Introducing Ramsey

My brother and sister-in-law just adopted this sweet little boy from Ethiopia. His name is Ramsey and he is a great blessing to our family. We praise God for him and pray that the LORD will set him apart as a warrior for the Kingdom of God!

If the Shirt Fits...

Asher does indeed do all his own stunts, and he likes to talk to his Nana on the phone.

Asher's Adventures

Chuck Norris says, "buy these jeans or else"

These are a must have Bryan!!!

Resolved:

It is that time of year when you look back on the past and look forward to the future. It is a time to reflect back and dream forward. Many resolutions will be made and most will probably be broken before the first month of the year is over.

Real and enduring life transforming resolutions cannot be kept in the power of the flesh. They may only be kept as we abide in Jesus Christ, the true giver and sustainer of life.

Jonathan Edwards is well-known for his Resolutions. He knew that he could not keep his resolutions in his own power. He wrote,

"BEING SENSIBLE THAT I AM UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING WITHOUT GOD' S HELP, I DO HUMBLY ENTREAT HIM BY HIS GRACE TO ENABLE ME TO KEEP THESE RESOLUTIONS, SO FAR AS THEY ARE AGREEABLE TO HIS WILL, FOR CHRIST' S SAKE."

In the wisdom of Jonathan Edwards and the power of the Holy Spirit I resolve to feed my appetite for God alone. May all other my other appetites fall in submission to my hunger for intimacy with the Almighty.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." ~ Matthew 5:6

Deliver Us

Sweet!

The Latest Adventures of Asher

Asher and daddy have been spending some time outside in the snow having lots of fun sledding and building a snow fort.













Daddy and Asher also put together Asher's new bed. He got it as a gift from his grandpa. Asher is very thankful that his grandpa takes good care of him.









Asher is preparing for life with a new baby. He is practicing so he can help take care of his little brother/sister.

















Asher loves his new big boy bed and today he received another package in the mail from his Uncle John, Auntee Andee, and big cousins Samantha and Robin. He loves his books and is thankful for the generosity of his family.

A Church Planters Dream

We had dinner with a young couple who has recently become a part of Pointway Church. John recently came to faith through the ministry of Teen Challenge. Last week before our cell group he called me and asked if it was alright for him to bring someone with him. I think you can guess what my response was. Tonight he asked me again if he could bring another person with him to cell group. Again my response is predictable.

In just three weeks this new believer has brought three pre Christians to our cell group. I am amazed at the way God uses new believers to connect pre Christians to our church plant. We are also working to start and Evangelistic Bible Study in the book of Mark with another group of his friends.

This goes to show the importance of having connections with pre Christians if we are going to be effective in reaching out with the gospel of Jesus Christ,who was after all THE FRIEND OF SINNERS. We must be missional in our thinking and seek to cultivate redemptive relationships with pre Christians.

Let me end this post with a thought bomb: Based on the relationships and social connections you have could you be accused, as Jesus was, of being a FRIEND OF SINNERS?

The Hobbit is Coming

"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, not yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort."

I am totally psyched that The Hobbit is coming to the Big Screen.

Read about it HERE

Ten Questions to Ask at a Christmas Gathering

Many of us struggle to make conversation at Christmas gatherings, whether church events, work-related parties, neighborhood drop-ins, or annual family occasions. Sometimes our difficulty lies in having to chat with people we rarely see or have never met. At other times we simply don’t know what to say to those with whom we feel little in common. Moreover, as Christians we want to take advantage of the special opportunities provided by the Christmas season to share our faith, but are often unsure how to begin. Here’s a list of questions designed not only to kindle a conversation in almost any Christmas situation, but also to take the dialogue gradually to a deeper level. Use them in a private conversation or as a group exercise, with believers or unbelievers, with strangers or with family.

1. What’s the best thing that’s happened to you since last Christmas?

2. What was your best Christmas ever? Why?

3. What’s the most meaningful Christmas gift you’ve ever received?

4. What was the most appreciated Christmas gift you’ve ever given?

5. What was your favorite Christmas tradition as a child?

6. What is your favorite Christmas tradition now?

7. What do you do to try to keep Christ in Christmas?

8. Why do you think people started celebrating the birth of Jesus?

9. Do you think the birth of Jesus deserves such a nearly worldwide celebration?

10. Why do you think Jesus came to earth?

Of course, remember to pray before your Christmas gatherings. Ask the Lord to grant you "divine appointments," to guide your conversations, and to open doors for the gospel. May He use you to bring glory to Christ this Christmas.

Copyright © 2003 Donald S. Whitney. All rights reserved.

For more short, reproducible pieces like this, see www.BiblicalSpirituality.org

Vision - The Way We See When Our Eyes Are Closed

"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it."

~ Michelangelo

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
~Ephesians 3:20-21

Why are we so small minded when we serve a God who can do FAR MORE ABUNDANTLY than all we can ask or thing?

Congratulations!

StAn the Embryo is now officially StAn the Fetus!

He/She weighs in at: 0.07 ounces
and measures in at: 0.9 inches

Way to go StAn, we knew you could do it!!!

We praise God for your life and we pray for you every day.
We can't wait to meet you!

Why New Churches Fail

The following is an insightful article by James Emery White

Too many churches race head first into no-man’s-land, and then languish, never breaking through the critical growth barriers necessary to flourish.

Every year, over 1 million people in this country start a business. Forty percent of them will close by the end of the first year. Within 5 years, more than 80 percent of them will fail. Of the 20 percent that make it past the first 5 years, 80 percent won’t make it past the second 5.

The statistics are about the same for new churches, and church-planting studies with denominations bear this out. Just as there are reasons why new businesses fail, there are reasons for new church failures. Having worked with church planters for several years and having planted a new church, I have seen some common problems in churches that fail or do not flourish.

Proverbs 21:31 says, "The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord" (NIV). God brings whatever victory may result from our efforts, but the horse is ours to prepare.

At Mecklenburg’s New Work Conference, we cover dozens of critical issues related to new church health and growth, including a session outlining the top 12 reasons new works fail. Here are five that often contribute to a church’s failure to prepare for the battle.

REASONS WHY CHURCHES FAIL

Lack of Ministry Gifts

Many new churches fail because the point leader or leadership team lack the ministry gifts needed to plant a successful church. Certain gifts are essential for a successful start of a church. One person does not need to have them all, but they must be present within the founding leaders. These gifts are: leadership, communication, and evangelism. Be brutal on this evaluation. There is a difference between wanting to lead and being gifted to lead. And when it comes to communication, have someone besides your spouse and family affirm your ability to speak. Ministry is through spiritual gifts; and if the proper gifts are not present, the going will be tough.

Lack of Money

New churches cost more and tend to bring in less during the first few years through offerings than church planters think. Many new churches submerge because they don’t have sufficient capital to stay afloat. Too many let trite phrases, such as "God’s work done God’s way will never lack God’s supply," flow from their lips in response to this critical need. In reality, the New Testament speaks of churches in financial need, without any indication of a lack of spirituality on the part of the church itself. This provides a responsibility for more mature churches to step up their giving (2 Corinthians 8). New churches must have working capital to sustain themselves and invest in growth until they are self-sufficient. Lack of money sets up a self-defeating cycle. Since there is barely enough money to get by, a church can’t invest in growth through additional staff, better facilities, or efforts such as direct mail campaigns. Yet without growth, the church remains financially stagnant. Denominations must give church planters the resources they need, and church planters must make sure they have the proper funding.

Wandering in No-Man’s-Land

New churches also fail because they are wandering in no-man’s-land regarding the people they are trying to reach. This is particularly the case for those churches wishing to be contemporary rather than traditional, or seeker-targeted rather than oriented toward the already convinced.

No-man’s-land is when you are too seeker-sensitive to reach large numbers of believers, but you’re not seeker-targeted enough to reach large numbers of seekers. By being in the middle, you end up reaching no one. If your vision is to be seeker-targeted, be seeker-targeted. Don’t have 30 minutes of highly participatory praise and worship for believers, followed by a Christianity 201 or 301 message, and then throw in an offering disclaimer, casual dress, and drums, and think you’re a seeker-targeted church. You’re not. Define your vision for the church, and then be pure in its presentation and operation. Too many churches race headfirst into no-man’s-land, and then languish, never breaking through the critical growth barriers necessary to flourish.

Failure To Contextualize

Other new works fail to contextualize. They take something from outside their context and put it into a form for their context. The impetus behind many new churches is an excitement about a particular church that sparked the imagination and vision of those desiring to plant a church. These leaders try to replicate or model that church. When leaders do this, they often fail to do the hard, creative work of taking that model and shaping it to their unique situation. The principles and philosophies behind most of the large, successful, fast-growing churches will translate anywhere, but there are some areas that need to be adjusted: type of music, degree of participation that a seeker may want or need, the style of worship, dress code, and the selection of sermon topics.

Mecklenburg Community Church is known as a seeker-targeted church. But when compared to other well-known churches, such as Willow Creek Community Church near Chicago or Saddleback Valley Community Church outside of Los Angeles, there are major stylistic and structural differences. It’s great to have models, but let the model be just that–a model, not a monolith.

Small-Church Mentality

A final mistake common among new churches is a small-church mentality that permeates the entire community of faith. Tom Watson, founder of IBM, was asked why the company had become successful. Here are his words: "IBM is what it is today for three special reasons. First, at the very beginning, I had a clear picture of what the company would look like when it was finally done. Second, once I had that picture, I asked myself how a company like that would need to act. Third, IBM has been successful because after I had a picture of how IBM would look when the dream was in place and how such a company would need to act, I realized that unless we began to act that way from the very beginning, we would never get there. For IBM to become a great company it would need to act like a great company long before it ever became one."

One of the keys to Mecklenburg’s rapid growth as a new church–from a single family to over 2,000 in average weekly attendance in 6 years–was that we began as a small church with a big-church mindset. This played itself out in every conceivable way–every service and every event was done as if a thousand people were going to show up. And that is one reason why a thousand people eventually did. In many churches, just about everything they do–announcements, recognizing people, demeanor, levels of quality–is done as a little church, in little church style. This may seem laid-back and cozy at first, but it breeds a small-church mentality that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

IT’S JUST PLAIN HARD

While these five reasons explain why many new works fail, there are many more of equal importance. The bottom line is that planting a church is hard work. I laugh every time I hear someone say that starting a church–instead of working toward the transition or revitalization of an existing church–is the easy way to go. They obviously have never planted a church. Different problems? Yes. But easier? Hardly. But it can be done. The key is preparing our horse for battle and then trusting God for the victory.

Thanks Lynch Mob

Asher loves his presents from the Lynch Mob! He squealed with delight when he opened the box and saw that it was filled with books. We had to begin reading them immediately. He also loves his Cookie Monster Flashlight. Thanks Uncle John, Auntee Andee, and big cousins Samantha Jeane & Robin. We Love You! Merry Christmas!!!

I Won!

I won a set of the Modern Parables DVD's from Tim Challies. Sweet!



Prodigal Sons

What is God interested in?

God is more interested in our holiness than in our comfort. He more greatly delights in the integrity and purity of his church than in the material well-being of its members. He shows himself more clearly to men and women who enjoy him and obey him than to men and women whose horizons revolve around good jobs, nice houses, and reasonable health. He is far more committed to building a corporate “temple’ in which his Spirit dwells than he is in preserving our reputations. He is more vitally disposed to display his grace than to flatter our intelligence. He is more concerned for justice than for our ease. He is more deeply committed to stretching our faith than our popularity. He prefers that his people live in disciplined gratitude and holy joy rather than in pushy self-reliance and glitzy happiness. He wants us to pursue daily death, not self-fulfillment, for the latter leaders to death, while the former leads to life.

~D.A. Carson - A Call to Spiritual Reformation

Sin, Grace and the Cross

Smashing False Idols

These are from the 2007 Evangelists' Conference

The Acts of the Apostles

Today was a great day for mail. I received that familiar box with the Amazon logo on the side. I was especially excited about this arrival because the box contained the much anticipated new commentary on The Acts of the Apostles by Darrell L. Bock from the Baker Exegetical Commentary of the New Testament Series.

When I finally got a chance to open it up and take it for a test drive I was extremely tired and ready for bed, but it was only 7:00. My goal for the night is to make it to 8:30 before I turn in so I decided to start reading through the Introduction. It is filled with the usual commentary stuff and much of it I am familiar with from my research in Acts for my Th.M at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

It got really interesting as I read Bock's overview and theology of Acts sections. In the overview he talks about four issues that dominate Luke-Acts. The forth issue caused me to stop and ponder its meaning for a while.

(4) Finally, there is the story of various faithful witnesses who respond to Jesus in the face of opposition. Whether this theme concerns Peter and John, Stephen, Philip, Paul, or Barnabas, the book is filled with those sharing in the calling to take the message of fulfillment to the end of the earth. They serve as examples for those who carry out the mission of God. (Bock p.7)

I realized that as a church planter I am one of the many who are carrying out the mission of God. Thinking about this has caused me to rejoice in my calling as a church planter and it has encouraged me with the knowledge that I am a part of something truly magnificent! I am part of a legacy of church planting that goes all the way back to the time in which Jesus Christ walked the earth; a time when Peter, Paul, Barnabas, Apollos gave their lives to the preaching of the gospel and the planting of churches.

I knew that I was doing a work here that is beyond me and bigger than me and tonight I am praising God for opening my eyes a little wider to this reality.

I am on a Journey to the End of the Earth! I am also on a Journey to my bed because it is now 8:37 ~ Goodnight!

Soli Deo Gloria

A Good Word

"We depend on plans, programs, vision statements- but somewhere along the way we have succumb to the temptation to displace the foolishness of the cross with the wisdom of strategic planning."

~ Dr. D.A. Carson

True Saving Faith

"This is what true saving faith is like...First, you must wholeheartedly believe the truth of the gospel, and love that truth. Second, you must desire Christ and his salvation about everything else, and whole heartedly receive him."

"True saving faith means that you come to a deep, heartfelt conviction of how precious Christ is, and 'account all things loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord, and coun them but rubbish, that you may gain Christ and be found in him."

True saving faith also means that you love every part of Christ's salvation - holiness as well as the forgiveness of sins."

Walter Marshall, The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification

Church Planting Partners

Pointway Church is now one month old and we have grown from 3 to 13 people. One of our core values is Church Multiplication. One thing that we want to do in planting Pointway Church is to ingrain our core values into our DNA right from the start. After all they are core values!

That is why I am so excited about an opportunity that has recently arisen for us to partner in helping a new church plant. North Star Church Plant in Hibbing, MN will begin after the first of the new year. Pointway Church will partner with North Star prayerfully, financially and in gospel ministry.

We are also making plans to daughter our first church plant together in 3 to 5 years. I count it a privilege in many ways especially because the planter is a treasured friend and mentor.

This is the outworking of a conviction I hold that a church is not a true New Testament book of Acts type church unless it is working to plant other churches. I praise the LORD of the harvest who has given us this opportunity to bear witness to the truth and power of the gospel.

May the Holy Spirit have his way with us and may God be glorified because of us.

Soli Deo Gloria

A Glimse of the Future

This is for you Joy. This is Anne and Asher shortly before he came into the world.

Challies Dot Com December Giveaway

Challies Dot Com is giving away a great resource this month.



Enter to win and if you would be so kind enter my referral number 40794

Update: I won third place!!! Pretty Sweet!

Between Two Worlds: Manifesto on Evangelism

Between Two Worlds: Manifesto on Evangelism

Free Audio Book

Christian Audio is offering Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross free this month.

Asher and Daddy Early in the Morning

Daddy has his coffee and Asher has his juice!

Asher loves shells & cheese!

Can I have some more please. (Asher ate four servings of shells and cheese)

Watch StAn (and Anne's Belly) Grow!

7 Weeks

December is Here!

Now that December is here we are preparing to celebrate the season. Here is how we celebrated tonight!

A Quote to make you THINK!

"Christians don't tell lies they just go to church and sing them"

~ A.W. Tozer

Gospel Community Groups Begin

Tonight we are starting our first Gospel Community Group (cell group). We are expecting 10-12 people to attend. We are very excited for this part of our ministry to grow and blossom.

Please pray that the LORD would knit our hearts together in love and unity as we band together to reach out with the gospel of Jesus Christ and plant his church in the Brainerd/Baxter area.

We continue to be humbled by the way the LORD is using us to plant his church and we are continuously filled with wonder and awe at the way he works.

Soli Deo Gloria - To God Alone Be the Glory

StAn Returns

STeve and ANne are excited to announce the return of StAn. That's right, another Steve & Anne combo is on the way!!! The newest member of the Erickson Clan "should" arrive sometime in July. Please pray that Anne would have a healthy pregnancy and that our new little one would also be strong and healthy.

Praise the LORD for this precious gift of grace!

Asher's Dance

This is Asher's Favorite Bible Song!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Remember ~ It is not about turkey ~ It is not about family ~ It is not about football!
This is a day set aside to express our thanksgiving to the LORD who gives us life. Try to make room for thanksgiving this Thanksgiving!

The words of Abraham Lincoln’s Proclamation, in 1863 and the first declaring Thanksgiving as a national holiday, seem particularly apt for this Thanksgiving also.

“The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God . . . Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, (sic) have not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe had enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. . . the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility (sic) and Union.” Abraham Lincoln

These excerpts are taken from the collection of Lincoln's papers in the Library of America series, Vol II, pp. 520-521.

Living the Dream Baby!

This is a phrase that some church planters were using at the Christian and Missionary Alliance's Strategic Multiplication Training. It was used in jest as the trainer was talking about some difficult situations that he had encountered.

I am using this phrase today because I truly am Living the Dream! Someone asked me this morning how I was doing and my response was, "I don't think I have ever been better in my entire life than I am right now."

That is truly how I feel today. I feel that way because I can not imagine having a better family, I can not imagine doing anything other than planting Pointway Church, I can not imagine anything better than being a child of the Living God.

I know that dwelling in the glorious presence of our God and King Jesus Christ in the New Heavens and the New Earth will far surpass what I am experiencing at this moment, but that is beyond what I can imagine.

So I praise the LORD today because I can not remember a time that has ever been better than this time in my life. Praiz-a-lujah!!! I rejoice in my God and in my call to plant His church.

I'm Living the Dream Baby!!!

Soli Deo Gloria

Listen to Chuck!!!

Good Reading

The Great Work of the Gospel
by John Ensor

This is another book that focuses on Gospel-Driven Living. It is deeply theological and practical. The subtitle of the book is How We Experience God's Grace. Ensor's presupposition is that, "Only a truth-soaked mind can reshape our opinions, attitudes, responses, and decisions." Therefore if we are to experience radical gospel transformation we must be saturated with the truth of the gospel of God's grace.

This book has helped me to have a deeper understanding of the truth of the gospel and a more vibrant experience of the grace of God. I highly recommend it.

Alone With The Lord: A Guide for a Personal Day of Prayer
by Gordon T. Smith

This short little book provides a lot of wisdom and insight in the practice of prayer. Smith lays out a plan for a day set apart for personal prayer. This book is valuable to all who desire a deeper experience in their practice of prayer.

One of the Best websites EVER!

My little brother tipped me off to this one!

Click the link and listen very carefully….

Click here…………..

Filled or Flowing?

I was studying Jn. 7:37-43 this morning and I was struck with Jesus' statement, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink, Whoever believers in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water'"

As I meditated upon this statement a number of thoughts flooded my mind and heart. One question is sticking with me.

What is the connection between being filled with the Holy Spirit and having the Holy Spirit flowing out of your inner most being?


I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on this one!

Our Plant is Growing

This is our third week on site in Brainerd/Baxter and this week our church doubled in size. We grew from 3 to 7 people. I am not sure if we can continue to grow at a rate of 133% every week, but it is sure nice to see God at work!

Our plant is growing to the glory and praise of God.

Asher Loves Blogging

Asher continues to learn and develop at a rapid pace. He loves the computer and wants to share his thoughts on the family blog.

He wants you to know that he is thankful that Jesus loves him!

Free Audio Book

Christian Audio is offering Jonathan Edward's Religious Affections free this month.

I Rejoice in My Scars!!!

I came to saving faith in Jesus Christ in June 1998 after 28 years of living a life of celebratory debauchery. I clearly remember the sensational feeling of the Holy Spirit coming into me and bringing life to my dead soul. The LORD did an amazing work in my life that afternoon and the scales fell off of my eyes and revealed a life to me that was beyond comprehension.

Since that day I have alway rejoiced in my salvation and also grieved and regretted my past life before Christ. The closer I have walked with my LORD the more I have come to understand the great offense my sin was to God and how much that sin damaged my soul. My willful and deliberate sinful living inflicted wounds deep within me.

When Jesus Christ transformed my life he healed my wounds. In fact it is by his own wounds that I am healed! Now when a wound is healed it leaves a scar. Sin has consequences! Sin is forgiven 100% and there are times when we must deal with the consequences that result from various sins we have committed.

For too long I allowed the scars to remind me of my sinful past and the damage that was inflicted upon me as a result. My wounds have been healed, but the scars remain I would lament. I believe that it is healthy to lament over your past sin, but one can easily focus on past sin and the damage it cause rather than the healing that has taken place.

Scars are reminders of wounds, but more than that they are a testimony to the healing that has taken place in our lives. John Ensor in The Great Work of the Gospel, reminds us that...

"We may choose to hide the scars of our past sin in shame and guilt, or bear them graciously as a testimony to the grace of God. The ongoing consequences of some of our sins are not reminders of our sin, they are reminders of the Great Work on our behalf. In this way, our triumph ovr shame is completed. What guilt and shame once used to black mail us into silence, God now uses to make our testimony ring authentic and glad of heart."

My scars testify to the glory of God and the grace of the gospel. They speak of the wonderful healing that God has done in my life. My wounds were so severe that certain death awaited me, but God, being rich in mercy, because of the great live with which he loved me, even when I was dead in my sin, made me alive together with Christ.

I have been rebuked, and rightfully so. Now I will rejoice in my scars. Jesus himself bears scars that testify to the grace of God. I am thankful that the LORD saw fit to reveal the power of the gospel to me in a deeper and more profound way.

Soli Deo Gloria

Sunday Worship

There are many interesting adventures in church planting. In the early stages you do not meet for Sunday worship. The obvious question is: what are we going to do Sunday morning? The answer is we are going to worship somewhere. Where?

That is the question we face again today at the end of our second week in Brainerd/Baxter. Last week we went to Heritage Assembly of God. This week we are going to Staples Alliance, and next week we will go to Lakewood Evangelical Free church.

We are very much looking forward to gathering with the people of God tomorrow to worship. As we go to different worship services in our community we will also seek to learn what the spiritual climate is like. We also hope to connect with local pastors.

We are praying that God will use this time to reveal himself in deeper and more profound ways in our hearts.

Church Planting ~ Livin the Dream Baby!!!

When Graphic Designers get bored...

And Now This...

The "Now, This..." Culture:
Daily News and the Death of Wisdom

Why is Dan Rather not considered one of the wisest men in America?

We Made it!

Yes we finally made to to Brainerd/Baxter and have hit the ground running. We moved in last week and spent most of that time unpacking and getting our house in order. We have already had a couple of good opportunities to share the gospel and we have made a lot of connections with people wh0 have shown various levels of interest in being a part of our church plant.

We will be hosting two informational gatherings next week to share the vision for Pointway Church and answer questions people may have about following Christ and planting a church.

Please pray that God would use these gatherings to help us connect with these new friends. Also continue to pray for us that God would open doors for the gospel to go forth.

Free Book.

You can download a copy of John Piper's The Future of Justification here for free! If you don't have time to read the whole book read the intro, ch. 11 and the conclusion.

Challies November Giveaway

Win a ESV Listener's Bible and a Christian Classics CD

Enter Here and remember to enter my referral number 30661

Asher and Mommy

Anne says I never put good pictures of her up. I think its safe to say that this is a good one. I finally got it right!

I Challenge You

Mommy and Asher

Asher Doing Some Reading

Asher and Daddy

Asher Chillin Out

We Made It!!!

We finally moved into our apartment in Baxter and are fully engaged in the unpacking process. It is a little scary how good we have gotten at the moving experience. This is the eighth place we have lived in six years of marriage.

We had lunch at Wendy's on Monday and had the opportunity to share the gospel with a man we saw there. I had seen him in town previously at Caribou Coffee and at the post office. (We have p.o. boxes right next to each other.) When I saw him at Wendy's I commented that we keep on running in to each other. To which he replied, "maybe there is some reason we keep meeting".

I was greatly encouraged by the opportunity to share the grace of God with this man and after lunch I rejoiced because I had specifically asked the LORD to give me an opportunity to testify concerning His goodness and grace.

We are busy getting utilities hooked up and updating information with all the people we want to keep in touch with. We are excited and humbled to be serving the LORD in this mission to plant Pointway Church. I can't think of one thing I would rather do with my life.

Soli Deo Gloria ~ To God Alone Be the Glory

For God so loved the world...

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. ~ Jn 3:16-18

This may be one of the most famous passages in all of Scripture and for good reason. As I was meditating on this passage this morning I was struck with the picture it paints of what Jesus did and the reality of the human predicament.

Jesus came on a rescue mission to save those who were and are already condemned. Many times I have been sharing the gospel with someone only to have them respond with "that is a pretty condemning message!" or the predictable "who are you to judge me?"

The reality is that we are all condemned and are in danger of having the wrath of God pour out upon us. As you encounter people in your day to day activities let this truth penetrate your thinking.

Jesus was sent in order that the world might be saved through him and as the Father sent Jesus, Jesus has sent us into the world (Jn 20:21) to point people to the cross.

The verdict is in and the judgment has been rendered. GUILTY!!! I have a renewed sense of urgency to save others by snatching them out of the fire (Jude 23).

I thank the LORD of His Word and the mission He has given us in this life.

The Incarnation of Christ

This morning I was studying Jn. 1:1-18 and was struck once again with the beauty and glory of the incarnation of Jesus Christ.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. ~ Jn 1:14

The magnitude of this event has gripped my heart afresh today and this truth has given me great cause to praise our LORD. I was also gently rebuked by the LORD because I do not reflect on this amazing truth nearly as often as I should.

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. What a powerful truth. I encourage you to meditate upon it for a while and think through the implications of the Word becoming flesh. I trust that you will be blown away by the magnitude of this event.

Soli Deo Gloria

Some Good Recent Reads

The Intentional Church
by Randy Pope

Randy is the Pastor of Perimeter Church in Atlanta, Georgia and a regular presenter at Global Church Advancement's North American Church Planting Seminars. This excellent book lays out a plan for developing an intention ministry structure.

This is a highly valuable book and is one of those must reads for any pastor who is responsible for the strategic planning of any ministry. Randy is also available for Intentional Church Conferences.


Big Dreams in Small Places
by Tom Nebel

Tom is a seasoned church planter, church planting coach, church planting director and has now reached the level of guru in the world of church planting. He is also a regular presenter at at Global Church Advancement's North American Church Planting Seminars

Tom makes a compelling case for the need to plant churches in small communities as a catalyst for developing church planting movements.

This book is greatly helpful in identifying the characteristics of small town life and how to reach people in these communities. The greatest strength of the book is its instruction on how to launch a church planting movement.

Check these books out. They are well worth the time and you will be wiser and more effective in ministry as a result of your investment.

What is in a name?

It is an interesting discussion when you talk about what you should name a new church plant. I have wrestled with this for about three months now and have come to some conclusions about the naming of our church.

1. The name of our church must communicate our vision.
2. The name of our church must be distinctive and memorable.
3. The name of our church must be understandable.
4. The name of our church must have church in the name.
5. The name of our church must be indigenous to the community.

At some point I had to make a decision that fits the criteria above. After much thought and discussion with others I choose the name Pointway Church.

1. Pointway Church communicates our vision of pointing people to a life transforming encounter with the Kingdom of God.
2. Pointway Church is both distinctive in that it points THE way and memorable because of the short and catchy phrase Pointway.
3. Pointway Church is understandable, we are a church that points the way!
4. Pointway Church is a Church! Not a chapel or a fellowship or a community. It is a church!
5. Pointway Church is indigenous to our community that has many points on its numerous lakes and many ways with its numerous paths and trails.

While choosing a name is important it is not the most important thing and I am thankful that this task is complete so that I can focus more time on reaching out with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Update

Pray for us as we continue to transition from Duluth to Brainerd/Baxter. Things are progressing and we are excited to get on-site and begin planting Christ's Church. There are many things that go along with church planting that are not exciting as well. Administrative things like getting a Post Office Box and obtaining Federal Identification numbers so that I can open a bank account.

It is interesting trying to open a bank account with no money. The banker looks at you and asks, "Why do you need a bank account when you have no money?" Then you answer, "God is going to provide every dollar we need to plant this church!" This is a great answer if you are a follower of Christ, but a terrible answer if you are a banker. So we do not yet have a bank account until we have some money to actually put in the bank.

Another amusing part of church planting is the expression on people's face when you answer their question, "So where is your church?" I usually try to be witty and say, "your looking at it!" Then confusion sets in. Most people think of a church as a building and not a body. Currently we have a congregation of 3 (if you include the pastor).

There are also interesting tasks like putting together strategic action plans, choosing a name and designing logos and websites. I am looking forward to passing these things on to people who are more gifted than I am so that I can spend more time preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to lost sinners.

We need your continued support in prayer and financial giving so that we can see the glory of God displayed in Brainerd/Baxter through the proclamation of the gospel. Please consider what the LORD God would have you to give for the expansion of the Kingdom of God.

You may send your support to:

Pointway Church
P.O. Box 331
Brainerd, MN 56401

Thank you for your commitment to the LORD and your faithful support of our church planting adventure in Brainerd/Baxter.

We Found a Home

Since about mid-September we have been living at my in-laws house. Today we found an apartment in Baxter, MN where we will be planting a new church with the Christian and Missionary Alliance.

Thank you for you prayer support. We are looking forward to getting moved in.

Free books!!!

You could win 40 copies of R.C. Sproul's The Truth of the Cross and 1 copy of Richard Phillips' God the Evangelist.



Don't Forget to enter my referral number. It is 20888.

What Should We Name It?

Next month we will begin planting a new church in the Brainerd/Baxter region of Minnesota. Our church plant does not yet have a name! That's where you come in to the picture. Please offer your suggestion of what we should name this new church. The winner will receive an exciting no expense paid trip to Brainerd to feast on hotdogs and macaroni & cheese w/ the Ericksons!!!

Spiritual Warfare 101

Read this post about Spiritual Warfare.

Please Pray for John Keranen!

John is my father-in-law and was injured last Sunday when his horse, Banjo, began bucking wildly. John came crashing down on the horn of his saddle 4 or 5 times. As a result his pelvis was broken in half and he also incurred other injuries.

He had surgery to bolt his pelvis back together on Wednesday and he faces a long hard road to recovery. Pray that the LORD would glorify Himself in John's recovery to the point that those around him, including the medical staff, would marvel at the grace and power of John's LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.

Note: Just to let you know what a tough old cowboy my father-in-law is. After he had his pelvis broken he crawled out of the horse pen to his pick-up truck about 75 feet away and pulled himself inside so that he could use the horn to signal for help!!! This is a man's man if I ever met one.

Mark this day and Marvel at the Work of God

Listen | Download

Download: Audio

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By John Piper September 5, 2007

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I do not doubt that what happened on September 7, two hundred years ago, will be celebrated in heaven for its epochal significance in world history. The first Protestant missionary set foot on Chinese soil on September 7, 1807. His name was Robert Morrison. He was a Scottish Presbyterian, and except for one furlough, he spent the next 27 years in China.

Persevering against the hostility of official opposition and the resistance of foreign merchants, Morrison baptized the first Chinese Protestant Christian, Cai Gao, on July 16, 1814. After the baptism of Cai Gao, Morrison wrote prophetically in his journal, “May he be the first-fruits of a great harvest, one of millions who shall come and be saved on the day of wrath to come."

Last month The National Catholic Reporter carried an article by John Allen documenting the fulfillment of Morrison’s prayer. Here is what he wrote:

At the time of the Communist takeover in 1949, there were roughly 900,000 Protestants. Today, the Center for the Study of Global Christianity, which puts out the much-consulted World Christian Database, says there are 111 million Christians in China, roughly 90 percent Protestant and mostly Pentecostal. That would make China the third-largest Christian country on earth, following only the United States and Brazil.

The Center projects that by 2050, there will be 218 million Christians in China, 16 percent of the population, enough to make China the world's second-largest Christian nation. According to the Center, there are 10,000 conversions in China every day.

Admittedly, some estimate the numbers of Christians in China are as low as 40 million. Allen observes, “Even those conservative estimates, however, would mean that Protestantism in China experienced roughly 4,300 percent growth over the last half-century, most of it since the Cultural Revolution in the late 1960s and 1970s.”

Other China-observers think that even the high estimates are understatements about what is about to happen. For example in the August 7, 2007, issue of Asia Times, Oswald Spengler wrote:

I suspect that even the most enthusiastic accounts err on the downside, and that Christianity will have become a Sino-centric religion two generations from now. China may be for the 21st century what Europe was during the 8th-11th centuries, and America has been during the past 200 years: the natural ground for mass evangelization. If this occurs, the world will change beyond our capacity to recognize it. Islam might defeat the western Europeans, simply by replacing their diminishing numbers with immigrants, but it will crumble beneath the challenge from the East.

John Allen comments on the dream we have been hearing about for some time concerning the aim of the Chinese church to evangelize the Muslim lands on their backdoor step.

The most audacious even dream of carrying the gospel beyond the borders of China, along the old Silk Road into the Muslim world, in a campaign known as “Back to Jerusalem.” As David Aikman explains in Jesus in Beijing, some Chinese Evangelicals and Pentecostals believe that the basic movement of the gospel for the last 2,000 years has been westward: from Jerusalem to Antioch, from Antioch to Europe, from Europe to America, and from America to China. Now, they believe, it’s their turn to complete the loop by carrying the gospel to Muslim lands, eventually arriving in Jerusalem. Once that happens, they believe, the gospel will have been preached to the entire world.

One of the lessons to draw from this anniversary of the arrival of Protestant Christianity in China is that we cannot measure the significance of our lives in our own lifetime. Robert Morrison could not see what we see. It is astonishing. May the Lord cause his word to run in China with great power. And may he keep us all faithful in our little sphere of influence. None of us is indispensable to the great cause of Christ. But if we will stand, and not give way under the pressures and pains of ministry, more good will come from our lives than we can know.

Here is a suggestion. A four-part video series issued in 2003, called “The Cross: Jesus in China” and produced by Chinese documentarian Yuan Zhiming, interviews many of the leaders of this revival. I have watched all four of these and recommend them for your awareness and inspiration. They are now available, amazingly, for free download at ChinaSoul.

Thank you, Father, for Robert Morrison and for the immeasurable fruit of his labor.

Pastor John

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Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: www.desiringGod.org. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 1.888.346.4700.

Musings...

These days I have been thinking about closed doors and obstacles. My thoughts are focused on determining the difference between the two. I view closed doors as the LORD putting a stop to a direction I am seeking to go and an obstacle as man and/or the devil seeking to put a stop to a direction that God is leading me in.

In my current situation I seem to be dealing with obstacles. I would covet your prayers for me because my inclination is to blast through the obstacle I am currently facing. Sometimes blasting through is an appropriate way to deal with obstacles, but when the obstacle is a fellow follower of Jesus Christ blasting through is not an option.

The LORD planted Galatians 6:1 in my mind this morning: "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted."

I am seeking God's wisdom as to how to confront this brother in truth and love. Please pray for me so that I would honor Christ in this situation.

Soli Deo Gloria

Question?

What would you do differently regarding prayer if you truly believed that the success of your church plant/ministry/spiritual life depended on prayer?

Thoughts about Prayer

Facing the formidable and largely unexpected task of evangelizing the whole world for the Messiah, the early church went to prayer, waiting for Jesus to pour out his Spirit to empower them for this task. Only the very presence of the risen Lord could equip them to move outward in mission. And this movement could only be maintained through a continual dependence on him, receiving divine direction and encouragement in prayer...The outpouring of the Spirit permanently equipped the church for mission. Nevertheless, a vigorous missionary movement can only be maintained and expressed by unceasing prayer in the face of obstacles and persecution.

~ Richard F. Lovelace, Renewal

A Good Soilder

What is a Missional Church?

My Guide

"I know not where He leads, but well do I know my Guide."

~Martin Luther

Go to the land that I will show you!

YHWH spoke to Abraham and called him to leave his home and go to the land that he would show him. Abraham stepped out in faith and went. YHWH has spoken to me and called me to do a similar thing. He has released us from our call to Duluth and is leading us to plant a church in a land that he is in the process of showing us.

Gary Johnson (senior pastor) will stay in Duluth and continue the work of planting Faith Crossings Church and we will go out and plant. This news is not altogether surprising to us because we had intended to be a church that plant churches from the conception of the church. We wanted to be born pregnant!

What is surprising is the timing. We were thinking it my come a little further down the road. But God, not I, is the navigator of our journey and he is directing our path as we commit our work to him.

I want to ask you to join us in praying as we seek the LORD as to where he will lead us to plant a new church with the Christian and Missionary Alliance. We will be putting in our 58 day notice to vacate our apartment soon and will stop drawing a salary from Faith Crossings at the end of September.

Please intercede on our behalf that God will provide for and protect us in this time. We have experienced pretty much every emotion from sorrow and mourning to excitement and joy over the past few weeks and we are emotionally and physically exhausted.

I look forward to sharing more of how YHWH is moving and working in our lives as the adventure unfolds. Please join us in the journey! We need your prayer and support.

Soli Deo Gloria - To God Alone Be the Glory

Contextualization

Speaking Christianese

sXt

The Erickson's are off to sXt: Strategic Multiplication Training put on by the National Church Planting Director of the Christian and Missionary Alliance. We will be examining the X Factors for Church Multiplication found in the book of Acts.

Vision

"The vision is not merely to start one church but to be a vital part of a church planting movement. We don't merely want fruit but healthy fruit bearing trees!"

Global Church Advancement - Church Planter Training Manual

On any given day!

On any given day you may experience something that dramatically changes the course of your life! Thursday August 2nd may turn out to be one of those days for the Erickson family.

Stay tuned...2

God continues to amaze me!!! This quote sums up my feelings at the moment.

"Life is not a journey to the grave with intentions of arriving safely in a pretty well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming...WOW! What a ride!"

GCA

My intention was to blog throughout the Global Church Advancement Church Planting Seminar, but it was so full of good teaching that I did not have time to blog. I hope to share some of the highlights over the next days.

This teaching was invaluable and I look forward to implementing some of the things I learned. Anyone interested in church planting should consider GCA as essential training. Check it out at: http://www.gca.cc/

Global Church Advancement

I am attending the North American Church Planting Conference held at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN. Today was the first day and I realize how much I don't know about church planting. I attended two workshops by Tom Nebel on Church Planting Landmines. It was enlightening and encouraging. The teaching comes from his book by the same title. It is packed with wisdom and insights from a seasoned church planter. It is a must have book for church planters, so if you don't have it get it.

I have met many great church planters. This is a time of sweet fellowship because church planters are a rare breed and are a lot of fun to be around. I love these guys!!! They lay it all on the line for the sake of the gospel. I have been greatly encouraged today. Thank you Jesus!

Did I mention that I miss Anne and Asher? Its only the first of five days. I can't wait to see them!

Stay tuned...

When you abandon any desire you have to direct the course of your own life and you commit yourself to doing everything and anything the LORD calls you to do things can get pretty interesting!

Calvinistic Romance