Sermon and Ideas

Here is a link to the sermon I preached on Sunday night http://www.christmethodist.org/sermon/what-is-a-christian/

So we just finished one series and are going to start some more in a bit, I have some ideas, love to hear your feedback if it would be something that you are interested in?

#1. Baggage Check ->

The idea being that we all have our own baggage in life, it might look something like  spray painting a piece of luggage with a word, say fear, bringing it down the Isle, unpacking it (the sermon) and then everyone puts their fears in there too, at the end of the series we could have a pile of bags that we throw in the dumpster?

#2. Confessions

Just because I am a pastor doesn’t mean I’m not human, a few weeks spent looking at my confessions that everyone would relate to

#3. Miracles

Thinking around the Christmas season for this

#4. What if…

What if I hadn’t done this or that then turning it on its head to what if I had done that. It makes sense in my mind at least, you might need to consult the Loren to English dictionary.

Thoughts, Ideas, Bueller?

 

Leadership, exaushtion, energy, heat and fireworks

Well I don’t have enough energy to write something coherent, so here are some streams of thought.

Leadership – Sadly we don’t teach it, it seems that only those who rise to positions of worldly success get the knowledge, like CEO’s and VP’s. Just ask anyone who works for a company with more than a handful of employees and they would probably vouch for the lack of leadership in the world. I am of the mindset that we are all leaders to some respect and that if we teach the skills of leadership we will be in a much better place.

Leadership is tangible, not potential. Leaders need to take potential leaders and teach them into tangible leaders.

I am tired, my brain hurts, but when I think about Church I get energized?

It is hot here, so hot that today feels cool at 87F.

I like fire works, but I don’t want to sit in a parking lot with a million people and see them, I would like to drive to D.C. and see them however…

Check out the sermon I preached on Sunday

Speaking of Sunday, come check out church this Sunday and hear Shay preach about the Church, you will recieve an envelope containing a secrect mission…I’m serious!

 

Living Generously

I heard a great sound bite today: If living generously is so great, think of  Acts 2, Jesus’ mantra of giving up everything including your life to live an abundant life, the constant parables in the bible, etc etc. Then why don’t we do it?

Take into context that this is not just a black and white issue, what is generous to one may not be to another, but even in my generosity I am still convicted by this…I think that is a good thing.

We’ve obviously found out that chasing and obtaining the American dream wont change the world, so why am I still chasing it…fear is the first thing that comes to mind, what about you?

 

Back to Basics

This Sunday we are starting a new series at church. I always like the simple stuff that we professional Christian’s take for granted, like what does the Lord’s prayer mean? Why do we go to church anyways? Lots of people call themselves Christians, but what does that really mean?  Head on over to the Church’s Twitter Page and help me out by answering the question… And please keep praying for me…

Oh I ordered a sweet custom T-shirt…but you’ll have to come to church to check it out…

 

I said a change

…will do you good

The Music Industry has changed: Vinyl – 8 track – CD – mp3

The car has changed – Muscle Car – Woody – SUV – Hybrid

Fashion has changed – Skinny Jeans – Bell-bottom Jeans – Baggy Jeans – Skinny Jeans

People Change – Kid – Teen – Adult – Senior

The Church Changes – Organ music with a Pastor in a Robe — Electric Guitar with a pastor in a T-Shirt

God doesn’t Change – Still Loves US, all of us.

But if you go back and read about the churches in Corinth and Ephesus, they have more in common with us than we think…maybe we aren’t changing as much as we think we are?

 

Thoughts on Building God’s Church

Even the title is hard for me to read, as I am finding out more and more everyday it is less about building,  sure that word works but it implies that progress comes from my work, and more about tending or nurturing God’s Church. You see God doesn’t need me, or anyone for that matter to sing a pretty song or preach a witty sermon, that in its own right is just noise. He doesn’t need me to organize and administrate a network of home-groups and social gatherings.  Rather He calls us to seek first His Kingdom and righteousness!

Life is often a cause and effect relationship, jump you land, buy you pay, etc etc. But what we often forget is that this is true in His kingdom as well.  Seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be answered, ask and it will be given to you…but it doesn’t end there, where our world is governed by physics and such, God’s kingdom is beyond our comprehension, way beyond it. We can apply the principles that we know, i.e.  seek, knock, ask and then God comes along and picks up where Einsteins theories left off. On earth there is a equal and opposite reaction for every action. God, however, is not equal nor opposite;  we seek and He pours His Spirit on us and radically transforms peoples lives, performs miracles. We ask and He gives an abundance, more than we even realize.

As we tend to God’s Church our first instinct is to “fix it”. We can’t! But what we can do is Seek God with all that is within us and in that place, the presence of God, flows community, missions, passionate worship and teaching.  God works! it is documented on page 1005 of this book on my desk.

Read Mat 6, there is even a prayer in that chapter for you to pray, and join me as we seek God, His kingdom and righteousness.

Loren

 

Holy Discontent, Resurrection and the presence of God

Don’t have much time here right now, have to scoot on home to “relieve” the pup…but just wanted to let you in on the presence of God. As my friend Greg was writing about in his post today, Life is cyclical! Even in Isaiah 6 when God said that He would wipe away any remnant there was still a seed that became Jesus Christ. Same goes for our lives, jobs, churches, friends pretty much everything.  Resurrection follows death…

If you read this blog I would love you to Listen to this sermon from last night and join with us in prayer for Vision, for God’s Voice, for His presence.

More to Come:

 

Answered Prayers

One of my favorite times with groups of people that meet regularly, like a Men’s group or band practice is the times of prayer, when we let down the veil of our lives and ask for prayers from our friends and our God.  And in that group setting, week after week you begin to hear the stories of answered prayers and they are beautiful, life-giving stories.

Well today God answered my prayer, I’ve been praying it for a while, a few years…about 4! Today I entered into a mentoring relationship with a man whom I highly respect. And the best part about it was that it wasn’t just the two of us in that room, But God was there and you could feel His presence on your soul, beautiful. So thank you God for answering my prayers and encouraging me to pray without ceasing.

AMEN

 

Its Been Toooooo Long

Sorry for the lag, for all the 2-3 people that still read this:

topic: thoughts in my head

How much does marketing control my thoughts/actions?

If marketing is so powerful, is there a way to harness it for good? I.E. If a good marketing campaign sells a million cans of coke more than pepsi, can we turn it, at least the principle, to a good use for humanity?

How do I harness twitter and facebook for building community?

How does one build community?

Anyone know any good blues/jazz piano teachers in the triangle?

My grandmother said I never shut up, I wonder at what age I just kept all the questions and thoughts in my head to myself? And is that a good thing? Be careful what you say to children, they really are listening…more cohesion next time…I’ll try…

check out twitter, its pretty cool search for lorenmiller

 

By the Numbers

30, thirty, 1/3 of a lifetime, 11,000 days, some better than others. I’m starting to feel old, yet excited, 30 will be good! I would love to loose 30 lbs by the time 30 is over, I know I can loose 3 at least? 30 new friends? re-connect with 30 old friends!

The perfect birthday meal!

Tilt your head to the left and you will smell the sweetness as well! Lets make it a great year!

Shalom, peace, love, cliche

Loren