5:10 am Ugh. Didn’t hear alarm. I love my routine. Is this going to throw me off today?

5:50 Staff member Tyler already here at church. What great staff.

6:30 Double Ugh. Custodial forgot to clean after FLAG 101 yesterday morning.

7:15 Cleaning these glass doors can be therapeutic.

8:00 Worship team sounds sweet. Bryan has really come a long way on the electric.

9:45 I wonder if I my message sounded harsh? Just want to inspire people to be hungry for God. Why didn’t I open up the altar? Fearful of being stood up?

10:10 This 2nd service full house attendance sure is energizing.

10:35 Message hitting on all cylinders. This is fun.

11:20 With 10:00 full, will the 11:30 be sparse? Dummy! That is scarcity/poverty thinking.

12:00 pm Missing something in 3rd service. Can’t seem to find that something.

1:30 Don’t forget the beverage containers for the FLAG 101 meal at home tonight.

2:30 Good having people at altars in 10 and 11:30 service. Tired of house/food prep for 30+ coming to house tonight. Crud. Need to go to store.

3:00 Hey, that bonfire started easy.

5:00 Let’s meet outside tonight.

5:15 Why all this work? Hearing real people new to church share real heart feelings about the church, that’s why!

7:30 Tyler has a great crowd here at Chi Alpha. I am the oldest person here.

8:00 Seeing Water Baptism and Cinco De Mayo combined. Excellente’.

11:00 Finish blog. Go to bed.

I was tired of Monopoly.  Very tired.  To win, you have to destroy everyone else.  Makes for lousy relationships. 

I had heard about this game.  Read a little.  Took a chance.  Bought it as a family Christmas gift.

We love it.

The game play its relatively simple, while its dynamics are quite complex.  It is well suited for family play, since no one gets eliminated. 

We can now play a full game in about 45 minutes at dinner time.

If you are looking for a game to bring the family together:  Check it out.

“To have found God and still seek Him is the soul's paradox of love.
Scorned, indeed, by the too-easily-satisfied religionist,
but justified in happy experience by children of the burning heart."
- A.W. Tozer

I don’t believe that I have ever looked at my faith as simple Fire Insurance, or a “Get out of hell free” card. 

But I know that I have at times neglected my membership in the “children of the burning heart” club.

Pursuing God is ridiculous to the religious, as it show a lack of contentment and utter contempt for complacency with just being saved.

May I continue to strive to be ridiculous.

I am amazed at the commitment of God’s people, specifically the people that I get to pastor.

Stacking bricks signifying $20,000 a piece we stacked 15 bricks indicating a total of $302,000 already given and/or Faith Promised over the next 3 years!

If someone had told me this would be the result I would have thought that they were dreaming, or smoking something.

$36,500 of the $302,000 was the First Fruits offering that was given last Sunday.  We were able to give a tithe of that, $3,650, to Vie Medical Clinic, a local Crisis Pregnancy Center this morning.

Feeling pretty tired, and thankful.

This morning at church we culminated a 6 week emphasis by receiving 3 year Faith Promises toward a future building as well as receiving a one time First Fruits offering.

It is a blessing to pastor people willing to give.  Phooey.  It is just a blessing to hang around people who are generous!

Most who know me would expect that this Type A detail freak would know the amounts Faith Promised before I left church that day.  But I will find out when everyone else does, at the end of the 8:30 service on Easter Sunday.

Want to join us? 

You can give your tax deductible donation securely with a credit card through Paypal at www.flagchurch.com by clicking “Give.” 

You can also mail in a donation to:

FLAG Church

1234 North Rouse

Pittsburg, KS  66762

I have been blessed to have had the same pastor in my life for the past 25 years.

Pastor John Bunney was the pastor of Christian Heritage Assembly of God when I committed my life to Christ on May 19, 1985.

He planted the church about 7 years earlier and stayed there until his “retirement” for a total of 25 years.

I have sought his counsel at every major juncture in my life.  Going to Bible College, a job situation at Bible College, marriage, ministry positions, and we can point to a time and place when he prayed for us concerning our infertility.  Conner was born 9 months later.

Recently Conner and I visited Cleveland and had the chance to have lunch with him and his wife, Sue.  He is now 81 years old and still teaching in churches on weekends.

I thank God for my pastor.

Today in our services, based off of the Bible passage of 1 Chronicles 29:1-5, we announced our 3 year Faith Promise commitment of $15,000 for the Building Tomorrow Together Capital Giving Campaign.

We chose this amount because it is beyond the “no faith necessary” amount and well below the “foolish” amount.  Faith will be required, but so will budgeting and sacrifice.  The rest of the church will make their Faith Promises on March 28th. 

In other stories:

• Sarah and I went to Red Lobster for her birthday today.  She turned 29 again.
• Conner and I fly out to Cleveland tomorrow and return on Friday.
• Kansas University and The Ohio State University are 1 and 2 in the same bracket.  Could be trouble.
• We showed installment #3 in our Legacy mini-movie series.  It is pretty cool, and I do say so myself!  <smile>  Watch below.

I am sitting in my office as the last people who attended a funeral service I just performed are saying their goodbyes.  A sudden death of a 74 year old man who looked in amazing health, Don Stewart.

After hearing many family members are friends speak, all good things about Don, hear are some random thoughts:

1. Never underestimate the influence you had on your children.
2. Good deeds are not quickly forgotten.
3. We don’t know how long we have, say what needs to be said, soon.
4. If you want lots of friends at your funeral, invest in people.
5. Good choices have long lasting impact.
6. The deceased has a major influence on the funeral service.
7. When people talk about your strengths, it is a good thing for it too last a while.

I have sensed so much more attack from the Enemy as we have pursued this endeavor.  Must be on the right track.

We have made a series of videos on the history of our church to encourage people to stretch out their faith and pioneer again. 

First installment is below:  It is better than any in house video of a church under 1,000 I have ever seen.  I have seen a lot.

Give it 4 minutes and tell me what you think.

Yesterday we launched a Capital Giving Campaign at the church we pastor.  We are calling it Building Tomorrow Together.

Came across an amazing statement in my research for Sunday’s Message:  “Never let the shoe tell the foot how big it can grow.”

Borrowed heavily from many sources for yesterday’s message.  Main thoughts are below:

4 PURPOSES OF Capital Giving Campaign

1. To help people grow to spiritual maturity
2. To raise the funds to build
3. To develop fellowship and unity within our church family
4. To celebrate with thanksgiving

Expect three different reactions

1. Those who will give no matter what we do
2. Those who will never give no matter what we do
3. Those who will give when they catch the vision

Campaign Non-Negotiables

1. We will not pressure anyone
2. We will not say no for anyone
3. We will not sell anything
4. We will challenge everyone to sacrifice equally