Greater

Many people have mentioned that God is great! Let me share a story with you… God is GREATER than we can imagine.

This past Sunday a veteran missionary visited our church to share about upcoming projects. We have supported this missionary for years. It is our custom to call guest missionaries to the front for special prayer. This past Sunday I asked some of our staff and leaders to lay their hands on our missionary after he greeted our congregation.

I prayed for this missionary and his wife (who was unable to be with us on Sunday). I prayed for them personally, for their ministry, etc…

I learned later that our missionary had back pain that was hurting so bad, it distracted him from what he was saying. After we prayed for him, he walked up the stairs to share – and he noticed that his back pain was instantaneously gone. He shared this story with me at lunch, and then typed it out for me… and I will be sharing it this coming Sunday.

This is the second time in my ministry that a missionary was instantaneously healed. There was one time that an inner city missionary was at our missions convention with a severe headache. After a time of prayer (and laying on of hands)… his headache immediately left him.

WOW! In both of these instances we did not even specifically pray for these healings. But – GOD IS GREATER! He displays His miraculous power for His PRAISE and GLORIFY God for his healing virtue.

Remember… No matter the need. GOD IS ABLE! He does immeasurably more than we can ask… or even imagine.

To hear the story – join us at Pathway Church on Sunday February 19 at 10am.

817 N. Hamilton     Gahanna, OH  43230

100 – 100

Today I am blogging as a husband. Recently, someone said to me, “You seem to have a pretty good marriage. I’ll bet your marriage is 50/50.”

To his immediate dismay, I told him absolutely NOT. Marriage is not a comparison of giving to receiving. It is not 50% giving by the husband and 50% giving by the wife. It is not half giving and half receiving.

Stop the 50/50 thinking. One secret to a good marriage is 100/100. A healthy marriage is 100% submission and service by the husband… and 100% submission and service by the wife. My wife is my “queen.” I serve her to the best of my ability. My happiness grows the more I serve her.

The mark of a great and healthy marriage is when both the husband and the wife gives 100% of themselves to the other. It is NOT 50/50.

IT IS 100/100.

The problem: The answer

Freedom. Our military fights for our freedom. InAmerica, we are free to govern ourselves through elected officials who “represent” the people. We are free to worship God. We are free to start business. We are free to pursue education. We enjoy many freedoms here in the United States of America.

Although the United States enjoys freedom – we have many problems. Consider our economy, the job market, the housing market, the educational system, politics, the national debt, healthcare, etc…

Consider personal problems like emotional pain, health needs, homelessness, hunger, abandonment, fear, guilt, shame, immorality, addictions, etc…

Our country, our government, our elected officials can not solve the biggest dilemma posed to mankind: “Where will you spend eternity?”

Although the issues mentioned above (among others) are legitimate concerns… They are not the REAL ISSUE. Above everything else, America has a SIN problem. Sin is what separates us from God. Sin is what jeopardizes our eternity. Without confessing our sins to God and believing that God raised Jesus from the dead… we are going to miss spending eternity in heaven with our maker.

There will be people in heaven who were in debt on earth. There will be people in heaven who have not been able to afford health care while on earth. There will be people in heaven who, while on earth were homeless, jobless, educated, and rich. But: if you solve all of the economic, political, educational, and other problems we face… eternity will still be at stake.

CALL TO CHRISTIANS: It is time to stand up for the truth of God’s Word. Let’s share the hope of Christ to the world. Do not let the worries of the day skew your perspective about eternity.

It is true: Jesus really is THE ANSWER!

 

 

 

Everyone needs a coach.

No one should be doing ministry without a coach

You need a coach. Yes, YOU… You need a coach. You should not be doing ministry without a coach.

A coach is NOT an expert to tell you how to do things.

THINK OF IT THIS WAY: Do you remember the old fashion horse-drawn coaches? They would take passengers from one destination to another.

The same is true with “motor-coaches” or buses, trains, cars, airplanes, etc…

A ministry “COACH” is someone who helps you move from one place in ministry to another. A “COACH” increases your ability to think and to confidently take action.

If you are looking to:

- become a better preacher

- become a better communicator

- train leaders

- plant a church

- revitalize a church

- launch a new campus location

- hire staff

- develop leaders

- re-budget

- change the name of your church

- Etc…

YOU NEED A MINISTRY “COACH!”

In fact, if you pastor a church, are on staff at a church, lead a ministry, or influence people for Christ – you need a ministry “COACH.”

I believe EVERY PASTOR needs a coach.

…….Every person needs a coach

If you are interested in coaching, please at least send me an email. I am offering coaching to new “clients” at a discounted rate.

I also have a large network of trained and certified coaches to recommend to you if you are interested.

For more information:

1) email:

pmikecolumbus@gmail.com

2) blog:

www.pmikecolumbus.wordpress.com

3) Ministry coaching:

www.ministrycoach.tv (click on my name to request a course for a special discount)

Check Your Baggage

 

So many people are burdened with a load of emotional Baggage. You know what Baggage is… it’s the stuff from your past that you carry around in your soul. It’s the words people have said and the things people have done that still haunt your mind and seem to limit your potential. It weighs you down. It crowds your relationships. It causes you to stumble through life.

God wants to take the Baggage off your shoulders so you can be free from its bondage forever. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28).

The Lord invites you to come to Him and “check” your Baggage once and for all.

 

Join us at Pathway Church starting this Sunday (January 22) for a powerful Sermon Series entitled: “Check Your Baggage.”

Praying the HARVEST… “T” Teachable Spirit

 

You have made it… All week we have been using that H.A.R.V.E.S.T. prayer strategy to help us during this week of prayer. Today, as we conclude the week of prayer, our prayer letter is “T” – we will be praying for a “Teachable Spirit.” I believe that a teachable spirit is an important part of the Christian faith. After all, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Having a teachable spirit is a display of humility.

• Christ humbled Himself to be the servant of created beings.
• Christ humbled Himself by taking on skin (the likeness of man).
• Christ humbled himself by washing the disciples’ feet
• Christ humbled Himself to be obedient to death on the cross.

Christ modeled humility for us in many ways. Christians are “followers” of Jesus Christ. And, we must “follow” His example of humility.

God is: All Knowing; Everywhere at the same time; All Powerful; and Immutable (He is always the same, and does not change). You and I, on the other hand: are limited in knowledge, can only be in one place at a time, our power is limited, and we are constantly changing (maybe regressing in some areas, and growing in others… we will never reach perfection here on earth).

So – there is always something for us to learn. There is always room for growth.

I have learned… and re-learned, and re-learned, and I am learning, and I am sure I will learn (in the future) that I do not “know it all.” For some people, this is a real hurdle. For others – you are asking “what hurdle?”  We must remember that anyone, anything, any circumstance can teach us. There are times when God will use the most unlikely person to teach us. When this happens, our enemy of the teachable spirit is exposed: PRIDE.

Pride is a trick used by the enemy to make us look less like Christ. There are many times where our “pride” is hurt, and we can “justify” our feelings of pride. We must remember that the goal is not to justify pride – it is to remove it from our lives all together. Pride is NOT a fruit of the spirit. Being better than others is NOT a fruit of the spirit.

Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.” (NLT). I also love the message version: “First pride, then the crash - the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.”

As you pray for a teachable spirit today today – pray:

1. That you would reflect Christ by practicing humility
2. That you will not be tricked by the enemy’s attempts to make you proud.

Praying the HARVEST… “S” Spiritual Needs

Our all church Week of Prayer is almost complete. Today is the day that we pray for Spiritual needs. In praying for spiritual needs, it would be typical to pray for people: yourself, your family, your church as a whole, and your community. In praying for spiritual needs you may find yourself praying for:

• Salvation (for many people to receive the gift of salvation and follow Jesus).
• A mighty “move” of God’s Spirit
• Spiritual growth
• Strongholds to loosened
• Etc…

But, I would like to invite you today to take a good look at YOUR OWN spiritual life.

If a friend wrote a description of your spiritual life – what would they write? Would they write about your attitude? Your behavior? Your passion? The spiritual disciplines in your life? Although people will know we are Christians because of our love – and the “fruit” that we bear – we need to remember that we are living for an audience of ONE!

If God could speak to YOU about YOUR spiritual life – what would He talk about? This question challenges me to consider what I allow into my life… What am I letting influence my life? What level of influence do my peers have in my life? What about: TV, reading material, movies, music, etc… As you consider these questions – you may also want to consider what spiritual disciplines you practice.

Spiritual disciplines are intended to bring you close to God. Today, as you reflect on your own spiritual growth – consider: “WHAT IS NEXT FOR ME AS I CONTINUE TO BECOME MORE LIKE CHRIST?”

If the next step for you is more consistency regarding spiritual disciplines: Consider writing down your goal regarding:

• A strategy for Bible reading
• A plan for times of private prayer
• A goal for sharing your faith with others
• A goal for church attendance

There are really so many spiritual disciplines… But, these are good places to start

If you already practice the spiritual disciplines you desire at this point – then, what is NEXT for you? Do you need to serve in ministry? Do you need to volunteer somewhere? Do you need to display more kindness? Patience?

Take a few minutes to identify what is “NEXT” in your spiritual development.

Now, pray that God will enable you to accomplish what is “NEXT.” Write out a plan to follow that will help you measure your progress.

Have a great day praying for YOUR spiritual life!

Praying the HARVEST… “E” Emotional Needs

Today we continue the week of prayer by praying for “Emotional Needs.”

Emotions cause behavior in every person. Sometimes this behavior motivates us to do things that are beneficial. Other times, emotions drive us to behavior that we regret. Emotions can cause damage in our lives as well as in the lives of others.

Emotions can cause us to say things that we wish we could take back. Emotions can cause us to do things that we really do not want to do. Emotions can even cause us to be destructive to others, and to ourselves.

Every person has emotional scars. Some people have emotional hurts that are so deep it cripples them. No matter how intense your emotional hurts are, God can heal the hurts. If you feel abandoned, cheated, ignored, belittled, misrepresented, misunderstood, etc… GOD UNDERSTANDS. God will meet you where you are… And He is there for you!

Many people suffer from verbal or physical abuse. This causes great emotional pain. No matter how badly you feel… No matter how deep the hurt: God loves you. God is your restoration. God is your healer. Call on Him. Cast your cares on Him, for He cares for you.

As you pray today, pray that God would make you whole. Pray that the emotional pain in your life would NOT deter you from God’s plan for your life. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Trust Him more than circumstances. Trust Him more that your emotional pain. Trust Him as your healer, and for everything you need. God has your best interest in mind… And He loves you!

Praying the HARVEST… “V” Virtue

As you are spending this week praying during this all church week of prayer, I trust that God is speaking to you in a powerful way.

Today we pray for “virtue” – meaning, Godly character and morality.

We can notice how this world has little regard for the things of God’s Word. Even our own nation (a nation “under God”) has strayed from the truth of the Bible.

Our cities, our educational system, and our work environment have all become places where it is common to reference immoral activity and behavior. This has even crept into the church… And our homes.

Satan has tricked us by making sin appear to be culturally accepted. The media has produced movies, TV shows, music, and web content that come against the believers pursuit of Godly character and morality.

But, there is power to overcome this type of attack from the enemy. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says to, “…take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Godly character is a matter of capturing our thought life, and submitting our thoughts (even our private thoughts) to Christ.

The sin pattern described in James chapter 1 is as follows:

• It begins with our own evil desires.
• This is when our thought life strays from the things of God
• Then, we are dragged away and enticed
• This is when our thoughts turn into desire
• Sinful desire is what gives birth to sin
• Sin eventually results in death

In order to walk down a path of death and destruction, we can simply allow our thought life to stray from the things of the Lord.

But, if we desire to be the blessed children of God that we are intended to be…then, we must align our thoughts with God’s holy Word.

Be. Person of virtue. Take your your thoughts captive, and make them obedient to Christ.

Praying the HARVEST… “R” Relationships

Today is the day to pray for relationships. Most people will experience a wonderful relationship as they walk the journey of life. Nearly everyone will experience many strenuous relationships. I trust that during this week of prayer God will meet your relationship needs.

Today I want to provide some coaching points for you as you pray for relationships:

Praying for your spouse:

In praying for your spouse, pray for the things that they desire, not what you desire for them.

Take some time to get to know what your spouse desires!

Praying for your children:

Pray for their:

• Relationship with Christ and their spiritual development
• Development of Godly character traits
• Future mate
• Safety (physical, emotional, spiritual)
• Ability to practice the truths of God’s Word in daily situations
• Academic, athletic, musical, and other success (able to find fulfillment in these areas as they do them unto the Lord)

As you pray for relationships, pray for:

• Your friends
• Your neighbors
• Your co-workers
• Your desired relationships
• Your healthy relationships
• Your suffering relationships