deeply touched by God's Spirit, get saved and eventually find their place to serve in His church.

Thank you so much for your prayers and partnership!

Day 1 of 21 - Turning our hearts toward God

2012-01-11T04:15:00.000-08:00

Bible Reading Plan: Psalms 1–2

Prayer Focus: As we begin this time of prayer and fasting, let’s turn our hearts toward God. Make a commitment to seek Him daily. Pray that your love for Christ will be increased and your passion for Him will be reignited over the next twenty-one days.

You can download your own 21-Day Prayer and Fasting Guide right here.

Why is our Church Fasting Together Publicly?

2012-01-11T04:04:00.000-08:00

Today, our church begins 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. I'm very excited about it and so are many in our church. Last night I received an email from a great brother in our church asking why we're doing a public, corporate fast as opposed to fasting quietly and personally - especially in light of Jesus' teaching on fasting in Matthew 6:16-18. That is an excellent question and one that, I would guess, some others would have too. Here's what I wrote back to him, in part.

The reason I find value in a corporate fast is how it tends to draw a group of people together who share in a common experience. It also helps some people who would not feel "spiritual" enough to fast on their own to give the discipline a try. There is also strength and unity in numbers as we all share the same experience through praying and fasting together.

The scripture you mentioned (Matthew 6:16-18) is a really important one. It's one, I believe, that addresses where our hearts and intentions lie, when we fast. Jesus was urging his disciples to not operate like some people of their day who drew attention to themselves during fasting so that people would view them as spiritual giants. The did all the things Jesus mentioned in the scripture so people would believe that they were sacrificing so very much for their deep love for God. Well, Jesus called them hypocrites because the only reason they were fasting was to draw that attention to themselves.

I believe that scripture instructs us to not follow that pattern of drawing that type of attention to ourselves for those reasons. I don't see, however, that it discourages corporate fasting. Corporate fasting is found throughout the bible. Some scriptures where it can be found are 1 Samuel 7:5-6, 2 Chronicles 20:3, Ezra 8:21, Neh 9:1, Joel 2:15 and Jonah 3:5. There are also many examples in the Bible of individual fasts, which I believe are important too. This one just happens to be corporate.

BIG Prayer Circles for 2012

2012-01-04T19:56:00.000-08:00

I hope your new year has begun with abang. I know mine has. I have a lot to share with you, so I'll getright to it. Here are some things I'm praying about this week.

Rest & rejuvenation for ourfamily – We just returned from an unplanned trip to NYstate for the memorial of Sara's grandfather, Harry Holt. It was agreat trip and we had a great time, but we are all very worn out. We're just praying for rest, rejuvenation and that God would providefor the finances that trip took.

My Prayer Circles –There are some big-faith prayers I'm praying this year. I am“praying circles” around these issues and I'm asking you to joinme as I pray. My prayer circles for 2012 are:

I'm asking God for our church income to be no less than $13,000 per month every month in 2012.
I'm asking God for all the money our church owes to ARC and CMN to be paid in full by an outside source in 2012.
I'm asking God for our first Church Planter in Residence (CPIR) to commit and join our team in 2012.
I'm praying that God will completely heal all my spinal issues in 2012.
This one is a little tougher to measure, but I'm asking God that I would be known as an easy-going guy in 2012. I'm too tight and I hate how that makes me and other people feel.
Finally, I am believing that God will provide at least $2000 per month income for me in 2012 so I can devote all my time and energy to pastoring our church.

Yes, these are all huge prayers. Not one of them will happen unless they are truly answered prayers, but, I am not going to insult my BIG God any longer with smallprayers. You know, I don't know if God will answerthese prayers. But I know He can. I am just believingthat He will.

Last prayer focus of the year!

2011-12-27T12:15:00.001-08:00

Well, this is the last time I'll be writing to you this year. It's gone fast and has been a wild year. One of the highlights is being able to partner with you each week. Thank you for that.

Here are some prayers I'm praying this week and would ask you to join me.

Big trip this week – Unfortunately, Sara lost her grandfather, Harry Holt, on December 26. Our family has decided to all go back to New York this week for the Memorial Service and to be a blessing to our family. We leave tomorrow morning and will cover over 3000 miles in our van in less than a week. I'm asking God that we will be safe, make lasting memories with our boys and that we can be a true blessing to our family in New York. We're also asking God to provide for the financial side of this trip. It's probably going to cost us plenty, but we believe God is our source :).
Big prayers I'm praying for 2012 – I'm not quite ready to unveil some of the big prayers I'm praying for 2012, but I will soon. Can you just ask God to increase your faith to join me in those prayers as I share them with you.

Thank you, again, for your partnership in prayer this year. I hope we'll have another great year of partnership together in 2012.

Do You Keep Track of God's Blessings?

2011-12-22T08:13:00.000-08:00

This year was tough. I went most of the year without a regular salary from the church. I worked a secular job for 5 months to supplement our loss of income. Our church made a move to a permanent facility. It cost us a bunch to move and then our attendance and giving promptly took a dive. That all sounds bad, but did you know that God is faithful?

Do you keep track of God's blessings in your life? You should. I do. I just totaled up the numerical blessings God brought to my family and my church this year (so far). We do have 9 days left in the year. Get ready for this. You might want to sit down. I'm almost in shock because I had no idea God had been this good to me this year. (And I'm sure I probably missed some too)

Oh, and let me say that both my family and my church are faithful tithers. We both also give liberally above the 10% tithe.

God blessed my personal family with $17,066 in cash and gifts that saved us from spending our own cash. God blessed our church with 33,050 in cash and gifts that came from outside our own church!

All year, neither the church nor my family had a solid plan of how to make the budget work. Never once did we even consider holding back tithes. Neither should you. You can't afford to tithe? I say you can't afford not to. It's only a cliche' because it's so true.

I will be spending the remainder of the morning writing thank you notes. May this stick in your head and in your heart and mess you up today :)

I blogged it because it's too long to tweet . . . A psalm of thanksgiving

2011-12-22T03:22:00.000-08:00

Psalm 100

A psalm of thanksgiving.

1 Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth!2 Worship the LORD with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.3 Acknowledge that the LORD is God!
He made us, and we are his.t
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and praise his name.5 For the LORD is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

Christmas Plans @ Freedom Valley

2011-12-21T15:29:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share with you what's going on and what's NOT going on this week at Freedom Valley.

I want to make sure all of you realize that Freedom Valley will not be holding services on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Our next service will be Sunday, January 1 @ 11am. If you're looking for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day services, I would encourage you to worship with Connection Church who is very close by.

Since we will not be holding services, I want to make sure those of you who are regular tithers and givers have the opportunity to keep up with your giving. You can give securely, anytime, right here. I deeply appreciate those of you who are funding the vision God has give us at Freedom Valley.

Update on our Christmas Offering. Thanks to your generosity, we received nearly $800 on Sunday to give away. Ok, it was $790, but we just made it an even $800. This week, we are giving $400 to CrossCulture Church, a new church in Owasso who will be opening January 29. The other $400 is going to a local family in need. That single mom could hardly believe it when I told her about it. She went on to tell me she just lost her job this week! It's so cool to be able to be a blessing to people when they need it most. THANK YOU to all of you who gave so generously in that offering last week.

I am praying today that everyone who reads this will have a very blessed, peaceful and restful Christmas. I'll miss you this weekend, but will see you January 1.

Some Prayers To Pray

2011-12-21T11:06:00.001-08:00

I can't even begin to explain how much God is changing my view of Him. And when my view of Him increases, my problems seem to decrease. That's good stuff.

Here are some areas you could join me in prayer this week:

The best family Christmas ever - This is the first Christmas in three years that I will get to spend with my parents and they will spend with us and the grandkids. I'm asking God to make this Christmas weekend the most enjoyable, restful and special one anyone in our family has ever had.
Rest for our leadership team - Much of our church leadership team is on the road visiting family over the Christmas season. I'm asking God for His blessing of safety and security on them. We've virtually closed our church for two weeks just so our team can get some rest and I'm asking God to give them a deeper rest than they even thought possible. I know many of you are on our leadership team, so go a head and pray for yourself :)
Ever-increasing faith - Like I said before, I'm becoming just a little bit aware of how incredible God is. I am asking God to continually increase my faith. The time has come for me to believe bigger and pray bigger than ever before and my faith is rising like I've never felt. Bring it on, God. I hope to share some specifics on this with you next week.

Love you guys. Have a very Merry Christmas!

How can I pray for you? I really would love to.

A Christmas Offering Can Change a Family!

2011-12-16T04:55:00.000-08:00

Last year we collected about $1800 in our Christmas offering at Freedom Valley. I hope, and am praying, we can collect even more this year. But let me tell you about how that $1800 impacted one family last year.

The week before Christmas, I sat in the living room of this small apartment and told these complete strangers (the school guidance counselor had given me their name and said they were in need) that our church wanted to (1) pay their rent (2) pay their electric bill (3) pay their car insurance and (4) leave them with a $300 gift card to Wal-Mart to give their kids (3rd & 4th grade) a great Christmas.

Not bad, considering that prior to that visit they had no idea how they were going to pay their rent, electric bill or car insurance. They had also decided they could not do Christmas gifts for their kids and it broke their hearts. On top of that, they began coming to our church. They ended up deciding it was not quite their style, but they have gotten plugged in at another church that is.

I'll never forget standing in the parking lot of the 68th & Memorial Wal-Mart with this guy as he hugged me and said, "I've never quite met anyone like you before." Wow. This should not be the exception for the church. This should be the norm. Still think you really need to buy yourself another gift this Christmas?

We will be receiving our Christmas offering this Sunday at Freedom Valley. I hope you'll really give something significant this year. Because you can be a significant difference maker. If you can't make it to church this Sunday, for some reason, you can give online right here or mail a check to: (mark it "Christmas Offering") By the way, 100% of this offering goes to needs outside of our church.

Freedom Valley Church
12330 E. 60th St. South
Suite E.
Tulsa, OK 74146

Have a Merry Christmas. This is what the season is all about.

A story, a wedding and helping those in need - this Sunday @ Freedom Valley

2011-12-15T09:59:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, Itook an unscheduled break during the second half of November and thefirst half of December. And this Sunday I will be sharing thefull story of what happened with me over that time. I think thejourney I wason could be life-changing for you YOU. I hope you can be here this weekend. If that's not enoughof a reason, how about this other great stuff happening this Sundayat Freedom Valley.

Wedding Bells - David Reddoch and Lillian Carey will be getting married immediately after our service on Sunday and they would love for you and your family to join them in celebrating their big day.
Christmas Offering - This Sunday is our designated day to receive our Christmas offering. This is an offering separate from regular tithes and we give 100% of it away. What if you really decided to spend less on Christmas this year and gave that money to someone who needed it a whole lot more than you? This year, our Christmas offering will be split evenly between a needy family we know through Jefferson Elementary and Cross Culture Church, a new church that is opening January 29 in Owasso.

Lookingforward to seeing you at church and thewedding!

Prayers driven by BIG faith

2011-12-13T07:51:00.000-08:00

Thank you, again, for your faithful prayer and friendship! I feel like I'm growing in faith and strength by the day. I came through a really withering attack here and I know for sure that it was a Holy Spirit breakthrough that saved me from just caving in. I'm not only excited, but optimistic about the future for me, my family and my church.

Some areas I'm praying this week:

Another pastor in the same spot - I have a friend who pastors another church here in town and he's away on a similar sabbatical as I just was. I know he's feeling really tired and discouraged. I'm asking the Holy Spirt to give him the same, soul-level, breakthrough that He gave me.
Financial breakthrough - I've prayed for this before, but this time I'm not praying from a posture of fear or desperation, I'm praying from a place of faith. If God owns all the stuff in this world - and He does - it's not much for Him to dramatically increase the income of our church. I'm asking Him to double our regular income in the next 30 days. Like Jonathan said to his armor bearer in 1 Samuel 14:6 “Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!”
Continuation of the growth on our team - The last month has been a big stress and a very growing time for our leadership team. I'm asking God to continue to bind our team together and grow our team.
God's power to be at work in and through our church - Our church is good. We have good music, good preaching, good kids ministries . . . just about everything is good. I'm asking God's Spirit to move in big ways in and through our church. I'm asking God to do what we can't do . . . make our church great.
My father-in-law - Barry, my father-in-law lost his wife some years back and the holidays are especially tough for him. I know he's really struggling right now and my heart is breaking for him. He's one of the most wonderful, godly men I know. I'm asking God to lift him up above all the junk he's feeling weighed down with now.

Thanks so much for your prayers. I'd love to pray with you this week. Let me know what's going on.

Christmas Cookie & Coffee Party

2011-12-08T08:05:00.001-08:00

Yes, this is the actual coffee I plan
to brew. Mmmm.

Hey, we're hosting a Christmas Party at our place tomorrow night! I hope you can drop by and hang out a little. I'd love to celebrate with you. You can see all the info here.

What a difference a week (and prayer) makes

2011-12-06T06:47:00.001-08:00

I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your prayers lately. In the last month, I have come through the most discouraging and darkest time I've ever had, personally, in my life. That's the bad news. The good news is that Romans 8:28 is true and even this incredibly painful time is working for good in my life, my family's life and the life of our church. Simply put, I no longer have expectations concerning our church. Yes, I still have vision. I still have hopes. But I no longer expect God to do certain things on a certain timetable. And I certainly no longer have illusions that I can get anything done. I'm part of His plan and excited to see Him do what He wants to do. I'm just in love with Jesus and, for the first time in years, feel no pressure to deliver or perform. I believe that your prayers have a huge hand in helping me get to this place today. Thank you.

Some areas I'm praying about this week:

Families in New Oxford - Five high school students were killed in a car wreck in New Oxford, PA yesterday. You can see the news story here. I'm praying for those families this morning and would ask you to join me.
God's power to come into our church - As I alluded to above, short of God's power working in our church, we're just having meetings. I'm seeking God and asking - even begging - for His power to show up and change people's lives in and through Freedom Valley Church.
To love my family even more - My new found focus has me loving my family even more than ever. I'm asking God to help me love them in really practical and special ways right now.

Thanks again. I love you guys so much. Can't wait to see you at at church this weekend!

A great musician and a great man

2011-11-30T08:46:00.001-08:00

Jake Lewis is about to record his first album. I'm hoping to help him. Maybe you can too. Just click here.

Loving me some Redskins football

2011-11-30T08:10:00.001-08:00

This Thursday my skins play for their 4th straight state title. Yeah, I know I'm a little stupid to be so excited about high school football. I also don't care. I just love it! Enjoy some highlights from last week's semi-final win over Jenks.

Sorry, this video won't embed. You can watch it here.

thank you!

2011-11-30T04:55:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to say thank you for praying. It's no coincidence that just hours after my post yesterday (which I almost did not post) that I felt a serious breakthrough inside of me. I have energy and vision flowing inside of me again! Thank you. Thank you . Thank you! Love you guys.

Where I'm at this week . . .

2011-11-29T07:14:00.001-08:00

Sorry I skipped last week. I didn't have any clear avenues of prayer to ask you to join me on. I'm not sure I do right now either, but I probably need your prayers more now than I ever have. A dear friend of mine says I'm under spiritual attack. I have to admit that hearing other people saying that over the years has really turned me off to that idea. In the past, I've been of the opinion that most "spiritual attacks" are not really spiritual at all and that the person being "attacked" is just making excuses. Maybe that's true in some cases. I really don't know.

What I do know is that I am in a state now that I have never been in before. I am confused, disappointed, discouraged, angry and scared. I am presently trying to adjust to a much different reality than I though I would be facing at this point in my life and how that adjustment is going changes by the hour. But, the reality is that I am the pastor of a small church that is, evidently, going to grow slowly. The reality is that church is unable to afford any income to me or any other members of our leadership team. The reality is that my family and I have set ourselves back years, financially, based on the vision and promises we believe God showed us. I'm not loving the reality, but neither can I stick my head in the sand and pretend it's not there.

There are many positives. Our church is healthy. My wife and kids are a delight and we are all healthy. I live in a city I absolutely love. I have family nearby. Our leadership team is one of the best I've ever seen. My wife has a great job that she loves. The list goes on . . .

Some prayers you could pray with me this week:

Reality - I just want to come to terms with my current reality and feel good about it.
Job Search - I am officially looking a job again. If you know of any opportunities, please let me know.
Renewed faith - I'm just struggling to have faith in God's promises right now. I want to believe. That's about as much as I can muster now.

Thank you for your prayers and friendship. I love you all.

Do you need fresh strength?

2011-11-29T04:16:00.001-08:00

Isaiah 40:28-31 - "Don't you know anything? Haven't you been listening? God doesn't come and go. God lasts. He's Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out. He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind."

Man, this Scripture is like pure life inside of me this morning. The last six months, especially the last month, have been trying beyond what I thought I could bear. But I can bear it. I can more than bear it. I can face my calling with God-given energy. I don't know what I would do without God's Word; especially when my own thoughts begin to lose perspective. God is so good and patient and loving. Wow.

Come Early To Pray This Sunday

2011-11-10T04:38:00.000-08:00

This Week @ Freedom Valley

Teaching: We are continuing our series "When No One is Looking" this week talking about keeping integrity in our words. That's all about honesty. I'm really looking forward to this one.

Prayer: I would like to invite you to spend some time praying with me and my team prior to the service on Sunday. There will be a group prayer time from 10:30am - 10:45am in the main auditorium. Just come right in and begin praying with us. There will be some signs up on the door and on the video screens - just so you feel good about walking into a room where people are already praying. That can be a little intimidating, but I want you to know that I would love to have you join us! Hope you can make it.

Food: If you want to bring in some donuts or snacks this Sunday, you can do that. We are going to be switching to a community style on our snacks instead of the church just providing it all. It's partially to cut some costs, but I think it's a much healthier idea for us to all contribute in different ways. Not talking about a whole meal, just donuts or bagels or whatever morning snack you like. We don't need everyone to bring something, just do if that would be fun for you.

Looking forward to seeing you on Sunday.

forced creativity is still creativity

2011-11-08T11:13:00.000-08:00

Our church has had some financial constraints that has forced us to get really creative about how we fund and execute certain aspects of our church. It's actually fun and I think will bring a higher level of health to our church. The only question I have . . . Why did it take a budget crunch to get us on this creative track?

Details will follow as we roll out some exciting changes.

Prayers for the week. What are yours?

2011-11-08T04:02:00.000-08:00

I want to thank you so much for all your prayers! I appreciate you very deeply.

I also want to celebrate with you some this week! We had like 20 first-time guests (couple of them were second-time) at church this week! God seems to be really setting us up for some growth! Some places I'm focusing my prayers this week:

New Discipleship Plan - God has brought an excellent young couple to our church who have offered to help implement a very cool one-on-one discipleship plan for our new believers and people accepting Christ in our services. This is hardly a prayer request - more of a celebration - but I am praying that the training and implementation process goes quickly and goes well. I feel like this fills a huge hole in our ministry and could very well be a game-changer for us and for a lot of people.
Finances - Can you continue to believe with me that God will bring an increase to our finances at church. We are making it, but we are running a very lean week-to-week budget. I'm asking God for more than enough - enough to expand what we do and be more of a blessing!
Key Ministry Leaders - Still praying for a key children's leader and a key youth leader to be identified and get started tearing things up at our church. Thanks for continuing to join me in those prayers. Maybe you are interested. If you are, let me know.

Love you guys and I love praying for you. Let me know how I can pray for you this week!

Needs have been more than met!

2011-11-07T06:59:00.000-08:00

I just received this message from the school counselor at Jefferson Elementary. We have a great man in our congregation who works for a moving company and is willing to help transporting the donations. Looks like all those needs have been met. That's great news!

If you do have items that you've already purchased or are intent on donating, we can still give them to Windsail management to disburse. Just let me know if that is you.

"The Union community has been awesome and we have gotten in more donations for our families than we need at this point- believe it or not! Once I make sure our families are totally covered, I will be giving our leftover donations to Windsail to disburse to the other fire victims. At this point the biggest help is the moving company resource. That is perfect! Thanks so much!"

How You Can Help Windsail Fire Victims

2011-11-04T11:39:00.000-07:00

There was a serious fire at the Windsail Apartments this week. You can see the news story here.
Some families from our community partner school, Jefferson Elementary were effected. I received this recently from the school counselor at Jefferson. You can bring any of these items to church on Sunday and we will make sure they get to the school. Let me know if you want to donate any of the big stuff and we'll make a plan of where and when to drop it off:

"Currently, our families are in need of beds (from toddler size to full) since their apts are small and won’t fit a king, or even sometimes a queen. The kids have received a lot of clothing and have shopped at our klothes kloset, but donations of new or gently used toys would be great- or gift cards to replace lost electronics would be a real luxury. Two of our families could really use bunk beds since the apt bedrooms are small and kids are sharing. One of our family has 3 children sharing a room and a baby with them in theirs."

Sara and I bought a bunch of pillows and pillow cases for beds today. I hope you can find a way to help too. See you on Sunday.

Pastor Jason

Preparing now for a big 2012

2011-11-01T07:39:00.000-07:00

Wow, some great things happened last week. Our outreach, friends day and child dedication all went fantastic! Thank you for your prayers!

Some areas I'm focusing my prayers this week:

Fasting Plan - I'm spending some time this week seeking God's direction on a personal fasting plan. I'm leading our staff in a fast beginning at the end of this month and we will lead our church into a church-wide fast shortly after the first of the year. But I think God is wanting to teach me some things about fasting, discipline and faith on my own before any of that. I don't have a good track record with fasting and I'm looking to follow God's plan and follow through with what I think He's leading me toward.
Increase in finances - October was a tough month financially. Our tithes were just low. We closed October about $2000 short of budget. However God wants to do it, I'm asking Him to meet all our needs. I'm confident He will and I'm asking you to pray that prayer with me.
Key leaders needed - I'm asking God right now to bring some key leaders to our kids and youth ministry teams. We have great people in place right now, but some of them are hoping to serve elsewhere in the future and I think God wants to promote some people to those places of leadership. I also have a sense that 2012 is going to be a year of big growth in our church that is lead by our kids and youth ministries. I feel like our prayers now are positioning the right people in the right places for that.

Thank you so much for all your prayers! They are making such a difference! Let me know how I can pray for you this week too.

LOVE Tulsa Weekend!

2011-10-27T19:03:00.000-07:00

Ihope you're ready for one of the best weekends ever! So much coolstuff happening, I just wanted to touch base with you and give youthe overview and remind you that you can be part of it all.

Saturday, October 30 – Fall Fest @ Jefferson Elementary - We have another opportunity LOVE Tulsa and partner with one of our community schools to serve those families and students. We will be running “Fall Fest” at Jefferson Elementary on Saturday, October 29 4-6pm. Can you volunteer to serve by running games, handing out candy or just loving on the kids? If so, just show up at Jefferson Elementary (8418 S. 107^th E. Ave, Tulsa 74133) @ 3pm. Will also accept donations if you wish to help underwrite the costs of this outreach event.
Sunday, October 30 – Friends Day @ Freedom Valley - Be sure to bring your friends who don't go to church with you this Sunday. We will have a special 10:30am breakfast together, so please bring some good breakfast food to share along with your friends and family. You really can help change someone's life!
Sunday, October 30 – Child Dedication Sunday - If you have a child (any age – not just babies) that you want to be dedicated to the Lord, we will say a prayer of dedication over our kids on Sunday. There will be a short break for you to go and get your children from their class after the worship music is over. You can then release them back to their teachers after the dedication prayer is over with. We'll hold a short reception following the service for your friends and family that everyone is welcome to stay for too.

Pleaselet me know if you have any questions about how you can be involved. Looking forward to seeing you this weekend!

HUGE change in perspective . . . makes all the difference

2011-10-25T07:57:00.000-07:00

It's a great week to be alive and living out the calling God's placed on your life! Some stuff I want to celebrate, first:

Last Saturday we held the first (of many, I hope) wedding at our church - love to be able to bless people like that
This weekend we get to hold "Fall Fest" at Jefferson Elementary, a Friends Day at church and dedicate children to the Lord - all in the same weekend. I'm very excited about what God is working on. And I'm glad He's letting us help with it.
Your prayers (and personal communication from some of you) have really given me a breakthrough in my own spirit. Circumstances that really had me worried and down have not changed much, but God has blessed me with a very new perspective. I'm really learning and experiencing gratefulness, faith and satisfaction on a level I've never touched before.

Where my prayers are focused this weekend:

Fall Fest - Saturday is Fall Fest at Jefferson Elementary and we should be able to love and serve hundreds of kids and their families. I'm praying for good weather, a great turnout, and Holy Spirit driven connections with people who need Jesus in their lives.
Friends Day - I can feel the excitement in our church. This Sunday is the first Friends Day we've held in a while. I'm praying for a record turnout, hearts to be prepared as people invite friends this week, and that many of those people who come as guests will find a relationship with Jesus and His church that will never fade away.
Month End - Thank God October has five Sundays, because this has been our church's poorest income month ever - so far. But, it's not over yet. At this moment, we are way short of making budget. But like Is said, I'm not worried. I'm actually excited to see what God is going to do to meet and exceed our needs. Wow, what a difference approaching something like this from a faith perspective instead of desperation.

I believe that our prayers are powerful this week. I can't wait to tell you how God came through in all these areas really soon! Thank you again. I love all of you so much!

New churches can help newer churches

2011-10-21T05:29:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago at our staff vision day, we were talking about how well our church reflects our values. One of the biggest values we carry is the desire to plant more life-giving churches - especially in Oklahoma and Texas. Then we asked ourselves, "What are we doing right now to reflect that value?" The sad answer was "Not much." Granted, we do give away a large amount of money to future church planting efforts, but that is given to organizations and is much harder to measure progress, especially in individual lives. So, it feels like we're not doing a lot to tangibly help local church planters.

Our church is just over a year old and we're still struggling to establish who we are and how we're going to go about expressing our unique calling by God. As we are struggling through these early stages, I can see how easy it is to get our eyes off any future vision.

When I think of planting churches, I think of personally discipling church planters, having them work on our staff for a couple years, building big vision inside our church and then sending them out with a bunch of people and a bunch of money to start their new church just as strong as they can. Well, we can't do all that right this minute. But, as we talked at Vision Day, we all realized that we can do something. We can share our experiences with future church planters, we can give away equipment to them that we may not be using any longer, we can ask our church to rally around them in prayer, we can introduce them to key people who can help them in ways we can't yet.

Bottom line for us and other young churches. You can't do everything, but you can do something. This week, I was able to give some equipment away to a local church planter who's launching in January in Owasso. It wasn't earth-shaking, but it helped him. I also got to spend some time with another planter launching in Broken Arrow and pointed him to a great graphic artist to do his logo design. The artist gave him such a nice discount that we told the church planter we would pay the bill for his new logo.

Feels good to be on the giving end. If you're in a similar spot to us (new church, struggling yourself), don't get tunnel vision and don't underestimate how much you can help new churches.

I do not think that word means what you think it means

2011-10-19T04:05:00.000-07:00

I'm reading John 10 this morning in my Bible reading plan. John 10:10 says, "The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy." The "thief" is satan, right? (insert awkward pause here)

I don't think so. Read the whole chapter. Read Chapter 9 before it. None of it is talking about satan. Jesus is comparing himself to other leaders - probably Pharisees - (thieves) who were not shepherds of the people. I could be wrong and you can let me know if you think I am. In fact, set me straight if I'm going off track here.

But, man, it looks obvious to me this morning. I've heard whole sermons on how the thief is satan and his 3-part job description is to steal, kill and destroy. I've even taught it to people before. I feel ashamed and humbled. I also feel grateful to have access to God's Word and for the fact that I'm still learning it.

What is God teaching you as you read His Word lately?

It's time to LOVE TULSA

2011-10-18T12:56:00.000-07:00

As part of our LOVE TULSA outreach initiative, we will be holding Fall Fest at Jefferson Elementary on Saturday, October 29 from 4-6pm. I want to ask every person reading this to help.

You can help 3 easy ways.

Volunteer - We are expecting hundreds of kids and families and could use your help to set up, run games, clean up or just hang out and love on kids. If you can volunteer, please email me back and give you more details.
Donate Candy - The store shelves are stocked with Halloween Candy. Can you pick up an extra bag or two and drop it off at the church? We can drop it off Wednesday evening between 6:30-9pm and Sunday morning between 10am - 1pm. If you want to drop it off another time, just reply back and I'll set up a time to meet you. See the home page our our website for directions.
Donate Cash - We are estimating this event to cost us somewhere between $600 and $1000. If you would like to help underwrite that cost to reach out to our community, you can give online easily and securely right here.

Hope your week is going great and I cannot wait to work with you at Fall Fest on October 29! Hope to see you Wednesday or Sunday at church too!

Don't Borrow Pain From the Future

2011-10-18T08:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was fretting to my pastor, mentor and friend Gerry Stotlzfoos (yeah, he's all that to me :) about how tough things are for me and different stuff I'm worried about. You been there before? You there now? I hope his wise and Spirit-led words give you as much hope and peace as they have given me. He said:

"For you to project out another month or two is simply borrowing pain from the future. Jesus said "don't worry about tomorrow. Wise planning is great, but when the time comes that you have done everything in your power, then you simply stand and see the power of God. You will see it, and you will win."

Make today a great day.

Praying for Momentum

2011-10-17T09:02:00.001-07:00

This is an odd day for me today. I guess I should say that I'm coming off a very odd day at church yesterday. On one hand, it was one of the best days we've ever had. We had a good # of first time-guests (six, I think), one person started a new relationship with Jesus and five people were baptized in water. That was all wonderful.

The part that is troubling is that despite the guests and all the great things happening, we are in a very scary 5-week trend of declining attendance and declining giving. While that's never good, this was the exact time I was anticipating both of those to be going upward. We had a better-than-expected summer a pretty strong grand opening day on Sep 12, but things have declined some since then and, frankly, I'm kind of baffled by it all.

I love our church and get great feedback from most people about it. I know that a lot of people have come to know Jesus and have restarted a relationship with church in general in the last year. I also feel like we're just on the tip of doing some much greater things in our community and reaching many more people with the freedom Jesus offers. There are so many positives. But the reality is, our church does not have the size, history or bank account to endure this trend forever. We really do need a God-kind of breakthrough.

The good news in all of this is that God is bigger than any setbacks or temporary negative trends we're seeing. I'm asking Him to move in a big way - to increase our momentum in people and finances. If you would pray that prayer with me this week, I would be so grateful.

We're putting in a pool in our auditorium!

2011-10-13T07:15:00.000-07:00

Baptismis simple, but it's so deep. A lot of the deepest thingsin our life are simple. Jesus commanded His disciplesbefore He left the earth in Matthew 28:18-20, after He told them thatall authority in heaven and earth had been given to Him, "I'mthe one you follow." He said, "I want you to make disciplesof all the nations, and I want you to baptize them in the name of theFather, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obeyeverything I've commanded you. I am with you always, even to the veryend of the age."

SoJesus says, "After you place your faith in Me, I want you to letthe world know you belong to Me by being baptized."

Thereare a lot of people reading this today today who have decided tofollow Jesus – either for the first time or again after a time ofnot following Him, but here's the question…How can you claimto be a follower of Christ if you're not willing to take the firststep He has called you to take through baptism?

That'swhere this Sunday comes in. Immediately after our service concludes,we are going to be giving you the opportunity to take thatnext step following Jesus by being baptized in water.Yeah, we're filling up a pool in our auditorium right as you readthis!

Thiscould be just the opportunity you've been looking for. Don't miss it.If you've decided to start new with Jesus (even if you're doing itright now as you read this), this Sunday can be the dayyou make it public . . . and when you make it public,often times it becomes so much more real to you.

Bringsome shorts, T-shirt and a towel. We'll give you time to get changed.Looking forward to baptizing many of you this Sunday at FreedomValley!Let me know if you have questions. I would love to talk to you aboutthis personally.

setbacks are part of the journey

2011-10-12T06:51:00.000-07:00

I was just thinking this morning how much better my back and neck have been over the last month since I've started treatment with a new chiropractor. By the way, if you're looking for one, I'd recommend Impact Clinic. The staff and the treatment are awesome. Anyway, as I was stretching to do some exercises this morning, I felt something move in my upper back and neck. Wouldn't you know it . . . a setback.

But it's not really that big a deal, is it? We have setbacks physically, we have setbacks relationally with those we love, we have setbacks in our jobs and careers. I just want to remind you today that the goal is not to get to the place where setbacks no longer occur. The goal is to keep moving forward, even when they do!

You decide what today will be like. My day is beginning with some killer pain in my back, but I'm going to see my chiropractor and then working the rest of the day. It's not a big deal. I'm going to make it a great day. You can do the same. Now, do it!

Progress as promised

2011-10-11T08:54:00.000-07:00

We finished up our "Home Improvement" initiative at Freedom Valley last week and changes are happening this week. The biggest project happening right now is the doors going on our auditorium. Besides the doors, we bought a new TV and wall mount for our office, ordered a new exterior sign for the church, bought a new phone system and are about to have the exterior door stenciled with our name and logo. If you gave to this initiative, I want to say thank you! You are making a difference!

Looking forward to giving you more updates as they come.

My house is falling apart! No, I'm serious :)

2011-10-10T09:03:00.000-07:00

It's pretty exciting that I'm writing this at 10:30 am from my office, not 4:30 am from my living room or from the break room at St. Francis Hospital. Friday was my last day working there, so I'm back to focusing my first and best thoughts on this wonderful church God has asked me to lead. Here are some challenges I'm praying about this week:

My house - I've asked for prayer before about the foundation of my house. Well, lately, it's gotten worse. The cracks on the outside of the house are bigger, the cracks on the inside are bigger and more numerous. We've had a couple exterior doors on our garage that have shifted and are not usable, but for the first time, this week, an interior door frame has begun to move out of shape. I'm trying not to worry, but we just feel like our house is falling apart. And I'll just be honest, it's really frustrating to me that we would have easily had the money saved in an emergency fund to pay for this repair (long ago - even before it got worse) had I not given up so much pay this year. I'm trying not to be worried or frustrated, so those would be great prayers, but more than anything, I'm asking God to make a way to get this thing fixed.
My church - The last four weeks of church attendance have been on the low side. I'm just believing that God is going to bring a big return on all the people who I know our people has been inviting to come with them on Sundays. I'm also asking God to show me anything we may need to change to help get out of the way of some growth in our church.
My priorities - I begin a new chapter of full-time pastoring today. The last time I did this, I think I made a pretty big mistake. I spent a lot of time on stuff that was good stuff, but not directly related to the church God has called me to lead. I think the day will come for all that other stuff, but for now, I'm asking God to help me prioritize my time better than I ever have. I want to do the very best leading this church that I possibly can.

Thanks so much for your prayers. How can I pray for you this week?

Connection Groups start this week!

2011-10-03T09:21:00.000-07:00

Just a quick reminder that connection groups begin this week@ Freedom Valley! Our sign up period closed up yesterday, butyou can still get involved. Even if you didn't get signed upyet, you can still show up to any group you'd like this week - evenFinancial Peace. That particular one does require registration,but you can still register during the first week of the group. Ihope you can find a group that fits your schedule. Therelationships and the growth you'll find will benefit you immensely. A full listing of the groups are below. If you havequestions or need a location for the off campus groups, please emailJosh Ploch at josh.ploch@gmail.com

OffCampus Groups:

MaximizedManhood – Leader: Derek Engle / Tuesdays 7pm

ForLadies Only – Leader: Kate Hylla / Tuesdays 8pm

OnCampus Groups: (Wednesdays @ 6:30pm at the church)

FinancialPeace University (DVD driven) – Leader: Jason Fitch / theroad map to personal control, financial security, a new familydynamic, and lifetime peace.

StartingPoint – Leader: Josh Ploch / an in-depth study of thecore values of Freedom Valley, and how you can apply biblicalprinciples in your everyday life.

Blueprint –Leader: David Cordle / students 6th grade and up meet to shareyour love for God with others and learn more about how the Bibleapplies to our lives.

KidsGame Night! – Leader: Sara Fitch / This high energy nightof fun is for kids in K-5th grade! It’s a great opportunity foryour kids to build relationships with peers, work on teams, and gainconfidence in who God made them to be. Please make sure to send yourchild in tennis shoes.

*childcarefor kids birth – 5yrs old is also provided on Wed nights*

my prayers this week . . .

2011-10-03T03:53:00.000-07:00

There are a few things that I'm celebrating this morning. One, I'm about to begin my final week as a St. Francis Hospital employee! Two, we finished our Home Improvement initiative at church yesterday and we came together and raised over $3000 for some much-needed improvements to our ministry space! Three, we begin a new semester of connection groups this week. I'm very excited for how these three facts will affect the life of our church and my family life. Here are some of the things I'm praying about this week:

To be grateful - I've know it for a while, but God really showed me this issue last week in some of my devotional time. I'm really not as grateful to Him for His blessings as I should be. I often recognize times and situations when I have been very blessed and should be very grateful, yet I'm not. I see this as a pretty big character flaw and I'm trying to be very conscious of it and change it, but I'm also praying that God would change me from the inside.
To be patient - A few months back, I made a very conscious decision to be more patient with my kids. It really did work for a while, but the last couple weeks, I have been back to feeling very frustrated with my boys and my patience has been very short. I HATE being this person. I HATE going to bed knowing I was short and sometimes even unkind to my own sons. I feel sick about it this morning and I'm spending some time fasting & praying over my lunch break today about it. Please pray with me if you think of it.
To be wise - Next week, I go back to being self-employed. My only job will be pastoring our church. Last time I did that, I can recognize that I was somewhat unwise in how I spent my time. I am determined to be much more wise with the time God has blessed me with this time around.
To be disciplined - If God gives me the wisdom to know what to do and not do, I'm also praying that He gives me the discipline to follow through. Sometimes the most important things that should be done are not the most fun. I also struggle with a huge lack of discipline in my eating habits, so I would very much appreciate your prayers to be disciplined in my time management and in my eating habits.
Our house - I mentioned a while back how the foundation on our house has settled and caused some pretty significant damage. We got an estimate to get it fixed and it's $4000. Sara and I just don't have that. We've mostly depleted our emergency fund just living with the pay cut I've taken this year. But we are both praying that God fixes the foundation and the cracks in the house. I know that sounds ridiculous, but God is very able to do that. So, could you pray that prayer with us?

Thank you so much for your prayers. I am at a point in my life and in my ministry where I'm asking God to do the things that only He can do. I'm going to keep on working hard and doing all I know to do, but for the vision He has placed inside of me to come to pass, He has to do it. It's because of that, that your prayers feel more important and more powerful than ever. Thank you.

Party this Weekend!

2011-09-28T12:06:00.000-07:00

HeyFreedom Valley,

This Sunday is a big day for us. It isour finalweekend to sign up for Connection Groups.These groups begin next week and run weekly for 12 weeks. Youcan see a completelisting of the open groups righthere.

Sunday is also the final day of our "HomeImprovement" initiative. You can still pick up yourenvelopes at church and give your gift to the Home Improvementproject. You can drop it in the offering on Sunday, giveonline now . . . OR . . .

You can bring it to our AllChurch Celebration Sunday evening at 6pm. It's a Mexican fiesta! Obviously, the theme is Mexican, sobring your favorite Mexican main or side dish. And bring thewhole family out to this fun celebration at the church. Therewill be plenty of food, fun for the kids (that'scode for inflatable slide) andwe will count up how much money we raised together and celebratethe improvements we can make to our building to make it moreguest-friendly and safer for our kids. This is one night you don't want to miss!

I can't waitto see you again this Sunday!

exciting faith steps

2011-09-26T03:31:00.000-07:00

I want to thank you for your prayer last week to increase my faith. God has really been answering those. Last week, Sara and I decided to not hold onto the job at the hospital, so I gave my notice. My last day at St. Francis will be October 7 and I will resume full time work for Freedom Valley then. I also met with my board of directors last Wednesday and we worked up and approved a new budget that includes a stipend for me. It's still not enough to make our budget work on paper, but like I said, our faith is growing and I am looking forward to seeing how God is going to bless our family and our church as I step out a little further.

Here are the things I'm praying about this week:

Finish Strong - I have two weeks left at the hospital. The last two people to fill my position have been me and Jon Trout (Jon is on our lead team, if you don't know him). When I resigned, my supervisor asked me right away if there is anyone from Freedom Valley who might be interested. I love that our church has a good name with her because of the good work that's been done by people from there. I want to make sure I finish strong and don't tarnish that reputation a bit - much more for the reputation of Christ to be held high than our church.
Big Stuff @ Church - In the next week, two big initiatives at church come to an end. We close sign ups for this semester of connection groups and finish our "Home Improvement" fund-raising effort for some building improvements - both of these on Sunday. I'm believing that we will see 80 people in Connection Groups and over $5000 raised for our building projects. Those are both big goals for us, but we serve a bigger God and I really have faith we will reach those.
Priorities - My personal priorities are as follows . . . Follower of Christ, Husband, Father, Church Leader. Funny how the top ones don't scream for my attention as much as the bottom one. I am asking for prayers especially on the husband and father side. My personal schedule has been insane the last six months, and now that Sara is working full-time, we are trying to find our rhythm. Honestly, I feel like we're still doing well keeping our priorities, but I just want to do better. I just want to be a little less tired and distracted when I'm with my family. I also need to be more patient with my boys.

Thanks so much for your prayers. Remember to reply back if I can pray for you about anything this week.

The BIG 2 @ Freedom Valley

2011-09-22T13:13:00.000-07:00

Thereare twohuge initiatives underway at Freedom Valley rightnow. You can get involved in both this Sunday and both end thefollowing Sunday, October 2. Here are the details . . .

HomeImprovement -this is our in-house initiative to make our new facility morefunctional and guest-friendly. Some improvements includeinstalling doors on our main auditorium, a welcome center in thelobby, video monitors in all common spaces and windows installed inall classroom and office doors for absolute accountability andsafety. We are believing that we can, together, raise$5000 by October 2 and YOU can easily be involved. There areenvelopes all along the back wall of our main auditorium. Theseare numbered 1-125. Many are already gone, but you can stillgrab one and give a financial gift equal to or greater than theamount printed on the outside. Be sure and grab yourenvelope(s) this Sunday or give online right here ifyou can't make it this Sunday.

ConnectionGroups -these are semester-based groups designed specifically for you tobuild new friendships and pick up new life skills. This semester weare offering six distinctive groups that will run for 12 weeksbeginning the first week of October. Be sure and sign up forthe group(s) of your choice this Sunday at church. A completelisting of groups and their description can be found here.

Also,I am so looking forward to be continuing our "Priorities"series this week as I give you a sneak peek at a life-changingtool you can use toset your financial priorities.

See you Sunday!

Reacting to a problem - my S.O.A.P. journal for the day

2011-09-21T03:33:00.000-07:00

September21 – Nehemiah 1

4 WhenI heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned,fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.

11 O Lord,please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us whodelight in honoring you. Please grant me success today by making theking favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.”

Observation:Two observations. (1) When Nehemiah heard a report that wasunfavorable – a report that he did not want to hear – he did notjust get sad and shut down. He directed his heart-break toward theONE who could actually do something about it. He mourned fasted andprayed . . . for days! (2) He began to devise and execute a plan. He did not JUST sit and wait for God to work (although that was thefirst step). He immediately took action and asked God to bless thataction. He was going to the King to see what could be done aboutthis problem.

Application:I seem to do a lot of the second step with not enough of the first. If I'm really heart-broken about the state of my city (and I am),it's not just all about planning how to change that. It begins withmourning, fasting and praying to the ONE who can actually dosomething about it.

Prayer:Father God, please forgive me for wanting to fix things throughaction and planning alone. Sure, I pray, but Lord help me tounderstand and know the kind of prayer, mourning and fasting thatNehemiah knew when he found out the walls of Jerusalem were torndown. Tens of thousands of people in my city are hopeless withoutYou, God. Help me to react like Nehemiah to that heart-breakingproblem. In Jesus' name, amen.

Faith is . . .

2011-09-19T04:24:00.001-07:00

In my personal time with God, I'm reading through the book of Hebrews right now. Over the last couple days (chapters 11-12) I've been very challenged with the notion of faith and the various levels of faith. I have a list of things that feel very challenging to me right now . . . church attendance, some leadership issues, cash flow for the church, cash flow for my family . . . the list goes on. But this week, my lone prayer is for God to increase my faith. If He is truly my source for all things good, then placing my faith in Him is the answer to my list of "challenges". I know this sounds over-simplified, but that's just where God has me this week. So, if you pray for me this week, please pray that God blesses me with a greatly increased measure of faith in Him.

One other thing. I have a friend who had surgery last week and that surgery confirmed that they have cancer present in their body. I'm not sure they would want me talking about this to a group of people, so I'm not going to identify them right now, but could you pray for complete physical healing and for this person to be strong and focused mentally. Finding out you have cancer can be both a big deal physically and mentally.

Thank you for your prayers. I am praying that God blesses you with a week of growth this week.

Answered Prayers . . . the ultimate faith builders

2011-09-16T11:03:00.000-07:00

About two months ago, one of my twins(Liam) decided that he was serious about getting an i-pod touch. So,he asked the guy who is normally his source of all his stuff. Me.

What a great opportunity to teach himthat I am not his source, but rather that God is his source –and mine too! I told him that the best thing he could do was prayand ask God to do something big in his life. For a seven-year-oldkid, a $200 i-pod is a mountain. Under our current work/rewardssystem, his max earnings for a week are $1.50.

So, for the last six weeks, every nightwhen he went to bed, I would ask the same question. “What specialprayers are we praying tonight?” Every night it was the sameanswer. “That I can get an i-pod touch for my birthday.” Morespecifically, he prayed that God would bless me to be able to get itfor him. Even better, I think :)

Well, Sunday is his birthday and earlythis week I didn’t see any i-pods on the horizon. But Liam's faithwas growing. One example: He asked me how much extra money I wouldneed God to bless me with to buy him the i-pod? I told him $25,000. Well, a few hours later I was going to Guitar Center to pick up acable for church and I took him with me. He was convinced thatsomeone at Guitar Center was going to walk up to me and slip me $25K. I love that faith!! But he was a little disappointed when weleft Guitar Center with a patch cable and no briefcase full of cash.

But all along I was praying with him. And early this week, all of a sudden, I thought God spoke to me. Itwas like I was compelled by the Holy Spirt to post on twitter and askif anyone had an ipod or Nintendo ds (the other kids want Nintendo,but weren't praying much :) that I could buy cheap for my kids fortheir birthday.

It was no more than 5 hours before Igot a voicemail from a friend. I'm not sure he would be cool with meidentifying him, so I won't at this point. But the message said hehas a i-pod just like Liam wants and he doesn’t use it anymore andI can have it!! I realized at that point that God was on theroad to blessing Liam (and me) and building our faith throughanswered prayers.

So, Wednesday evening I asked Liam tocome into my bedroom with Sara and I. (He thought he was in trouble) I told him that God had answered his faithful prayers and handedhim his i-pod. Not for his birthday, just a gift from his dadwho loves him and his Father in Heaven who loves him even more.

At first, he could not get his headaround the fact that God did this just to bless him. It took a whileto convince him that I did not buy it for him. But finally he gotit. Of course, all his brothers cried and said it was not fair. Butafter a while, they all felt inspired to pray too. Even, Seth,Ethan's friend who was over that day told his mom at the pick up timethat he was going home and was going to be praying :)

This is so cool for me and my son, butmore than that, it's a huge faith builder. Sara and I have somebig-time miracles and breakthroughs we have been praying for for awhile. My faith has been boosted and renewed. God is cool.

set your priorities

2011-09-15T03:37:00.000-07:00

Ihope this has been a fantastic week for you! I just want to askfor two minutes of your day so I can update you on what's happeningat Freedom Valley.

Set Your Priorities - We will continue our "Priorities" teaching series this week as we talk about making God a priority. I have a good friend of mine, Frank Thomas, flying in this weekend to share his story of how God became a priority to him. He's an ordinary guy with an extraordinary story.
LOVE Tulsa Tonight - Jefferson Elementary has asked Freedom Valley to come out to their school Open House tonight as one of their community partners. We will be loving on kids with a big inflatable in the gym and giving stuff away to families. So grateful for this opportunity. Tonight 5-7pm. Come hang out with us!
Your New Friends - This Sunday we will open sign ups for our new semester of Connection Groups. These are 12-week small groups centered around various topics and a perfect opportunity for you to know new friends on a new level. Much more info this Sunday.
Home Improvement - Please be praying about how God would have you be involved in our Home Improvement project. Between now and October 2, we are pulling together to raise $5000 to do some much needed improvements to our ministry space at church. If you did not grab your envelope(s), you still can this Sunday. If you can't make it to church, but want to give toward this project, you can do so easily and quickly right here.

Wow,it looks like this is a Sunday that you won't want to miss. I'mlooking forward to seeing you again this weekend. Remember totalk to that person you want to invite to church today. This could bethe weekend they come and have their life changed from the insideout.

This week in my life . . .

2011-09-12T03:31:00.000-07:00

I'm coming off of a week of great challenges and great victories. I spent all week in a bunch of pain, but I think I finally found a chiropractor who will help me heal and be healthy for good. Also, our grand opening day at church was a really great one yesterday. Here is what I'm praying about this week. Thanks for joining me in these prayers:

No Fear - As you know, our family is taking a big step of faith as I pull back from work at the hospital. I am giving up a significant amount of money there with no guarantee of it coming from anywhere else. I won't lie, I do struggle with a small degree of fear that somehow my family will go without. But, the greater fear I struggle with is that people who God has given me influence with will watch me on the journey and have their own faith shaken if my "step of faith" somehow fails. Now, I know that's not going to happen because that's not the way my God operates. I prayed and waited on God until I felt Him release me to take this step, so I know it's not a presumption on my part. No fear is ever a good thing and I refuse to yield to any kind of fear. So, I appreciate your prayers to keep me strong and walking straight into my fear.
Patience - I realized yesterday that I'm a little less patient than I thought I was. Since I'm taking a big step of faith now, I think I'm expecting God to blow things up immediately and meet all my needs through the church. Maybe He will do that. But maybe He won't. I will be honest. Yesterday was a great day and we had a good healthy crowd at church, but I expected a significantly larger one. I struggled yesterday, in the midst of a great day with some great victories, to not feel a little disappointed. Yet another opportunity for me to learn to be patient and not presume to know how God is going to work. So, I'm praying for an increased amount of patience this week.
Health - I've been struggling on and off with back and neck pain since March 2010 - and the pain has been mostly on. I'm sick of it. I'm done with it. I have found a chiropractor who actually has a plan for wellness and we're beginning that now. But, as good as he is, he's not my source of wellness. God is. Can you join me praying for wellness this week. On that subject, I'm really at a spot where I need to make a turn in my eating and exercise habits. My weight is creeping up and I just need to be healthier. Thanks for the prayers along those lines.

Shoot me back anything I can pray for you about. I love doing that! Thanks for your prayers and have a great week.

It's THIS SUNDAY!

2011-09-09T11:42:00.000-07:00

This Sunday isit . . . Grand Opening Weekend at Freedom Valley. We arecelebrating the great, new ministry space God has blessed us with. We are remembering and paying honor to the victims of 9/11 andwe are starting a great new teaching series called "Priorities".

This is the day to be at church. This is the dayto bring that friend or family member who you've been meaning toinvite. Seriously, call them, email them, text them . . . rightnow. YOU can be a real part of changing someone's life!

Iwill see you Sunday morning @ 11am. If I were you, I would comea few minutes early to get a good seat. We're expecting areally full house.

I quit!

2011-09-07T03:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a really tough day. I woke up with a badly pinched nerve in my neck and had to call out of work. When I called my boss at the hospital, I told her I quit . . . sort of. To be more accurate, I asked her to hire someone else to fill my full-time position and switch my status to part time. Why? Because it's time for me to get out of the boat.

You know the story in Matthew 14 where Jesus walks on water and Peter tries it too? Seems like everyone always talks about how Peter had small faith when he saw the wind and the waves, then he started to sink. What nobody seems to talk about much, is that Peter was the only guy in the whole boat who even had the guts (faith) to try and get out of the boat!

I'm that guy. I'm done giving my first and best thoughts and the majority of my time to St. Francis Hospital. I have nothing against the hospital. It's a good place, but God has called me to lead Freedom Valley Church.

Taking the job at the hospital was a great step for me. Working a job in addition to pastoring the church was my greatest fear ever since I decided to plant the church. I had to overcome it. But like many things in life, what used to scare me has now become my crutch. It's time to face my next big fear . . . trusting God to provide what I can't see.

So, I'll probably work full time hours for the next few weeks; until they hire someone to replace me. Then, it's part time work at the hospital and increased hours working for the church. I'm asking God to increase my faith and increase our church finances so that I can begin to pick up some pay from the church again. But that's not guaranteed. That's not what this is about. It's about overcoming fear. It's about being a leader that people can follow on a journey of faith. It's about getting out of the boat.

Of course, this is just the latest boat God is asking me to get out of. There will be more. But, for now, I would love to have your prayers. You can follow me on this leg of the journey right here. I'll keep you updated.

I'm praying about . . .

2011-09-06T04:32:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much for your prayers lately. I do, truly, feel like you're partnering with me!

Here's what's going on that you can pray with me about:

Work Change - The big thing I was praying about last week was whether to pull back from work at the hospital. Sara and I decided together that I am going to go to a part-time (on call) status at the hospital. This will be a significant cut in hours and pay for me and I have no earthly plan to make up the gap. This is not my normal m.o. but I feel directed by God to go out even further on a limb. I'm asking God to provide what I can't for my family.
Physical Health - Not coincidentally, I've been really struggling with health too. I was out sick on Friday, had a killer headache on Sunday morning and this morning I pinched a nerve in my neck. I can't even turn my head right now. Lots of pain and at least part of a day of work missed again today. I'm praying for healing in my body today.
Family Faith - Sara and I are taking a big step in faith right now. Just because we're taking it, does not mean it's easy. Will you please pray that God will increase our faith in Him?
Church Jump - We have a big day this weekend at church. It's the Grand Opening of our new building. We are expecting to have a larger than normal crowd, but I'm asking God to add very significantly to our church - long term. Not just a big crowd for a day, but people who are impacted to His Kingdom and stay connected to our church and to Jesus.

Thanks for your prayers.

this week @ Freedom Valley

2011-09-01T12:14:00.000-07:00

This is our last weekend before the Grand Opening of our new location on September 11. I hope you'll be there to pick up your pre-stamped invite post cards. We designed them, printed them and stamped them just so you can easily send your friends and family an invitation to church on September 11. Jot down the names and addresses of those you want to invite before you come to church on Sunday.

We are also finishing our "Building Blocks" series Sunday. I am so excited to teach you what God's Word tells us about how our friendships were designed to help us grow like we never thought possible before.

By the way, if you have been out, you can always catch up on our media page. Just click right here.

Looking forward to seeing you Sunday! Have a great rest of the week.

Pastor Jason

one prayer this week

2011-09-01T09:23:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay on my post this week. I delayed on purpose because I was fighting some huge battles - some in my mind, some I believe are spiritual. I was feeling pretty vulnerable and was on a bit of a roller coaster Sun-Tues. Truthfully, I don't believe I was thinking very clearly, so I didn't want to fire off some crazy email when I was in that state :) Thanks for your patience.

I'm asking for one prayer from you this week. For guidance from God. I know that sounds way too vague, but I'm not ready to share the details yet. I think by next week I will be. I know that God is preparing me for a big step of faith (not leaving Tulsa or anything like that), but one that will add tremendous strength and momentum to my life and the life of our church. So, for now, can you just pray that God will speak very clearly to Sara and I about our next step in the process He has us on. I appreciate you so much. Thank you!

Your questions answered this Sunday . . .

2011-08-25T09:01:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to get so fired up about worshiping God? Ever wondered why some people raise their hands in church? Ever wondered why we run the music so darn loud?

Well, this week, we will answer those questions and a whole lot more. I will be interviewing a few of our lead people from our worship band and we'll be discussing the subject of "passionate worship" as we continue our Building Blocks series.

I hope you will be there and hope you're talking to a friend or two about coming with you. We start at 11am and directions can be found here on our website. See you Sunday.

what's on my mind and in my prayers this week . . .

2011-08-22T03:51:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling really grateful this morning. I am in the middle of the toughest season of my life (to date) and I know that I would really be struggling if it were not for God's faithfulness and your prayers. Thank you. Here's what's on my mind and in my prayers this week:

First day of school - Today is the first day of school for all 4 of my boys and for Sara. The boys all start new grades and new classes and Sara starts her new job. I'm praying that they all have great experiences today. They are all nervously excited.
Crumbling foundation - If you are one of my friends who lives outside of Oklahoma, you'll think this is a joke. If you live in Oklahoma, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. Since the drought we're in is so severe, the soil under our home has settled and our foundation has settled on one side. A huge crack runs through the floor and through the brick on the outside of the house. The interior walls are cracking and some doors are out of square and cannot be used either. We need to get it fixed. We had the assessment done and it's going to cost $4000 to get it raised up and stabilized. Normally, that would be no problem. We would just take it from our emergency fund, but we've been living partially off of our emergency fund for the last four months, so that's not happening. We know God is our source and we're asking you to pray with us that God provides that money somehow to get our home fixed. (This is not covered by home owners insurance)
Focus on the right things - Great things are happening at our church right now! We have some potentially high-capacity leaders coming onto our team, our one year anniversary and building grand opening are less than a month away and God has provided some very generous outside financial support for our church as of late. Still, my mind seems to always default back to the same old metrics - church attendance and offerings. Both have been flat for the last few weeks. I know it's the end of summer and that is expected, but I'm still just feeling a little frustrated this morning. Just praying I can focus on the good stuff and stay positive.
Back to ministry - For the first time since I began working at the Hospital, I am feeling like my limited time available for ministry is hurting our church. For a few months, it was a good thing because it forced my hand with delegation and trusting God to stretch my time and helped me grow like crazy. I'm not saying that I don't need to grow anymore. But, I'm so close to getting back to full-time ministry I can feel it. It's still a financial gap keeping me there, but it is much, much smaller than it was a few months ago. I'm praying boldly that I can give my notice at the hospital by September. Would you pray with me?

Thank again for all your prayers. I wold love to pray for you this week. Just let me know what's going on in your life.

this week @ Freedom Valley

2011-08-17T11:09:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,

Just wanted to say hello and remind you of some of the exciting stuff going on at Freedom Valley this week.

Part 3 of our Building Blocks Series. I'll be talking about evangelism. If you think you know what that means, you might be surprised. Really looking forward to this one.
Prayer over our kids for the school year. This is either the first weekend after school has started or the last one before it. We will be praying a blessing over our kids who are starting school and any educators who are part of our congregation. This would be a great weekend to bring your kids and invite any educators you know who would appreciate that prayer of blessing.

I'm very much looking forward to seeing you again this Sunday!

Pastor Jason

thoughts and prayers after a week off

2011-08-16T12:00:00.001-07:00

Sorry I missed you last week, but it was really important to me to have a week that was totally disconnected. It was great :) I'm really refreshed and full of vision. Love feeling this way. I also want to brag on our leadership team. The last two Sundays were the first time I was out since our church started and both weeks went fantastic. I was so pleased and proud watching the videos of our team in action.

Here are some areas I'm focusing my prayers on this week:

Getting closer - I think I'm getting closer to coming back to full-time ministry. I am so ready and have grown so much this year that I think I can lead so much better and add so much more value to our church than I ever have before. Just believing that I'll be working back in the center of my calling very soon.
Big Fall - I'm really excited about this Fall at Freedom Valley. We have our one year anniversary and building grand opening on September 11 and some good outreach initiatives coming up. We have seen steady growth through the summer and I think we will see some significant church growth this Fall and I welcome it!

Thanks so much for your prayers.

another marvelous thing

2011-08-04T02:58:00.000-07:00

This is today's entry from my S.O.A.P. Journal . . . a pretty marvelous thing:

August 4 - Psalm 10

17 Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless.

Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.

Observation – God is about love and grace much more than He is about rules and the letter of the law. Even though I know that well, sometimes I still default back to pleasing Him through keeping rules.

Application – I want to take what I know to be true about God and help that be my default. I want to view Him as an incredibly loving Father. He's what I am to my boys on my best day and then multiplied by 1000. Just like my boys don't need to do a darn thing to make be gush with love for them, neither do I need to do anything for God to feel the same way about me.

Prayer – Father God, I am so content to just be your boy today. Thank you that I can get a small glimpse of how You might feel about me by experiencing how I feel about my boys. Please help me to relax. Let me truly sit back and allow Your love and Your grace to be all I need. Thank You that that's even possible. In Jesus' name, amen.

some marvelous things . . .

2011-08-03T03:11:00.000-07:00

Today my Bible reading brought me to Psalm 9. Look at the first 2 verses:

1 I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.

2 I will be filled with joy because of you.
I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.

I really stopped in my tracks and wondered why I tend to dwell on the few little things that are negative in my life and almost ignore the marvelous things God has done in my life. I decided to list a few of the marvelous things he's done:

He spared my life countless times. Especially before I turned my life over to Jesus, I lived a stupid and dangerous life. I walked away from violent car accidents, drug use, alcohol abuse, bar fights . . . you name it. Even after that, He welcomed me into a relationship with Him.
He has given me a marvelous family! I know a lot of people say this, and I'm glad for them, but I really do believe I have the most wonderful wife living on the face of this earth! Sara is fantastic. I also have 4 little boys who adore me . . . and I adore them. Colin, Liam, Ethan and Jude, you are the four most wonderful little men I know!

That's good for now. I may write more later.

prayers for this week

2011-08-02T09:43:00.000-07:00

Just want to say a huge THANK YOU to all of you for your prayers! We just finished our first weekend in our new building and it went fantastic! You can watch the service video here. Don't worry, we're working on the lighting issue :) We had a really strong crowd, even with a bunch of regular people out, a lot of new guests and a really strong response of people wanting to make a new start with Jesus. I think it is a real possibility that we will be looking at moving to two services by this Fall!

On top of that, Sara was offered the job at Union Public Schools this week too. You know, the job that did not exist that we were believing Gof for? Well, it exists and it's hers!

As I go into this week, here are some areas I'm asking God to move and would appreciate your prayers too

This weekend: I will be preaching at Freedom Valley in Gettysburg this weekend. I am asking God for a few things: 1) A great time with Sara. It's been a long time since we had some significant time together and I'm looking forward to that very much. 2) A generous offering after I speak. They will be receiving an offering in Gettysburg this weekend for me to take back to Tulsa to help with our new building costs. I'm asking God to put it in people's hearts to be really generous. 3) Some new Tulsa residents. I am asking God to speak to someone - hopefully a family - about moving to Tulsa and working on our leadership team. I've felt for a while that there is someone really wrestling with this calling and I want this weekend to be their tipping point.
Our church while I'm out: I will be out of my own church for the next two weekends. I know it is in very capable hands, but I am just praying protection and blessings as their leader is out.
Me while I'm out: I'm looking for some really good rest and really good time with my family over my vacation time.
Sara's job: Sara was offered the job, but her pay package still has not been determined. We are praying for the offer to come to her on the high side of the pay scale.

Thanks so much for your prayers! I appreciate you so much. By the way, I will not be posting a prayer focus next week. I'm not cracking this computer open during my vacation :) Have a great week.

2011-07-26T10:57:00.000-07:00

Lots of stuff happening at Freedom Valley this week. Here's the lowdown:

Wednesday, July 27 / 5-8pm / Work Night. We will be setting up, cleaning and doing odds and ends to get our building ready for our first services this weekend. Because we will be working in every area of the building, we're asking for no young kids to be there this Wednesday. Unfortunately, we don't have any childcare available this week for the work night.
Saturday, July 30 /6-7pm/ Worship Night! Please join us as we worship God and thank Him for what He's doing among us and through us right now. This is the best way I know to start off our time in this facility. Childcare is available for children birth-5yrs. Kids 6 and older can be part of the worship night with their families.
Sunday, July 31 /11am/ First Sunday Service - It's a new time! I hope you can be with us and bring a friend to our inaugural Sunday service at Freedom Valley. I'll be finishing up our "Mythbusters" series and you'll get a sneak peak at our next teaching series called "Building Blocks."

You can get maps and directions to our new facility via our website right here.

Looking forward to seeing you this week!

pressed

2011-07-25T10:59:00.000-07:00

Just want to thank you for your prayers! We moved into our new building yesterday. It was one of the most exciting and most exhausting days I've had in a while! On that note, our church is really gaining momentum. We are growing through the dead of the summer! We saw another three people start a relationship with Jesus yesterday - that's like 10 this month! Also want you to know that Collin (the homeless man we were praying for a couple weeks back) is doing very well in the Freedom House in Gettysburg. Here are some areas I would love to have your prayers in this week:

Strength - I'm stretched physically and spiritually way further than I ever have been before. There are times when I feel like I might break. I'm just asking God to give me what I need to thrive and grow through this season of life.
Sara - My wife, Sara, has been struggling to get good sleep this week. She is also praying for a job that she really wants to come open for this coming school year. I am praying with her. Would you too?
Vacation - I have a week of vacation coming up in a couple weeks. I've never felt like I needed it more. I'm looking for some serious refreshing to happen that week.
My Team - You have no idea how incredible our leadership team at Freedom Valley is. There are a bunch of people working their tails off to make our church thrive. I know some of them are feeling really taxed. My prayers are especially focused on them today.

Thanks.

Latest Look @ new Freedom Valley Facility

2011-07-22T06:47:00.000-07:00

This Sunday, July 24, is our very last Sunday at the Cinemark Theater. I want to encourage you to be there this weekend and bring a friend. We will be giving away free movie passes to everyone as we celebrate the time we've spend beginning our church in the theater!

I will be continuing our "Mythbusters" series as we tackle the myth that says, "Women can't lead men." Looking forward to this one.

After church on Sunday, I want to invite you and your family to join me at our new facility for our move-in party. We will be loading some equipment into our new facility, eat some pizza and just enjoy each other and what God is doing among us. That will be noon-2pm at Freedom Valley Church - 12330 E. 60th St. Tulsa, OK 74146. Here's a look at the latest building progress . . .

Looking forward to a great weekend with you and your family!

Work Night @ Freedom Valley this Wednesday!!

2011-07-19T04:13:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all of you who turned out last Wednesday to begin work on our new church facility! We will be holding another work night this Wednesday, July 20. Please read the details below as a few have changed since last week's work night:

Work Night Location: 12330 E. 60th St. Tulsa, OK 74146
Child Care Location: 6323 S. 109th E. Ave Tulsa, OK 74133. Childcare will happen at my house. Last week all our work took place in the auditorium. This week, we are working throughout the whole building and we think it will be safer for the kids to be off sight for this night. Please note. You can drop your kids off as early as 5pm and must pick them up promptly at 8pm.
Time: 5-8pm (although there may be opportunity for a few of us to stay later if our painting project is not complete.)
Projects: We will be working on the final coats of paint in our main auditorium, removing some wallpaper borders in restrooms, cleaning restrooms and kitchen, disassembling some wooden pallets outside (to gather materials for a later project) and vacuuming carpets. If you have a wet carpet cleaner, feel free to bring it and do a good cleaning on our carpets.

Looking forward to seeing many of you tomorrow night. Feel free to come and go as you need to. Just remember that we are asking you to use the off-site childcare option for this night only. Just let me know if you have any questions.

Kids, Jobs & Church

2011-07-18T04:21:00.000-07:00

I hope you all had a great week. I did. After two weeks off of preaching, I was back in that role in church yesterday. The two weeks off was nice, but I really loved being back too. Even in the heart of the summer vacation season, we had strong attendance, guests and three people gave their life to Jesus this week! We also had our first work night in our new church facility. It went great! Over 40 people came out to help prime the main auditorium. It got done so fast, we ended up cutting our work night time short by a whole hour! This week, we do the final painting.

I also wanted to give you an update on Collin Hoover. He is the homeless guy I asked you to pray for last week. He was trying to get $100 together to get to the Freedom House in Gettysburg, PA. Well, your prayers worked! He arrived at the Freedom House on Saturday! Please keep praying for him. He has a long road ahead of him, but he is on the right track.

Here are some areas I'd love to have your prayers on this week:

Kids - It's the middle of the summer and the middle of summer vacation. Our 4 boys are on top of each other constantly and there is all kinds of friction, loudness and chaos that goes with that. I'm praying that they would just calm down a little and that God would give Sara and I an increased amount of patience to love them through this trying time until school starts in 35 days (but who's counting :)
Jobs - In about a month, Sara and I will need to decide how we're going to structure our work schedules for the year. We're still not sure how that will all look. One big piece is that Sara and I are praying and believing together for a full-time job for her at our boys' school. It's a question of whether or not the district will create an additional class there this year. We're praying that they do.
Church Move - I can't believe it, but this coming Sunday (July 24) is our final Sunday at the Cinemark Theater. We begin in our new full-time facility July 31 @ 11am. There is a lot of work to be done and a lot of money to be raised in the next 13 days. I'm asking God to do some miracles there. Can you join me in those prayers? If you are personally planning to give toward that project, you can give online anytime right here.

Thanks again for your prayers! I love and appreciate you very much.

your first look at our new facility

2011-07-15T09:43:00.000-07:00

Here is the first look at the new facility for Freedom Valley Church. Shot on a flip with no editing . . . nice and low-tech :) Enjoy.

Don't forget! We only have two more Sundays left in the movie theater and on our final Sunday, July 24, we will give away free movie passes to everyone in attendance (while supplies last, of course)

I appreciate your prayers so much and hope you will be joining us for a service very soon. We are still raising money to get moved in. Our next big hurdles are doors to close up our main auditorium, a second video projector and two fixed video screens. We're also needing to purchase some additional outdoor and indoor signage as well as kids ministry supplies and equipment. If you want to give toward this, you can do it right now by clicking here.

Open house and painting this Wednesday

2011-07-12T04:49:00.000-07:00

Hey Freedom Valley,

Just wanted to make sure you all knew that we will have our new facility open for you to check out and help paint if you should desire :)

It will be open this Wed, July 13 from 5-9pm. You can can come check it out anytime through the evening. We will also be painting in the main auditorium and would love the help if you are able to pitch in.

There will be childcare on site, so feel free to bring the kids out too.

The address of the new building is 12330 E. 60th St (Suite E) Tulsa OK 74146 and is easy to find via google maps or your gps.

I hope a bunch of you can come out and see your new church facility and even help get it painted. See you tomorrow.

my body . . . to a homeless guy

2011-07-11T04:35:00.000-07:00

Thank you for praying for me so faithfully. I am being shaped by God on a daily basis and I know that much of this is due to your incredible support in prayer. Thank you. Here are some things on my mind and in my prayers this week.

My body - more specifically, how I take care of my body. I'm not eating well and I'm gaining weight lately. I could blame it on a number of things, but the bottom line is that I'm being sloppy and I'm being a poor steward of my body. I want to change that.
Work begins this week - we have our first work night in our new church facility this Wednesday, July 13 from 5-9pm. We will be painting and cleaning. Will you pray that a lot of work gets done, but also that many people's hearts connect to the mission of our church through their investment there.
Increase my faith - I'm always seeing God as too small. We still have a good amount of money we need to get raised for this building move and to stay in a good place, financially, through these summer months. It's not a matter of "can God meet those needs?" Of course He can and He can do so much more than that. I'm just asking God to increase my faith as I pray this week.
Collin - A couple weeks ago, a homeless guy showed up at church. He was drunk that morning and he usually is. I believe that God brought this guy to me so I can help get him into the Freedom House in Gettysburg, PA. But I feel really strongly that this guy (his name is Collin) needs to do some work to get there. It will cost him about $200 to get to Gettysburg on a bus. I told him when he fills out the program application and has $100, I'll match his $100 and get him into that program. He gave me $9 yesterday at church. I'm just asking God to help this guy get that money together and get himself into the Freedom House so he can get free of addictions that have controlled him for decades.

Thanks for your prayers! Love you guys.

the news @ Freedom Valley

2011-07-07T04:44:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the highlights of what is happenign right now at Freedom Valley Church:

We only have 3 weeks left at the Cinemark - Things are moving quickly as we work toward getting into our new facility. We are hoping to bring you a video walk-thru this Sunday and we are scheduled to have the building open for you to check out on Wed, July 13 from 5-9pm. We will also be cleaning and painting that night. Hope you can come check it out and help out some.
You can help us get that facility fully equipped for ministry - We are still in the midst of asking everyone at Freedom Valley to seek God on how you might give toward getting our new building equipped. We have seen God bless us with many thousands of dollars already, but we still need thousands more to reach our goal. I hope you will consider helping. You give on Sunday morning or right now online right here
Mythbusters starts this Sunday - We begin a new teaching series this Sunday called "Mythbusters." We will be de-bunking some common myths that exist in the Church in America. Don't miss our second guest speaker of the summer, David Cordle, this Sunday.
Free movies coming up - On our final Sunday at the Cinemark, July 24, everyone in attendance will get a trip to the movies on us. We will be handing out free movie tickets to everyone in attendance . . . just because we love you

Dates to remember:

July 13,20,27 - Work Nights @ our new facility - 5-9pm (on-site childcare is provided)
July 30 - Worship and Prayer night - A night in our new facility to worship God together and thank Him for His awesome blessings.
July 31 - First Sunday service in our new facility - new service time of 11am begins this day

2 big steps to avoid burn-out

2011-07-06T02:55:00.000-07:00

I had an unexpected evening with my friend Al last night. He and his brother, Jack, were on a road-trip to OKC for Jack's new job at Lifechurch.tv. I'm a church-planter, Al is a future church-planter and Jack is a church leader, so we were talking church-planting and Jack asked me about my schedule . . . specifically how many hours I'm working right now.

I'm not totally sure, but my best guess is that between my job at the hospital and the time I put in for the church, that I'm around 70 hours per week. So, the next logical question was, "How do you maintain that and not get burned out." Well, the answer to that has two parts. (1) Understand it's a season (2) Rest.

(1) It's a season. Even with regular rest, I could not maintain my current schedule indefinitely. My wife and I are making plans for it to change inside of this year. What the specific changes are, we're still not completely decided on. But, it helps immensely to know that the fatigue I feel is only for a season and there is light at the end of the tunnel.

(2) Rest. This is the bigger of the two . . . by far, in my opinion. Weekly sabbath rest. From Friday afternoon to Saturday night, I just don't do anything. I hang out with my family. I don't work on my sermon. I don't check emails. I don't blog. I don't meet with people about church stuff. It's a sabbath. It's pure rest. And it's a command from God.

Why would God command such a thing? Because he knows that we're just foolish and arrogant enough to think we can make everything in life happen . . . if we just push a little harder. But when we take that weekly sabbath rest, we're not only resting, but we're inviting God to work on our behalf and do the things we can't possibly accomplish.

Sabbath is a counter-intuitive principle just like tithing is counter-intuitive. When we tithe, we see that God can do more with 90% of our money than we could do with 100%. When we take a weekly sabbath rest, we see that God can accomplish more in 6 days that we could in 7. If you're not taking a sabbath, you're setting yourself up for burn-out. Don't fall into the "I can get just a little more done" trap. You need to rest.

Picking up speed . . . prayers for the week

2011-07-05T04:11:00.000-07:00

This past week was fantastic! It's the first time I've begun to feel rested in quite a while. God is doing some great things in me and in my family.

Our church is really being blessed too! In the last three weeks, we've seen six people decide to make Jesus the Lord of their lives! We also had over $2600 given this week to our building move project! That's exciting stuff to me.

Some areas I'm praying about this week:

Building move - We are picking up speed. Only three weeks left in the movie theater and then we take possession of our new building! God really blessed our efforts this week as over $2600 came in toward that project on Sunday alone! Would you pray with me that this is just the beginning of some real miracles!
New / Right Leaders - Our church is about ten months old. When we began I thought it would take about 6-12 months for us to get a good picture of who our core leadership team is . . . to really know who is with us and who is not. It seems like that estimate was just about right. We have seen some pretty significant shifts in leadership and continue to. I am asking God to send a few more key leaders to our team through this Summer and Fall.
Summer giving - Summer giving, like Summer attendance at church, is usually down. We plan for this by running our finances with a significant reserve. However, with our building move happening, we have had to use some of our reserves already. The last two weeks of Sunday offering have been very low. I'm praying and believing that God will more than meet our needs and our church will be faithful in tithes and offering - even if that means giving online or mailing in tithes (which some have done) when they will miss church because of summer vacation, etc.

Man, it's an exciting time to be serving Jesus and have the chance to help lead His Church! Thanks so much for your prayers.

S.O.A.P. for today

2011-06-29T04:41:00.000-07:00

This is my entry today in my prayer journal. This stuff is almost always private, but I wanted to share this one in case it might help someone who's fighting the same thing.

June 29 – 1 Corinthians 1

25 This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.

Observation: I guess there is still some part of me that thinks I can plan a growing church. I guess there is some part of me that thinks that I can be a strong enough leader to get our church to the next level. The truth is, I can't. I'm barely strong enough to get out of bed today. My plans seem to fall through pretty regularly.

Application: I still am confused as to where the line is between surrendering my vision to God and giving up. This is not to say I'm considering giving up on our church or my my calling to ministry. Not even remotely. But what I mean is I DO NOT want to become one of those guys who spiritualizes everything and just sits back and lets life happen. I want to be proactive. I want to plan. I want to work hard. But I know that I still have not found a healthy-enough balance of that and trusting God as the author of my vision and the One who will ultimately bring it around to reality.

Prayer: Father, I want to fully trust You with the vision You've given me. But I don't want that to mean that I take myself out of the game. I love this! It's killing me not being able to do more. I am learning a lot, though. Thank You for that. In Jesus' name, amen.

My prayers for the week

2011-06-28T04:31:00.000-07:00

Some prayers you can pray with me this week:

Move-in funding - As most of you know, Freedom Valley needs to come up with about $20,000 in the next couple months to adequately outfit our new building for ministry. A family gave $1000 for it so far, so we're down to $19,000. God is so much bigger than that, so I'm believing that everyone in our church would respond strongly and we raise more than we need. If God is leading you to give toward that right now, you can do it here.
Dollars connect hearts - The most important thing that could happen from people in our church giving toward that move in project is that their hearts follow their dollars. I'm asking God to use this as a time for some new hearts to connect to the vision and mission of our church through their giving.
Transition plan - I'm asking God for a plan and circumstance to be able to transition out of my job at the hospital and back into full-time ministry.
Key leaders - Our church leadership team is awesome! But, we are missing some key people in key positions right now and I'm asking God to bring more leaders to our team through the summer.

Thanks for praying with me this week. Again, I would love to pray with you too. Just let me know what's going on with you.

weekly prayers . . .

2011-06-20T12:46:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much for all your prayers and your friendship! We signed the lease on our new building late last week and should be moved in by the end of July! Here are some areas I'm praying about this week:

Wisdom in our family - My wife has been offered a job that looks like it could be a pretty good one. She is taking a week to pray and weigh things out before she decides. I'm praying for wisdom for her. Can you too?
A way back to devoting my full time to ministry - This may be connected to the one above, but I'm asking God to make a way for me to leave my job at the hospital and put all my heart and soul back into ministry.
A good attitude - This may be connected to the one above :) but I'm asking God to help me maintain a good attitude while I'm at the hospital. I'll be honest. I'm struggling with the small amount of time I have to devote to ministry. I'm working outside of my calling and that is never a good thing for very long.
Outfitting our new building - We can outfit our new building very well for just about $20,000. This includes a building deposit, auditorium chairs, paint, storage, sound treatment on walls, projection equipment and more. I am believing that we raise all this money by the end of August - much of it by the end of July. The most expensive and most urgent of these is about $6000 we need to outfit our new auditorium with chairs. Love for you to pray with us and give toward this if God leads you that way.

Thanks again for all your prayers!

The pastor got schooled

2011-06-13T03:54:00.001-07:00

Yesterday morning was quite a morning for Pastor Jason Fitch.

Ok, some background. I went into the process of planting a church thinking it would be much easier than it is and seeing ministry as some kind of organizational system that I could lead. I figured it would grow, be "successful" and then I could tell my story and coach other church planters along the way. That's what I figured . . .

Here's what I didn't figure. Yesterday morning . . .

7:25am - get a call from a church family who is being put out of their house. They need help moving and have no place to go.
7:30am - Our lead hospitality person is in a car wreck right in front of the church. She's probably ok, but needs to be checked out at the hospital. Our lead set up guy leaves to be with her too.
7:35am - a woman in our church asks me to talk. She tells me through her tears about her alcoholic husband and her challenges with her son . . . and my heart is just breaking for her. I want to fix it all for her, but I can't. All I can do is pray with her and for her.
9:29am - church starts (this was the one part of the day that was in the plan:)
10:45am - I cancel our regular staff meeting and ask all the staff to help the family mentioned above move their stuff into storage. (Some of them worked for 8 hours!!)
11:45am - My wife and I decide to offer this family of 4 (plus cat and dog) to stay at our place for a short time so they can plan what their next step is.

What? This is what church is? Yeah.

God spoke to me very clearly yesterday. "Jason, nobody's asking for your insight on church planting or leadership. But there is a church full of people who need you to love them and serve them. That's the church. That's ministry. You up for it.?"

Yes, I am.

What I'm praying this week

2011-06-13T03:53:00.001-07:00

Some prayers you can pray with me this week:

I want to be more dependent on God - This morning, as I read God's Word, I'm very aware of how dependent I am on the work I do and how little I depend on God. I have a new desire in my heart this morning to be more dependent on God. Would you pray that my heart desire becomes a reality more and more in my life.
Building lease - The owner of the building we would like to lease is working on writing up the lease this week. We hoped we would have it signed by now. I am praying that we definitely have a signed lease by the end of the week.
Funding plan - The building we are moving into is a former church building so it is built-out almost exactly how we want it. That's great news because that means we don't need to do any costly renovations. We do, however, have a decent amount of equipment we need to get hold of to outfit the building to be a full-time ministry center. (building deposit, chairs for the auditorium, sound treatment on some walls, paint, upgraded projection, kids ministry supplies, storage cabinets, etc) Our team has estimated that we need to raise just about $20,000 by then end of August. If you have any experience with moving a church from one location to another, you know this is a HUGE bargain. Nonetheless, it's a significant amount of money to raise in a short time. Will you pray that God gives us a great plan to make this happen?
I'm asking God to get back to work - Yes, I know I've only been working at the Hospital for about 5 weeks. I'm just asking God to make a way for me to get back to giving my first and best thoughts and efforts to Freedom Valley. I felt like God wanted me to take a job outside the church for a couple reasons (break me of a fear I had about being a bi-vocational pastor, get focused on the most important things, provide for my family :) . . . and I will do what I have to for as long as I have to. I'm just asking God to put things in place that will allow me to get back to focusing on church ministry solely.

Thank you so much for your partnership. I love you guys!

Let's be the church today

2011-06-12T09:04:00.001-07:00

A family in our church had to move out of their home unexpectedly and need some help loading up today. We are canceling our normal staff meeting today to help them. Can you join us?

Today @ noon
7008 S. Harvard, Tulsa
Food provided.

Lets really bless this family in need of some help!

Also, please pray for Kate McGee. She was in a car wreck this morning on thd way to church. She is not seriously hurt, but is shaken up and believes her car is totaled. Please be sure and pray for Kate and reach out to her.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

gladness in trials

2011-06-10T03:26:00.000-07:00

You may feel like you're in some season of life that is not exactly what you want. I am too. I wanted to share my devotional journal from this morning. Perhaps what God is teaching me today will help you too . . .

June 10 – 1 Peter 1

"6 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world."

Observation: Well, I feel like this season of my life is a trial. I am ok with it right now and I do clearly see how I'm being purified. I'm being broken of more pride and seeing how God is the One building our church, not me.

Application: I guess the application is the glad part. I have not yet gotten to the point of feeling glad about where I'm at . . . at least not fully, not on a regular basis. I still feel like I'm just biding my time until I can do what I really love, but I know that is an immature and shot-sighted view. I will consciously decide to be glad about the trial period I'm in.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for what You have called me to. Thank you for trials of many kinds. I decide today to not only patiently endure those trials, but to be glad about them. Father God, help me to stop looking for the light at the end of the tunnel. Where I am today is not punitive; it's a step on my journey and I will embrace and and engage this time and place in my life. I am a blessed man and I thank You for where You have placed me right now. I am glad to serve You. I am glad to live the life I am living this very day. Lord, please help my gladness and satisfaction grow. In Jesus' name, Amen.