The De Souza family fun in the snow!
This year we had lots of snow so we decided to have some fun in our garden!
Daniel's Christmas Play
On the 9th December, Daniel took part on a Christmas play at his school. He did really well as a shepherd.
Three Indispensable Books For Preachers
Essential reading for preachers, speakers and communicators. I still have a lot to learn as a preacher and communicator but these books helped me to fast track my progress. Highly recommended. Check out the "Recommended Reading" section of my blog for the Amazon links.
Hope's Journey Small Beginning
"Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin," Zechariah 4:10a (NLT)
Today I had the awesome privilege of supporting my wonderful wife on her very first book signing at Living Oasis. It was so much fun, thank you to everyone who has been supporting us on this incredible journey. Firsts are always so special and so are the small beginnings.
The Third Option
If you have lived long enough, chances are you have already experienced some sort of drastic change, challenge or calamity. Joseph faced all three all at the same time.
He found his fiancé pregnant with a baby that wasn't his. His whole world and lifelong dreams were shattered in a snapshot of a moment.
Joseph had two options:1) Break up immediately or 2) Have his fiancé stoned to death.
God however had a third option - marry her! (Matthew 1:20-23). God's guidance helped him to make the best decision.
How many times have you found yourself in a difficult situation, just to find yourself doing the same old things again in order to escape the hard decisions. Why not seek the third option and look for God's guidance, he will help you make the best decision.
Light
Jesus referred to himself as "the light of the world" (John 8:12). Whenever we see the lights of Christmas, let them remind us that they recall Christ, our true Light. Join us is this awesome series where we explore the true meaning of Christmas and why light represents his presence, protection and guidance.
Christmas Splendour & Audacious Faith
God has once again blown our minds away here at D7. We've made a discovery that is life changing purely by accident: The essence of audacious faith is... 'audacious asking'. As simple as that! When God smiles upon something there is nothing we can do to stop it!
Our Christmas Ball for instance. Three times we came close to cancel the whole thing. It was just too much money, technical requirements, hassle etc. All these things disappeared, how? I don't know... try asking God!
Why is D7 Church's Christmas Splendour a miracle?
- We have [Dweeb] joining us as special guests. We couldn't have a better band performing at this ball. These guys are awesome, I highly recommend this band so check them out here!
- Paul James, leader of our amazing city and his collegues are coming to the ball.
- Brian Jones of GEAR is also coming.
- All the costs, technical requirements, hassles have been taken care of. The staff at the Gloucester Guildhall rock!
- Members of the homeless community are going to be our guests of honour. AWESOME!
- People from other churches are going to be present. Talk about church unity!
- The press is writing an article about the church and all that we are doing for the community. They are coming to the ball too. Come on church let's make the name of Jesus famous!
- We needed a place, preferably in Gloucester to house our guests before the Christmas Ball. We got a place and it's only 5 minutes from the venue from someone that is also a Christian and we barely know. Watch out, Christians in Gloucester are coming together. There will be nothing we will not be able to achieve.
- Loads of disconnected youth are going to be there.
- Money has been donated towards catering.
- Things now are much bigger than we are and it just keeps on getting bigger and bigger.
- This Ball is promising to be the best Christmas Ball Gloucester has had in years! It is good to see Jesus' church taking the lead.
D7 Christmas Splendour
We have confirmation that the Right Worshipful The Mayor of Gloucester (Councillor Jan Lugg) and her Consort (Mr. Steve Lugg) will be joining us along with the Leader of the Council (Paul James) and his Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Health (Andrew Gravells).
This event is going to be massive, tickets are going fast, make sure you get yours here.
Waffle, Coca-Cola For Communion & Church Unity
You live and learn. I have made the painful discovery that as a preacher I waffle a lot! - Which is interesting because I am the type of person that likes short punchy thoughts as opposed to long detailed sentences. Huh... weird...!
I am obsessed with self-improvement, not because I care what people think about me but because who I represent. We at D7 Church see ourselves as Kingdom Representatives. We are change agents, we are Jesus' PR in this world. So I've decided to systematically engineer my messages and I've invited the Holy Spirit to be my senior partner (God Knows I need all the help I can get!).
Interesting that when you realise that you need to improve in a certain area you open up a whole new dimension. You also realise that you are falling short in other areas too. I definitely need to romance my gorgeous wife more often and I definitely need to spend more time playing with my amazing children. Our families are by far our best investment.
On the absence of grape juice we had Coca-Cola for communion with our team the other day. Is this profane? What would Jesus do? Lots to ponder...
I am excited out of my mind! This week we are going to take over the service at Park Street Mission. This meeting house was founded over 330 years ago. What a privilege! We are running their evening service. What an amazing expression of church unity. We are doing this because we can and because we care not because is the most profitable, glamorous and comfortable thing to do! We will be there to support Pastor Jacqui Green. Join us if you can!
Also if you are a church leader, what are you pro-actively doing to promote unity among the body of Christ? We can't afford not to. Remember we are one in Christ, different expressions, flavours and styles but we are still one body.
Park Street Mission here we come!
Hope's Journey
My wife's first book has just been released on Amazon. Hope's Journey is available on Amazon both in paperback and ebook.
The thing about this book is that it will either save your life or help you save someone else's. A true masterpiece full of insight and extremely practical suggestions. ‘Find Your Purpose’ is definitely my favourite chapter full of timeless life changing truth.
I highly recommend this book!!!
What Do D7 Band And Bob Dylan Have In Common?
D7 Band and Dylan share the same shelf in the CD Shop.
Earthly Kingdom vs. God's Kingdom
There are two different worlds and two different worldviews. You can either see yourself as part of God’s Kingdom or an earthly one. The problem sometimes is with what we see. We have to zoom out a little and see beyond the natural, we have to see beyond what we can see and touch, we have to see beyond our personal limitations and even beyond our current level of influence and size of our world.
Take the David vs. Goliath's case for instance. If David became a king by watching sheep imagine what you can become by looking after the people God has entrusted to you. What people you might ask? Look around you and beyond yourself and you will see plenty of hearts starving for love, a place to belong and concrete answers. God's Kingdom is all about people.
Check out this interaction between Goliath, God's people and David:
Goliath (1 Samuel 17:8) - "Aren’t you the servants of Saul...I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.”
God's People (1Samuel 17:11) - When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
David (1 Samuel 17:45) - "I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied."
David (1 Samuel 17:45) - "I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied."
we see in the above verses that:
Goliath saw servants of man, David saw the army of the living God.
Goliath saw frighted losers, David saw dead meat.
Goliath focused on the things he could see, David focused on the invisible.
Goliath had an earthly kingdom mindset, David had a God’s kingdom mindset.
Here is the punchline:
Who had victory?
Who came out of the battle with their head still attached to their body?
A kingdom mindset will shape your perspective and your perspective will determine your destination.
What perspective do you have? What are you living for? What actions are you taking towards your decisions?
The answer to the above questions will determine the outcome of your battles.
Chose to be like David. Be kingdom minded.
Kingdom Builders
Your focus will determine what you see, your priorities will determine your direction and what you are doing right now is setting you up for what is next.
What if you could simplify your focus to determine your priorities, defining your direction, pointing you towards what you actually have to do.
What is worth doing? A large chunk of our life is made up of things we do which is a reflection of who we are.
What if you could streamline your lifestyle towards something that really matters! What if you could spend your energy on something that will bear fruit 100% of the time!
But how do you get hold of such a thing and how do you implement such an idea? Is there such a thing as a fool proof system that will simplify things, bring forth fruit, abundance, satisfaction, meaning, purpose, excitement, everything that we desire and much more?
How do I live an exciting, full life as opposite to an empty and meaningless one?
Join us in this series where we explore what comes first. Discover that the answer is right where you are now!
Creating A Microcosm
Microcosm = a small place, society or situation which has the same characteristics as something much larger.
From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.
Matthew 11:12
Culture architecture can be hard work. One thing is to inherit a well established organisation where the culture within it has been tested and proved successful. But taking outsiders on this journey can definitely be time consuming. Take our church for instance, D7 is a baby church where most people come from an unchurched background, add to that addictions, deteriorating lifestyles, abuse, traumas etc and you have a nice challenge before you. Thank God for Hebrews 13:6!
That's why in our church we've had to create everything in a small scale. Our core team is going to dictate the culture for the rest of the church. In the way that the first 20 people in our church act, interact, give etc, will translate in the way that the next 50, 100, 10000 will also behave. So I insist that it is the primary task of my core team to set the culture for the rest of the church. We have to get this right from the very beginning as there is way too much at stake. We'll have to model and in order to accomplish this we have to create a microcosm.
We are here to build a church; the closest thing people in modern society will get from Jesus. So we dress for where we are going not for where we are. We are dreaming big dreams. We’ve often looked bigger than we were, out of place, and “overdressed”. But eventually we will not look awkward anymore. You see, we will either dress down to fit in or dress up for where we are heading. For example we've had to apply reverse engineering concepts to what we do, we've had to start with the end in mind and that means that we are now prepared to accommodate more people than we currently have. The answers and the way we do things should be uniform. Different scenarios, one vision, one way!
The D7 Welcome Home Experience - Be Genuine
"Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language."
Dale Carnegie
Welcoming people by name is a small thing, but it counts. In our church we understand that people want to be recognised and celebrated in some way. They want to belong and they want to be made to feel that they do count for something.
The concept we follow at D7 to represent this next level connection is fairly simple: "connect, discover, respond". Three elements that will contribute to the D7 Experience, a simple yet powerful model for meaningful interactions and quality relationships.
Connect. This is when you meet people for the first time, you learn their names and you show them that they really matter by focusing on them.
Welcoming people by name is a small thing, but it counts. In our church we understand that people want to be recognised and celebrated in some way. They want to belong and they want to be made to feel that they do count for something.
The concept we follow at D7 to represent this next level connection is fairly simple: "connect, discover, respond". Three elements that will contribute to the D7 Experience, a simple yet powerful model for meaningful interactions and quality relationships.
Connect. This is when you meet people for the first time, you learn their names and you show them that they really matter by focusing on them.
Discover. This is when you hear their life stories and ask relevant questions, you learn about their individual situation, preferences and needs.
Respond. Although many of us find it easier to connect with people and learn about their life still many of us don't act on what we learn. This is the stage where you take immediate action based on what you learn. That can be something as practical as food or help moving home or it can also be the fact that you need to go home and pray for wisdom on what to do. The main point here is to do something.
Genuine connection is never a problem when you truly love people. Is your church giving your new guests those memorable welcomes?
The Naked Preacher
We are starting a new series in our church called The Naked Preacher. This new series will be in a live Q&A session format where you can ask ANY question. I am really excited to know what's on people's minds. You can also post your question by leaving a comment to this post.Behind The Scenes
Friday 27 August - Meeting The Mayor D7 Band had the honour to meet and present our album to The Right Worshipful The Mayor of Gloucester. It was a defining moment in the life of our church as we established important bridges of influence between the church and the leaders of our city.
The meeting was informal and fun, we even learned a little bit about the history and heritage of Gloucester (Google it and you will see what I mean, our city is extremely wealthy in history). Alan Myatt the town crier was also there and made us all take a photo wearing official robes, what a character.(Click here for more D7 press articles).
Wednesday 1 September - Safari ParkMy family is my second obsession so I decide to spoil them! We had an awesome family day out at the West Midlands Safari Park. Great day, great fun, loads of animals, good value for money! Highly recommended.
Thursday 2 September - Daniel's First Day at School May as well finish this post with a praise report. Angela and I were so thrilled that we got Daniel in the school of our choice. God really performed a miracle here as this school is not in our catchment area and our application and dispute were rejected.This is a lovely small award winning school located on a hill with plenty of fresh air, sheep and green bushes.
3:16 Quotes
I have found that most Christians can happily quote John 3:16, but they can't quote 1 John 3:16.
Just a thought...
Just a thought...
Culture Architecture
"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again."
John 3:16-17 (The Message)
Firstly allow me to define three keywords:
The world is the kingdoms and costumes of the age we live in, an architect is a person responsible for achieving a particular plan or aim and culture is a lot of things that have been passed on, it is what people pick up on immediately, thought it may be imperceptible to regulars.
For our sake and the sake of the next generation we need to make sure we pass things that are worth passing on. That’s why at D7 our team nights are so important, here we will not only learn leadership principles and be empowered but you will also know what we are all about. This is extremely important in order to keep yourself and others connected. Culture is the glue that holds our church together.
Now, let's establish two things:
We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him."
Colossians 1:15-16 (The Message)
1) God cannot be seen.
"The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ's body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence."
Ephesians 1:23 (The Message)
In this day and age how do people see Jesus? He is invisible!
2) Jesus cannot be seen.
Here is where culture architecture comes in.
You see God by seeing Jesus (but Jesus is also invisible). So you see Jesus by seeing His Body – The Church. The church is His body filled with Him.
The questions we need to ask is:
1) How does the culture of our church represent the culture around us?
Is it relevant? Are we being present? Is it Innovative? Are we contributing in creative ways in order to bring positive and meaningful change?
2) How does an unbeliever see our church?
The culture exists no matter what! Do something to contribute and architect culture. Each single one of us sets the atmosphere and the culture of our environment. Owing the culture will help us be more confident in bringing people to church. How does that look like practically? You bring the atmosphere with you, you get your attitude sorted before coming to God's house because you understand that it is not about our vision but His Kingdom, not about our fame but His name.
John 3:16-17 (The Message)
Firstly allow me to define three keywords:
The world is the kingdoms and costumes of the age we live in, an architect is a person responsible for achieving a particular plan or aim and culture is a lot of things that have been passed on, it is what people pick up on immediately, thought it may be imperceptible to regulars.
For our sake and the sake of the next generation we need to make sure we pass things that are worth passing on. That’s why at D7 our team nights are so important, here we will not only learn leadership principles and be empowered but you will also know what we are all about. This is extremely important in order to keep yourself and others connected. Culture is the glue that holds our church together.
Now, let's establish two things:
We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him."
Colossians 1:15-16 (The Message)
1) God cannot be seen.
"The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ's body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence."
Ephesians 1:23 (The Message)
In this day and age how do people see Jesus? He is invisible!
2) Jesus cannot be seen.
Here is where culture architecture comes in.
You see God by seeing Jesus (but Jesus is also invisible). So you see Jesus by seeing His Body – The Church. The church is His body filled with Him.
The questions we need to ask is:
1) How does the culture of our church represent the culture around us?
Is it relevant? Are we being present? Is it Innovative? Are we contributing in creative ways in order to bring positive and meaningful change?
2) How does an unbeliever see our church?
The culture exists no matter what! Do something to contribute and architect culture. Each single one of us sets the atmosphere and the culture of our environment. Owing the culture will help us be more confident in bringing people to church. How does that look like practically? You bring the atmosphere with you, you get your attitude sorted before coming to God's house because you understand that it is not about our vision but His Kingdom, not about our fame but His name.
D7 Band - King's Square
After much anticipation the digital version of our album has now officially been released! Have a listen below. Let me know which of these songs you like the most.
Unity Has No Labels
Fundamentalist, liberal, post-modern, emerging, traditional. These are just a few words some people use in their Christian circles to label others and even themselves.
Here is the thing about labels: You demote yourself from Son of God, passionate follower of Jesus to a fundamentalist or liberal or whatever you want to call yourself. Here is another thing about labels, you also get associated to that group and if their fame is not a good one your reputation also goes down the drain, creating an instant barrier between you and other people, causing instant division. Yet another thing about labels, you feel the need to defend your thesis or point of view instead of talking about the one thing that matters the most - the gospel. Or maybe this is just a subtle excuse for us to talk about our favourite subject... ourselves.
The amazing things He has done in our lives gets replaced by questions, dissections and discussions about methodologies overlooking the core message that is being preached. We get caught up in conversation about labels instead of discussing strategies on how to win those who are lost and (on a daily basis) crying out for answers.
Am I going crazy or Jesus did say that we would be known by our love for one another? Who cares about methods, as long as you are preaching that Jesus is God's only begotten son and the only way to heaven. Should we maybe stop over analysing and start getting busy with loving one another?
I think there are way too many Christians with too much time on their hands in this world. Lets stop the useless talk and start concentrating on what actually matters!
Here is the thing about labels: You demote yourself from Son of God, passionate follower of Jesus to a fundamentalist or liberal or whatever you want to call yourself. Here is another thing about labels, you also get associated to that group and if their fame is not a good one your reputation also goes down the drain, creating an instant barrier between you and other people, causing instant division. Yet another thing about labels, you feel the need to defend your thesis or point of view instead of talking about the one thing that matters the most - the gospel. Or maybe this is just a subtle excuse for us to talk about our favourite subject... ourselves.
The amazing things He has done in our lives gets replaced by questions, dissections and discussions about methodologies overlooking the core message that is being preached. We get caught up in conversation about labels instead of discussing strategies on how to win those who are lost and (on a daily basis) crying out for answers.
Am I going crazy or Jesus did say that we would be known by our love for one another? Who cares about methods, as long as you are preaching that Jesus is God's only begotten son and the only way to heaven. Should we maybe stop over analysing and start getting busy with loving one another?
I think there are way too many Christians with too much time on their hands in this world. Lets stop the useless talk and start concentrating on what actually matters!
Once Upon a Time...
We are starting a new series at our church called "Once Upon a Time...". Since we've been dealing mostly with new Christians and people with no church background we've decided to rewind a bit and go back to the basics.Joseph, David, Daniel... We will be telling these amazing stories from the Bible and the timeless principles we can draw from them. I think as pastors we sometimes tend to forget that all people need is to know or be reminded of what God did and still do. He hasn't changed.
I believe that this fun, Sunday School style series will bring a lot of perspective for the Christians in our church as well as show our guests how interesting and life changing the Bible is.
D7 Debut Album
Our worship team has been in the studio recording our very first album. What God is doing is truly amazing, it's been only seven months and we have enough music for three albums. I can definitely see Titus 2:10 coming to pass.The thing I like the most about this album is that it totally reflects our church and community. In this worship album you will find music that people around us are listening to, we've had an amazing response from unbelievers wanting to buy our music and since God seems to be blessing this side of our church ministry with such overwhelming creativity we've just decided to go for it. The result is an amazing worship album that even the unchurched will enjoy. An album that reflects our passion for life and those who have not yet been filled with Jesus. This is an album that will make you smile and draw you closer to the God.
A Love For The House
I believe David was a man after God’s own heart because he was passionate about what God was passionate about. Check this out:
Psalm 26:8 I love the house where you live, O LORD, the place where your glory dwells.
Psalm 27:4 One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.
Psalm 36:7-8 How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.
Psalm 84:10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
Psalm 92:12-13 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God.
Love is a decision not an emotion. I don’t believe we have love as default. It’s a decision and we have to aim towards that place where our love is so strong that we will not have to keep on learning to love His house (His church) over and over again.
Are you passionate about God's house?
Psalm 26:8 I love the house where you live, O LORD, the place where your glory dwells.
Psalm 27:4 One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.
Psalm 36:7-8 How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.
Psalm 84:10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
Psalm 92:12-13 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God.
Love is a decision not an emotion. I don’t believe we have love as default. It’s a decision and we have to aim towards that place where our love is so strong that we will not have to keep on learning to love His house (His church) over and over again.
Are you passionate about God's house?
Community Pastor Wanted
Our Church is looking for a lovely person or couple to serve as community pastor/s with us. If you or someone you know may be interested in this sort of role please leave your email address in the comments box and we will send you the full details. No previous experience necessary only a passion for Jesus and a genuine love for people required. Full training is provided.
Focus
This testimony is true. Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those who reject the truth. Titus 1:13-14If you want to get anywhere in life you will need focus. Here is the thing about focus: it doesn't just happen, you have to be determined and intentional. Focus is selective, it takes away distractions.
Sometimes we just have to pay no attention. Pay no attention to critics, pay no attention to the economy (God is your provider not your boss), pay no attention to the million things that come our way. Even opportunities can distract you - not all opportunities will take you where you want to go.
Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14
We can learn a lot from the apostle Paul's success. We can be more effective by being more selective.
Focus demands selection. So say no to distractions.
How To Identify Bogus Leaders And Teachers
We have been going through the book of Titus for the past couple of weeks as a church. Here are a few things Paul teaches us about bogus teachers (See Titus 1:10-14)
1 – They focus more attention on themselves (or some fancy idea) than on Christ.
2 – They will ask you to do something that will compromise your faith.
3 – De-emphasize the divine nature or Christ or inspiration of the Bible.
4 – They will urge believers to make decisions based more on feelings or human judgement than on Biblical guidelines.
A serving heart will show you the spirit that is at work within a person's heart. If they follow Christ then they will also follow his example, Jesus always displayed the attitude of a servant. Other things to look for is if they are planted in a local church. Also are they committed believers or are they just looking for the next thrill (2 Tm. 4:3-4).
1 – They focus more attention on themselves (or some fancy idea) than on Christ.
2 – They will ask you to do something that will compromise your faith.
3 – De-emphasize the divine nature or Christ or inspiration of the Bible.
4 – They will urge believers to make decisions based more on feelings or human judgement than on Biblical guidelines.
A serving heart will show you the spirit that is at work within a person's heart. If they follow Christ then they will also follow his example, Jesus always displayed the attitude of a servant. Other things to look for is if they are planted in a local church. Also are they committed believers or are they just looking for the next thrill (2 Tm. 4:3-4).
Kings Square
Last Sunday was awesome! In case you don't know we took our church into our community for the first time by having an outdoor service. It took us an hour and a half to get connected to a reliable source of electricity as we had problems with our generator (predictable!), we literally sung and played in the rain but I would not have it any other way!The air was electric. We were all fighting the elements but were also pumped and everyone had a high sense of expectancy. History Maker by Delirious was playing in the Kings Square Shopping Mall, which added to the atmosphere. I prayed thanking God for the awesome encouragement, "Yes Lord, I want to be a history maker in this land!" By working together our team is writing history. Their history and the history of those involved. Yes we had a crowd, yes we connected and reconnected people to God's house. Someone even wanted to buy our band album (which by the way will be available at the end of the year!).
God is good, hell is too hot and people are dying for something fresh. Something that will not wear out the next day. Jesus is bringing them living water and we want to be part of it! So Well done team for an awesome work.
Gloucester here we come!!!
Our Dream Team
I really would like to say a big thank you to our most awesome team at D7 church (you know who you are). Your attitude, confidence, loyalty, commitment, godliness, courage, perseverance, creativity, talent, servanthood... the list goes on is changing people's lives in our sphere of influence. I can definitely see 1 Chronicles 22:5 taking shape through your excellent work.
When I mention how young our team is people often get surprised, amazed or just laugh in disbelief. However the heroine addict that is now clean is not laughing (if you know what I mean) he is been filled with joy through Christ his saviour. Someone who was mentally ill is now totally healed and in full time employment, enjoying his life and ready to start a family. A homeless man that had never worked in his entire life is now making a living and not begging anymore. The teenager that has been written off by his teachers is going to uni. Another bright teenager that used to spend all of his spare time in front of a computer screen playing games is now part of our core team and having the time of his life. People are getting better jobs, people are getting healed, we literally have seen Psalm 92:12-13 become reality in the life of D7 people.
Even though we are a new church we have already caused major damage to the kingdom of darkness. Our community is being systematically affected by the work we do and the best is yet to come!
Well done team... and remember your best days are yet to be written!
When I mention how young our team is people often get surprised, amazed or just laugh in disbelief. However the heroine addict that is now clean is not laughing (if you know what I mean) he is been filled with joy through Christ his saviour. Someone who was mentally ill is now totally healed and in full time employment, enjoying his life and ready to start a family. A homeless man that had never worked in his entire life is now making a living and not begging anymore. The teenager that has been written off by his teachers is going to uni. Another bright teenager that used to spend all of his spare time in front of a computer screen playing games is now part of our core team and having the time of his life. People are getting better jobs, people are getting healed, we literally have seen Psalm 92:12-13 become reality in the life of D7 people.
Even though we are a new church we have already caused major damage to the kingdom of darkness. Our community is being systematically affected by the work we do and the best is yet to come!
Well done team... and remember your best days are yet to be written!
What To Think About
What we think determines who we are. Who we are determines what we do. John Locke once said; "The actions of men are the best interpreters of their thoughts". Good thinking will produce more good thinking only if we make it a habit.
Our life is a reflection of the way we think. The word of God in Philippians 4:8 tell us what to think about; "...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
We are to fill our minds with things that will inspire others to come to Jesus.
What have you been filling your mind with?
Our life is a reflection of the way we think. The word of God in Philippians 4:8 tell us what to think about; "...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
We are to fill our minds with things that will inspire others to come to Jesus.
What have you been filling your mind with?
Seeking The Remarkable
At D7 Church we are not seeking the sensational we are seeking the remarkable.
Sensational is to do with intense feelings or causing intense feelings, while remarkable is something worthy of noting or attention. Something striking or extraordinary.
A lost focused, passionate for the house of God, totally sold out for the cause of Christ bunch of people. That's remarkable!
Loyal Christians are rare and extremely remarkable!
Christians willing to serve their church because they understand that the gospel is bigger than their personal preferences, issues and personal "calling". That's Remarkable!
Teenagers preserving their purity. That's remarkable!
A homeless man giving his tithe. That’s gut crushing, mind blowing and totally remarkable!
Jesus the son of God coming to serve. That's remarkable!
Jesus dying on the cross for the sins of humanity. Totaly remarkable!
We can summarise all of the above with the following remarkable statement by the apostle Paul:
I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.(1 Corinthians 9:22)
That is D7 Church's mission, this is what we live our lives for! If even Jesus made himself weak to the point of being beaten beyond recognition what make us think that we are any different? A bunch of people doing whatever it takes , becoming whatever they need to become to win the lost that is truly remarkable! Feelings come and go but the remarkable will definitely make history.
Sensational is to do with intense feelings or causing intense feelings, while remarkable is something worthy of noting or attention. Something striking or extraordinary.
A lost focused, passionate for the house of God, totally sold out for the cause of Christ bunch of people. That's remarkable!
Loyal Christians are rare and extremely remarkable!
Christians willing to serve their church because they understand that the gospel is bigger than their personal preferences, issues and personal "calling". That's Remarkable!
Teenagers preserving their purity. That's remarkable!
A homeless man giving his tithe. That’s gut crushing, mind blowing and totally remarkable!
Jesus the son of God coming to serve. That's remarkable!
Jesus dying on the cross for the sins of humanity. Totaly remarkable!
We can summarise all of the above with the following remarkable statement by the apostle Paul:
I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.(1 Corinthians 9:22)
That is D7 Church's mission, this is what we live our lives for! If even Jesus made himself weak to the point of being beaten beyond recognition what make us think that we are any different? A bunch of people doing whatever it takes , becoming whatever they need to become to win the lost that is truly remarkable! Feelings come and go but the remarkable will definitely make history.
Heart Of A Hero
We are starting a new series at our church called "Heart Of A Hero". It's based on Isaiah 58:6-11. See also Angela's post. We will be looking into the life of the greatest man who ever lived and learn only one principle he left for us to follow.Jesus died to give us life, he lived to preach the kingdom, he came to build his church, he showed us a pathway to greatness opposite to the world’s standards - SERVANTHOOD!. I could even summarise what we do in the following way:
Church = Impact through serving
Jesus was the ultimate example of a leader, celebrity, rebel, king, philanthropist, prophet, healer etc. He achieved all this by doing only one thing - Serving.
It's not worth holding onto the things of this world and in the words of Jim Elliot, "He is no fool who loses what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." (Mt. 6:19)
What Are You Carrying?
Yet again another awesome post written by my insightful wife. Read this if you want to identify areas of stress and define priorities in your life.
Winners And Whiners
"not one of those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times. not one of them will ever see the land I promised..."
Disobeyed Him. Twice!(Ex. 16:20, 16:27-29)
Worshipped something else other than Him. (Ex. 32:7-10)
and... They complained... FIVE TIMES!(Ex. 15:24, 16:3, 17:2-3, Nm. 11:1-2, 11:4)
This is what whiners do:
They worship themselves, something or someone other than God. They don’t think twice when facing a crucial decision, they find it easy to come up with excuses to disobey God. They don’t fully believe that he is able and that nothing is impossible to him. And, this is perhaps the most basic and loudest of them all... they whine and complain... ALL THE TIME!
Winners on the other hand are handmade, they are precious rare items found in small alley shops. They refuse to settle for the ordinary, they see opportunities instead of obstacles. Joshua and Caleb are great examples of winners. They trusted God to the core. They brought the minority report refusing to go with the majority. They saw opportunities instead of obstacles. They found reasons to move forward and take ground instead of coming up with excuses to shrink back.
Winners will not only see God’s miraculous power in action, but they will also ‘possess the land’. They may not lead a comfortable life but they will certainly lead a totally fulfilling one. They fully obey and trust God walking in total freedom as a result. And when they die they leave a legacy.
Are you a winner or a whiner?
- Numbers 14:22-23
They didn’t believe. Twice!(Ex. 14:11-12, Nm. 14:1-4)
I have noticed that the world is divided into two kinds of people; the winners and the whiners. Whiners can be found on wholesale, the shelves are full of them. They come in bulk. Whiners are always ready to complain and give excuses why they “can’t”. Two million whiners did not see the promise that God gave them because of their whining. They touched God’s heart with their cry, they heard his promise, they saw his miraculous works, they tasted his goodness and smelled the fragrance of freedom. Still they complained.
God was not exaggerating when he said that ten times they tested him:
Disobeyed Him. Twice!(Ex. 16:20, 16:27-29)
Worshipped something else other than Him. (Ex. 32:7-10)
and... They complained... FIVE TIMES!(Ex. 15:24, 16:3, 17:2-3, Nm. 11:1-2, 11:4)
This is what whiners do:
They worship themselves, something or someone other than God. They don’t think twice when facing a crucial decision, they find it easy to come up with excuses to disobey God. They don’t fully believe that he is able and that nothing is impossible to him. And, this is perhaps the most basic and loudest of them all... they whine and complain... ALL THE TIME!
Winners on the other hand are handmade, they are precious rare items found in small alley shops. They refuse to settle for the ordinary, they see opportunities instead of obstacles. Joshua and Caleb are great examples of winners. They trusted God to the core. They brought the minority report refusing to go with the majority. They saw opportunities instead of obstacles. They found reasons to move forward and take ground instead of coming up with excuses to shrink back.
Winners will not only see God’s miraculous power in action, but they will also ‘possess the land’. They may not lead a comfortable life but they will certainly lead a totally fulfilling one. They fully obey and trust God walking in total freedom as a result. And when they die they leave a legacy.
Are you a winner or a whiner?
Lessons from Habakkuk
1. Watch (and Listen!) Habakkuk 2:1To Watch means to observe attentively. Habakkuk positioned himself to watch and look to see What God wanted to say to him.
GOD SHOULD BE TELLING YOU SOMETHING RIGHT NOW! If you read His word, you should be hearing him saying things such as:
- Seek my kingdom first
- Serve one another
- Don’t judge other people
- Pray without ceasing
- Love me above everything else and others as yourself
Do you allow God’s word to speak into your life? When you read his word, do you look for life application keys to help you navigate through life?
Habakkuk is disappointed that God does not seem to be answering his prayers; but God’s response indicates that, unknown to him, he has already begun answering them. What most of us need to realize is that God has already heard our concern (Habakkuk.1:5).
Are you ready to listen to what God is telling you RIGHT NOW through his word?
2. Write It Down - Habakkuk 2:2
Habakkuk didn’t stand there THINKING, he took a pro-active approach and invited God into his questioning process! It’s OK for a faithful believer to question God! (Habakkuk. 1:2).
Quick note on thinking: a lot of people THINK too much! Most people though, don’t think about the right things otherwise the world would be a much better place!
BEFORE YOU EXPRESS WHAT YOU THINK:
1. Is it actually worth saying it?
2. Program your mind according to Philippians 4:8. NOT movies, Facebook, Kerrang! etc.
Before you let your brain out in the form of words, write it down ...maybe you will see that what you thought was great, is not that good!
Then the LORD replied: "Write down the revelation..." Habakkuk 2:2
If you write it down, chances are it will get done. God values writing, the Bible is a very good example. The main theme here is; “Communication and action” OR “Information and Application”
IF IT CAN BE WRITTEN IT CAN BE DONE!
Habakkuk stopped to listen and consider God's word. He then recognized God’s long-term plans and purposes and that he is always doing right even when we don’t understand why he works in the way he does. He then wrote everything down.
Even if you try and remember, things tend to get overlaid with other things. Writing brings clarity. It helps reflection.
3. Wait Patiently - Habakkuk 2:3
These things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day. (Habakkuk 2:3 LB)
Waiting is either the toughest thing to do if you are a driven person and can’t get your butt down for too long OR the easiest if you are a little laid back, you can then wait forever and miss life changing opportunities!
Timing is everything. Patience, perseverance, endurance are all qualities valued by God. God is never in a hurry! Just because you have a vision or goal or an urgent prayer doesn’t mean that God will do everything right on the spot. He might, but chances are you will have to wait for his timing. The fall of Babylon that Habakkuk was looking for did not happen for another 60 years.
Waiting does not mean inactivity or passivity. You keep walking and that will take you to the next step;
4. Work by Faith - Habakkuk 2:4b
The righteous will live by his faith. FAITH! NOT by what he sees, NOT by how he feels. Habakkuk couldn’t understand why God seemed to do nothing about the wickedness in society until he moved from doubt to faith.
Without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God (Hebrews 11:6).Faith is not passive but active. Hebrews 11:1 says that faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. The author defines faith and then carries on to demonstrate faith throughout the chapter because faith is substance! Faith implies demonstration!
You don’t need faith to survive. Our faith is not in our faith, our faith is in the faithfulness of our God. Your faith might even fail you. Sometimes you will not be able to see God, discern or understand him! However the righteous will live by his faith.
Deeper - Worship
There is a difference between knowing about God and knowing God. Worship is way more than music. It’s a lifestyle! Worship demands sacrifice in which Jesus must increase and we must decrease. Worship is the way we zoom out a little bit and focus on things vertically instead of horizontally.
Never let what is wrong with you stop from worshiping what is right with God. We don’t come before God with what we have done right. Worship is a response to what he has done for us.
What is our motivation?
1. Our God deserves it. Not only when things go well but always!
2. It's our response to what he has done for us. He is our redeemer.
3. We love to celebrate what God is doing in our lives. We’ve been rescued by Jesus!
Worship is our response to what we value most. How do you know who or what you worship? You simply follow the trail of your time, your affection, your finances, your loyalty. Worship is a whole-life response to God’s greatness and glory. Worship is a verb, it’s something you do, it isn’t something you watch, it isn’t something you attend. Worship is something you enter into with all your might. Worship happens when we put words and action together. When we choose to do what is right God is worshiped! We move beyond the fruit of our lips to consider the fruit of our lives.
Church is so much better when our services are filled with people who have been pursuing God for six days before they get there. Church as a “re-fill” is a recipe for disaster, the concept might work at Pizza Hut but it will never work on Sundays when we come to church.
D7 Church let's turn our daily lives into a song of worship to him!