On a recent day off, I had an appointment. Naturally, there would be a fee involved, so I asked Becky for a blank check. She gave me one, somewhat reluctantly, based on past experience (You need to read the book).
The professional visit went well, and as I was leaving I took out the blank check and he said, "No charge- just please send me a copy of the book." Sounded like a great deal to me!
On the way home, a strange, powerful force took control of my 4,000 pound vehicle, and I found myself sitting in the parking lot of a golf course. Hmmm, this Harry Potter stuff may have something to it (just kidding). Well, not wanting to waste the trip, I hit a bucket of balls before I finished the trip home.
A few hours later, Becky told me she got a call from the golf club. My first thought was, "What did I leave behind?" It was that blank check. They wanted us to know they found it and ripped it up for us. Talk about being grateful for a random act of kindness.
But then I started thinking about how Jesus wrote a blank check on my behalf on the cross. His sacrifice, written in blood, covered all of my sin debt. His name was written in red, not in a random act of kindness, but in a totally purposeful transaction for my redemption, a check in my name, cashed before the first rock was formed.
Ken Dyal
Monday, August 31, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
A note Rick passed to the Worship Team...
I received this email today. This oughta keep us going at least a few more weeks!
You guys are making a difference. Thank you for your faithfulness.
Rick Painter
Worship Arts Pastor
"Hello:Isn't it interesting how many "little things" she noticed? That's why I encourage you each week to smile and sing/play/tech from your heart. Everybody loves a happy choir! God wants to use you each week as we lead in worship.
I am a member of the Church at Argyle. I felt that I needed to drop you a quick note saying thank you.
Thank you for the great music you and your praise team and musicians play for us every Sunday. I’m sure you hear it all the time, but I needed to tell you how much I enjoy it.
I love that every Sunday I can get my blood moving and my head and heart ready to hear the Lord's word by such a talented group of folks.
I love to see the faces of the singers as they smile and sing. I LOVE when you have the different ladies and gentlemen sing by themselves. I really enjoyed the lady who sang this past weekend before Pastor Ken's book signing. I love her voice.
Also that song you all play Faith, giving us a sample of the different musical instruments, is one of my favorites and when I get to hear the individual instruments I can’t help but be mesmerized. I love the 2 gentlemen on the guitar and bass exchanging their looks and smiles and smirks. It makes my Sunday.
I am so blessed to go to a neighborhood church with great music and a pastor that really speaks to me about things I can apply to my life and that of my family.
Just a pat on the back to you and your talented group of folks."
You guys are making a difference. Thank you for your faithfulness.
Rick Painter
Worship Arts Pastor
Listening To My Own Advice (as said to my kids)
I make my sons do workbooks over the summer. Actually, I am the enforcer but it is my husband who is so passionate about them maintaining brain function. Most days in the summer, they come to work with me so I get to be the one to tell them why, and hear them complain and try to negotiate. Yes, there are days I don't make them or when my husband holds me accountable that I want to say a few not so nice words about his big ideas. But most days, I suffer through and actually survive being the mean mom.
The reason I agreed to be the enforcer is because my husband is right (I'm not afraid to admit it). He is the better educated, more motivated and disciplined one of the two of us, with four degrees (seriously, four!) and his own business to show for it. While he never uses that against me, I have a lot of respect for him and that reality. I want my kids to have every chance to learn and be better at studying and getting the whole concept of pushing past the "I don't want to", to the "wow, that was worth it." That actually does happen with them occasionally. Praise God!!
The listening to my own advice is the hard part. The part where God steps in and speaks to me and says, "Did you hear what you just said to your son? Do you practice what you preach?"
For example, this morning other staff members/teachers had their children with them and my kids were doing their workbooks, knowing that their friends were waiting on them or playing without them. They were whining and negotiating and manipulating their socks off to get out of having to do any or all of the pages, and I wouldn't budge.
My oldest is the worst about it, going as far as to try to say he had done more pages than he could have in the time they had been working and his brother was calling him on it. I stepped in with "focus on your own work, you are not the parent" to the youngest and "do the right thing" to my oldest. I added, "this is not for me, it is for you. This is to grow your brain and ability to learn so you can be all God wants you to be. This is your job. I have to do things all the time that I don't want to do to keep growing and learning." What a great mom lecture!
Right after all that came out of my mouth, looking at my son eye to eye, that voice in my head said, "Did you hear what you just said to your son? Do you always do what I ask you to do to keep growing and learning?"
If you read my last blog, you know I do- sometimes. But I know I don't do it all of the time. Okay, nobody gets it right all the time- I know that. But I've learned to listen to that voice and stop and evaluate and ask, "what difficult or important thing am I putting You off about, Lord? Is there something more I could and should be doing to learn in my relationship with You and who You are growing me to be?"
Some answers come to mind, like "Where is your consistent quiet time with Me? I reminded you three times this morning and you put it off" and "Are you really trusting Me to provide for your ministry and setting your church and community on fire about Me?"
"We can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us." (Philippians 4:13) You don't have to walk very far down the path with Him to not just hear that verse but to know it's really true. Why do we still put Him off? I'm going to stop typing now and get into His word like I should have this morning so I can get closer to starting that fire!
What is He speaking to your heart about so that you're going to stop reading and start doing?
Grace and Strength in Christ,
Amy
The reason I agreed to be the enforcer is because my husband is right (I'm not afraid to admit it). He is the better educated, more motivated and disciplined one of the two of us, with four degrees (seriously, four!) and his own business to show for it. While he never uses that against me, I have a lot of respect for him and that reality. I want my kids to have every chance to learn and be better at studying and getting the whole concept of pushing past the "I don't want to", to the "wow, that was worth it." That actually does happen with them occasionally. Praise God!!
The listening to my own advice is the hard part. The part where God steps in and speaks to me and says, "Did you hear what you just said to your son? Do you practice what you preach?"
For example, this morning other staff members/teachers had their children with them and my kids were doing their workbooks, knowing that their friends were waiting on them or playing without them. They were whining and negotiating and manipulating their socks off to get out of having to do any or all of the pages, and I wouldn't budge.
My oldest is the worst about it, going as far as to try to say he had done more pages than he could have in the time they had been working and his brother was calling him on it. I stepped in with "focus on your own work, you are not the parent" to the youngest and "do the right thing" to my oldest. I added, "this is not for me, it is for you. This is to grow your brain and ability to learn so you can be all God wants you to be. This is your job. I have to do things all the time that I don't want to do to keep growing and learning." What a great mom lecture!
Right after all that came out of my mouth, looking at my son eye to eye, that voice in my head said, "Did you hear what you just said to your son? Do you always do what I ask you to do to keep growing and learning?"
If you read my last blog, you know I do- sometimes. But I know I don't do it all of the time. Okay, nobody gets it right all the time- I know that. But I've learned to listen to that voice and stop and evaluate and ask, "what difficult or important thing am I putting You off about, Lord? Is there something more I could and should be doing to learn in my relationship with You and who You are growing me to be?"
Some answers come to mind, like "Where is your consistent quiet time with Me? I reminded you three times this morning and you put it off" and "Are you really trusting Me to provide for your ministry and setting your church and community on fire about Me?"
"We can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us." (Philippians 4:13) You don't have to walk very far down the path with Him to not just hear that verse but to know it's really true. Why do we still put Him off? I'm going to stop typing now and get into His word like I should have this morning so I can get closer to starting that fire!
What is He speaking to your heart about so that you're going to stop reading and start doing?
Grace and Strength in Christ,
Amy
Monday, August 10, 2009
What Am I Waiting For?
Pastor Ken just finished his series on community and asked me to speak at the Wednesday Night Connecting Point to tell my story about being in community. I made notes, prayed for God to guide and use my words and then shared from my heart what God has shown me........
I knew I needed community and still didn't jump in. I prayed about it and God surrounded me with powerful examples of community.
First the staff- a community of people I had on a pedestal (and still do to be honest), that I put so far ahead of me in wisdom and faith and their relationship with Christ. They speak to each other and listen to each other and are humble and kind and honest and welcomed me into this community with the same respect they gave each other. Remarkable and overwhelming to me still.
Then I took on my first big project as Children's Ministry Director- to build a new UpStreet environment for our kids. I was surrounded by community. The team that created it (that I did not give them credit as a community until just now) and the Karpf's wonderful community group, all of whom showed up for weeks on end to paint and organize and clean and sweat (cause I would forget to turn on the air in time to cool the big old place) and create and build and cut and nail and paint and sweat some more. We laughed and worked and prayed, made a mess and got the job done! A family in Christ, working and serving Him and growing together.
By the time we were done, I could not wait to get into a community group. I missed them and knew that community was where I needed to be. I stepped out on faith and became a facilitator for a ladies community group. God rewarded my faith by placing me with an amazing group of women and opened a way to use me to connect and grow and lead and follow with them in a real and wonderful community!
That was pretty much what I was led to share this past Wednesday. I was thankful to be allowed to share and pray that it encouraged any and everyone there that was not already in community to run out and get in it!
What didn't get said that night was that I just left my wonderful community group. It was a beautiful, supportive, caring, loving group and I walked away. We have been in community going on 2 years, have prayed and supported each other through financial trouble, family stress, cancer, surgery, recovery, birthdays, medical and emotional crisis, shared joy over answered prayers, eaten very well, loved,laughed and cried together. Staying in community with each other would be the easiest and safest place in the world. BUT, over the last 6-8 months the Lord had been talking to me consistently about why being uncomfortable was the better choice.
Community is meant to grow new leaders and hosts. Community is meant to grow faith and courage and love so that we step out and share those beautiful gifts with others. I spoke about those things but couldn't make myself get uncomfortable. I had lots of good reasons for not leaving my group. What if I didn't stay in touch with my beautiful sisters and we lost that connection? What if they were mad at me? What if I never found another community group like them? What if they wouldn't join another community group? We kept welcoming new members, wasn't that enough to share this gift with others? Bottom line, I just didn't want to leave. I love my community group! They are good for me and to me and I would miss them too much! We are good for each other! I was following God enough by being facilitator and even host home too sometimes.
Why would God want me to leave something so great? Why would He expect me to do more?
Well, I know the answer to this but, like a kid with my fingers in my ears, singing lalalalalalalalala, I don't want to listen.
The answer is, it is not about me.
So what if I'm scared of being uncomfortable, making people I love uncomfortable, or even mad at me? It is not about me. God is so much bigger than that and has always taken care of me. He brought me into this community group and blessed me beyond measure.
How can I not trust Him to take care of this next step if He is leading me?
So, trust Him. Be a leader, be a host home, step out on faith and I promise you He will be faithful to be there with you and hold your hand, speak through you, love and live through and with you. God is faithful in all things. Look to Him for guidance and provision, not to yourself.
In our weakness He is strong. Be sure to remind me of that the next time I'm struggling to step out in faith.
Courage and Peace in Christ,
Amy Gieger
Children's Ministry Director
I knew I needed community and still didn't jump in. I prayed about it and God surrounded me with powerful examples of community.
First the staff- a community of people I had on a pedestal (and still do to be honest), that I put so far ahead of me in wisdom and faith and their relationship with Christ. They speak to each other and listen to each other and are humble and kind and honest and welcomed me into this community with the same respect they gave each other. Remarkable and overwhelming to me still.
Then I took on my first big project as Children's Ministry Director- to build a new UpStreet environment for our kids. I was surrounded by community. The team that created it (that I did not give them credit as a community until just now) and the Karpf's wonderful community group, all of whom showed up for weeks on end to paint and organize and clean and sweat (cause I would forget to turn on the air in time to cool the big old place) and create and build and cut and nail and paint and sweat some more. We laughed and worked and prayed, made a mess and got the job done! A family in Christ, working and serving Him and growing together.
By the time we were done, I could not wait to get into a community group. I missed them and knew that community was where I needed to be. I stepped out on faith and became a facilitator for a ladies community group. God rewarded my faith by placing me with an amazing group of women and opened a way to use me to connect and grow and lead and follow with them in a real and wonderful community!
That was pretty much what I was led to share this past Wednesday. I was thankful to be allowed to share and pray that it encouraged any and everyone there that was not already in community to run out and get in it!
What didn't get said that night was that I just left my wonderful community group. It was a beautiful, supportive, caring, loving group and I walked away. We have been in community going on 2 years, have prayed and supported each other through financial trouble, family stress, cancer, surgery, recovery, birthdays, medical and emotional crisis, shared joy over answered prayers, eaten very well, loved,laughed and cried together. Staying in community with each other would be the easiest and safest place in the world. BUT, over the last 6-8 months the Lord had been talking to me consistently about why being uncomfortable was the better choice.
Community is meant to grow new leaders and hosts. Community is meant to grow faith and courage and love so that we step out and share those beautiful gifts with others. I spoke about those things but couldn't make myself get uncomfortable. I had lots of good reasons for not leaving my group. What if I didn't stay in touch with my beautiful sisters and we lost that connection? What if they were mad at me? What if I never found another community group like them? What if they wouldn't join another community group? We kept welcoming new members, wasn't that enough to share this gift with others? Bottom line, I just didn't want to leave. I love my community group! They are good for me and to me and I would miss them too much! We are good for each other! I was following God enough by being facilitator and even host home too sometimes.
Why would God want me to leave something so great? Why would He expect me to do more?
Well, I know the answer to this but, like a kid with my fingers in my ears, singing lalalalalalalalala, I don't want to listen.
The answer is, it is not about me.
So what if I'm scared of being uncomfortable, making people I love uncomfortable, or even mad at me? It is not about me. God is so much bigger than that and has always taken care of me. He brought me into this community group and blessed me beyond measure.
How can I not trust Him to take care of this next step if He is leading me?
So, trust Him. Be a leader, be a host home, step out on faith and I promise you He will be faithful to be there with you and hold your hand, speak through you, love and live through and with you. God is faithful in all things. Look to Him for guidance and provision, not to yourself.
In our weakness He is strong. Be sure to remind me of that the next time I'm struggling to step out in faith.
Courage and Peace in Christ,
Amy Gieger
Children's Ministry Director
Wow!!
We had a great response to the introduction yesterday of the new book about Pastor Ken- The Story of the Fall by Adrian Greene. Not knowing how great the demand would be, not enough books were on hand to meet the demand- what a great problem to have.
This morning we ordered the additional books needed to honor rain checks, and discovered that they can't be delivered as soon as we hoped. They will be here about September 1. We are sorry for the delay, and will post an announcement if they arrive sooner than promised.
Pastor Ken, Adrian, and everyone else involved are overwhelmed with the response to the book, and the wonderful worship we experienced yesterday. Thanks to all of you for your kind remarks and expressions of love and support.
This morning we ordered the additional books needed to honor rain checks, and discovered that they can't be delivered as soon as we hoped. They will be here about September 1. We are sorry for the delay, and will post an announcement if they arrive sooner than promised.
Pastor Ken, Adrian, and everyone else involved are overwhelmed with the response to the book, and the wonderful worship we experienced yesterday. Thanks to all of you for your kind remarks and expressions of love and support.
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Golf Junkie Preacher
How much better does it get? One Sunday recently, I got up at 4:30 am to pray and prepare for my message later that morning. At 6:00 am the British Open telecast began, and the old geezer Tom Watson was positioned to make golfing history. I tell you, from 6 to 9 am I was glued to the TV, and I had to force myself to get into the car and head to the church for our Worship Gathering. I hate to admit it, but that morning I was like a lot of you about heading to "work" - there was something else on my mind.
There I was, riding down the road, Becky beside me, still thinking about Tom Watson maybe making golf history. Still thinking about something other than what was about to happen at Argyle.
A song came on the radio, and it's hard to put into words what happened. Chris Tomlin was singing a new arrangement of an old hymn- I Stand Amazed. As I listened to that song, my heart melted. Tom Watson and the British Open were no longer on my mind. The words of that old hymn led me to the foot of the cross, and right there in our car I experienced real worship.
The bible has a lot to say about idols. On that Sunday morning God used a contemporary artist singing an old song to kick over a few of this preacher's idols, to move his mind from the earthly to the eternal.
There I was, riding down the road, Becky beside me, still thinking about Tom Watson maybe making golf history. Still thinking about something other than what was about to happen at Argyle.
A song came on the radio, and it's hard to put into words what happened. Chris Tomlin was singing a new arrangement of an old hymn- I Stand Amazed. As I listened to that song, my heart melted. Tom Watson and the British Open were no longer on my mind. The words of that old hymn led me to the foot of the cross, and right there in our car I experienced real worship.
The bible has a lot to say about idols. On that Sunday morning God used a contemporary artist singing an old song to kick over a few of this preacher's idols, to move his mind from the earthly to the eternal.
"I stand in the presence of Jesus the Nazerine,Ken Dyal
and wonder how he could love me,
a sinner, condemned, unclean."
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Amazon...
has the new book about Pastor Ken, The Story of the Fall, available for sale. The price is $15. Click here to visit Amazon.
The book's premiere is Sunday, August 9 at The Church at Argyle. Copies sold that day only will be only $10, and both Pastor Ken and the author, Adrian Greene, will be available to sign your books.
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