December 5, 2007   Dear Friends and Partners,         As Senior Pastor of Trinity Evangelical Free Church, just outside of New Orleans, Louisiana, I look back on the last two years with awe for God and delight in His people.  Early in the Katrina chaos, I wondered how Trinity Church would survive.  Jim Snyder, of the EFCA Touch Global Ministry, told me, "Michael, you are going to have to learn to receive!"  Being desperate, I started to learn.  The needs were great and still are in many ways - yet much has been accomplished because of people like you who have either:               1.   Prayed for us.       2.   Provided financial support.       3.   Sent relief teams and/or supplies.       4.   Encouraged us.   These partnerships have yielded great fruit.  A friend wrote the following words to me:   "Gather in all that has happened since August-would the mighty wind of the Holy Spirit be seen like it is right now without disaster?  Would you have witnessed the mighty unstoppable hand of God like you have without the hurricanes?  Would Trinity Church have become "Jesus with skin on" without a community desperately in need of His arms, His strength, and His love?  A community which suddenly had nothing but Him?"   Nothing but Him - What a great statement and an apt description of who we have become.  People have been scattered, houses destroyed, jobs lost, keepsakes ruined and futures left with great uncertainty.  All of the props of life were kicked out from under us.  Yet, in all of our devastation, brokenness, weakness and finiteness, we can say, "We bet the farm on God and He is able."   We have survived as a church.  10,000 volunteers later, we are still the church of the stained carpet.  New Orleans is slowly being rebuilt and we are poised to make our 3rd year of Katrina relief the most fruitful.  Our long-term staff is in place for the next year, and we are welcoming returning teams and new first time teams.  God's daily provision has been a new kind of manna from heaven.  The manna has come in the form of prayer partners, work teams, water, food, RV's, bobcats and lots of the love of Jesus displayed through God's people.  This miraculous supply has yielded people coming to Christ, the renewal of believer's souls and good rumors floating around our community all because of the amazing grace of God.  Thank You, God!  Thank you, dear brothers and sisters in Christ!  Thank you!   Many have asked, "How are you doing?  What can we do to help?"  I ask you to pray.   1.   Pray for the people of our community.  It continues to be hard for many.  Pray for strength, renewal and spiritual revival through our region.  Pray that we keep our hand to the plow at Trinity.  The work of the great Commission is at stake.  Our labor is to help people become fully devoted followers of Christ and share the amazing story of the grace of God with all who will listen. We may walk with a limp at times but we know we serve a great God. 2.   Send a team or come as a family.  Our Trinity mobilization center is open and ready for you.  Call us at 985-893-0218 to get an information packet or reserve a slot. 3.   Give - Our Trinity Church Katrina Relief Fund enables us to continue the work of helping the needy, running teams and doing assimilation and follow-up. Some parts of our facility and furnishings are getting run down or broken from so much usage.  A few generous gifts would help us make the needed repairs.   As God leads and enables you, please consider helping us financially this Christmas.  We trust that our finest days of ministry are still ahead.   Betting the Farm on God,   Michael   P. S. I will send one more letter this year about the exciting things going on at Urban Impact in Central City, New Orleans. The new ministry center will be coming soon.  Merry Christmas everyone!         November 12, 2007     More Yea God Stories   "You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the people" (Ps. 77:14).   Someone gave me this verse on a 3x5 card a few months ago, and I have been carrying it around in my Bible ever since.  Indeed, it is the Word of God and I just wanted to pass on a few more "Yea God" stories that reflect the truth of Ps. 77:14.   1.   On Tuesday a pastor flew into New Orleans to join his team that was working out of Trinity.  He caught a cab and was dropped off on a street corner.  After the cab departed, he realized that he had lost his wallet, probably in the taxi.  He had no idea what cab he had used or how to find out.  He only knew it was a brown taxi and the driver was an African-American woman with a gold tooth.  By 8:00 pm he had located the cab station of the brown taxi company.  They knew exactly the driver he was talking about.  Her name was "Grace".  She pulled in with his wallet right after he arrived, and Grace started preaching to this pastor about the sovereignty of God and need to trust in Him.  He also discovered that she worked for the "Amazing Grace Cab Company."  No joke!  The pastor said he needed this message.   2.   A dear woman Christ-follower shared how she sold $2,500 worth of candy in 10 days so she would make a $1,250 profit to allow her and her niece to serve in New Orleans.  What ingenuity.   3.   One of our new long-term couples moved here for the first year.  They recounted to me the divine interventions of God to get them here.  Upon arrival, they noticed the need for two lawnmowers and a weed-wacker for the ministry.  They were amazed that the next morning two lawnmowers and a weed-wacker showed up on a truck.   4.   One man told about chaperoning a group of rambunctious teenagers to serve in our Compassion Ministry for the week.  He wondered what they were getting out of the time here, yet as the week continued, the teenagers were seeing Christianity in action and four teens trusted Christ.   5.   I was amazed a few weeks back seeing and hearing the heart of a volunteer named John from MD.  He wanted to become the "Mark Lewis" of his community and I had an appointment to eat dinner with him on Wednesday evening.  On Wednesday morning he had worked at a house and led the homeowner to Christ.  Immediately after that he got a call that his son had died unexpectantly.  We helped him get back to MD.  Pray for John.   6.   Gene Johnson from Montana is back for a month.  I heard Gene tell about fixing up a home along with a team of volunteers.  They then lined the 700 ft. driveway with balloons and a banner saying, "Welcome Home."  The homeowner was astounded.  Her tears of despair had been turned into tears of joy.  Her children said, "You gave my mother's life back to her."   I could go on and on.  Yea God!   Donna, my mother, and I went to Waco, TX last weekend to visit Jonathan.  He was very sick the entire time.  The good news is that gave his mother a chance to mother her son.  Jonathan is a junior at Baylor University.  He's growing up quickly.  We are so proud of him.  Pray for him if you get a chance.   Betting the farm on God,   Michael     October 31, 2007     Disasters, Disasters and More Disasters   Is it just me, or does it seem like there is another disaster every few weeks?   1.      California Fires - Daily I'm getting updates from churches in California including Green Valley Church in Rancho Bernardo, California.  Six families within this church completely lost their homes and now the church has launched a Compassion Ministry to those with severe smoke and ash damage.  Great video footage can be seen at www.gvcfamily.blogspot.com.   2.      Peru - Mark Lewis and Steve Nelson just returned from "ground zero" and the latest Peruvian earthquake.  A ministry is up and running there.   3.      Kansas Tornado - Compassion Ministry established   4.      North Dakota Drought - Team sent   5.      Florida Tornado - I visited this area along with others earlier this year.   The now famous FEMA emergency training session in August 2001 concluded that three major disasters most likely to strike the United States were: a New York terrorist attack, a massive hurricane hitting New Orleans, and a major California earthquake.  Two out of the three have happened and the third is likely.   Think of these three areas:   1.   Earthquake probabilities:  A U.S. Geological Survey working group in 2002 estimated a 62% probability of a Richter 6.7 or greater earthquake in the San Francisco Bay area by 2032.  A 6.9 earthquake in the Bay area could leave 360,000 people homeless, according to the Association of Bay Area Governments.  William Lettis of the U.S. Geological Survey group said, "Certain communities in the East Bay have the potential to become ghost towns."   2.   Nuclear Terrorism:  About the only thing presidential candidates agree on these days is the serious threat of terrorism to American national security.  Graham Allison, founding dean of Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government, and author of Nuclear Terrorism, says a nuclear attack on U.S. soil within the next ten years is probable.  Former Secretary of Defense William Perry put the odds for an attack by 2010 at 50-50.  Other experts, according to a survey by Senator Richard Lugar, put the likelihood over the next ten years at only 30 percent.  CIA Director Porter Goss told the Senate Intelligence Committee, in 2005, that enough nuclear material to make a bomb was missing from Russia.   3.   Hurricanes:  We dodged the bullet in the U.S. the last two years but we know this threat is here to stay.   In a disaster four kinds of help are needed:   1.   Rescue - Rescue from rising waters, fires, collapsed buildings, etc.   2.   Relief - Initial food, water, shelter, clothing, etc.   3.   Recovery - Repairs, rebuilding, etc.   4.   Restoration - Emotional and spiritual.   The role of Faith-Based Organizations:   President Bush said, "Because they are closer to the people they serve, our faith-based and community organizations deliver better results than government.  And they have a human touch:  when a person in need knocks on the door of a faith-based or community organization, he or she is welcomed as a brother or a sister."  Franklin Graham noted, "Pastors usually know their community better than government officials do . . . While the government talks about systems and infrastructure problems, faith-based organizations are able to provide immediate assistance thanks to established relationships with churches on the ground."   I am honored to be part of the emerging conversation on how the church of Jesus Christ will respond with heart and hands to the challenges of our world.  I have seen the passion and sense of calling volunteer faith-based people bring to the table.  What an opportunity!   Philosophers, political pundits, news people, and religions of all stripes weigh in on the why of these disasters.  Perhaps the best apologetic answer is, "You know, I could give you some classic answers of philosophy and theology that have been presented throughout the ages, but to be honest, I really haven't a clue on this one.  What I do know with absolute and crystal clear certainty is how Jesus would respond to such loss, tragedy, suffering and pain, because there are four books of the Bible written about how He did just that.  We, Christ-followers, are trying to reach out in His way with hope, grace, help, hands, heart, money and the message of the cross."   Please pray for Trinity, Touch Global and Urban Impact as we enter year three of our Disaster Response Ministry:   1.   Pray for volunteers. 2.   Pray for financial resources. 3.   Pray for strategic focus. 4.   Pray for our new long-term staff. 5.   Pray for revival on the North Shore and New Orleans. 6.   Pray for Trinity Church as we continue to reinvent ourselves.  These are exciting days as we have added staff and many new families.  However, you can imagine how difficult it is after losing so many members from Katrina and still losing people who move out of the area as a direct result of the storm.   Betting the Farm on God,   Michael         October 22, 2007     Forgiveness   One of the things many people are wrestling with along the Gulf Coast is bitterness and forgiveness issues . . . maybe you can relate.  The truth is . . . if you live long enough . . . sooner or later you will get hurt.  Little things happen and you forget about them but some things are not so easy:  betrayal, abuse, abandonment, divorce, unfaithfulness, lying, injustice, etc.  These things are heavy, hurtful and hard and can lead to bitterness, resentment and a preoccupation that tends to color everything.  Have you ever been in the place you wanted to hold a grudge, point a finger and replay the tape over and over?   I remember last December 31 having the opportunity to speak at Hershey Evangelical Free Church.  Afterward, I went out to lunch with Pastor Dave Martin.  What a wonderful pastor!  This was the week that there was a buzz in the news about Time Magazine's 2006 "Person of the Year".  Remember . . . it was YOU!  Honestly, that's who they picked!  Dave said that their Pennsylvania paper selected their own person of the year - the Amish.  They picked these people for teaching the world about forgiveness in response to the horrendous shooting at the Amish school.  For 500 years, the value of forgiveness has been burned into their DNA.  They have learned that it is often complicated, difficult, and painful, yet they choose to forgive as an act of the will, giving up the right to hurt back or seek revenge and then allow the emotions of forgiveness to catch up over the coming months or years.  This does not mean approval, excusing, justifying, denying evil or wrong.  I'm amazed that as monies came into the Amish families, an equal portion was given to the shooter's widow and children.  I learned that 50% of the people at the shooter's funeral were the Amish and that all of the Amish families that lost children have had the shooter's family into their homes.  What an example of Ephesians 4:32.  "Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God, in Christ also has forgiven you."   I remember one time in my life going through a hurtful time that I couldn't shake easily.  I ended up talking to a counselor/pastor type who focused me in on Eph. 4:32 and other passages of scripture.  He asked me to read a book entitled Total Forgiveness, by Kendall.  Great book!  He then suggested that I write out my loss in a letter, share my heart and hurt, and then make a declaration of forgiveness as an act of the will.  The counselor said I should take the letter and release it.  He told stories of how one person burned the letter, another flew it as a paper airplane from a mountaintop and another let it go in the ocean.   I carved out some time and carefully wrote out a letter and made a choice to forgive.  I took that letter to an old abandoned cemetery with tombstones dating back to the 1800's.  I read the letter before God, tore it up, and placed the pieces under a broken tombstone.  Interestingly, while I was walking out of the cemetery, I saw danger signs for a Wasp (as in bees) Research Testing site being conducted by a University, and I kept my distance.  It was like the Holy Spirit was saying to me, "Don't come back here, or you'll get STUNG."  I went home feeling free.  Forgiveness does that!   Maybe you remember the old Andy Griffith show.  Remember Barney, Aunt Bee, Opie, Thelma Lou, Goober, and my favorite - Howard Sprague.  Remember the town drunk?  Otis?  Otis would be put in jail and the keys would be put right outside the cell door.  Anytime he wanted to leave, he could let himself out.  God does the same with bitterness.  We lock ourselves in our own jail, yet, God leaves the keys of forgiveness for us to let ourselves out and be free.  What a great truth!  Do you need to reach for the key?   Betting the Farm on God,   Michael         October 18, 2007     Overcoming Approval Addictions . . . People Pleasing   These last two years since Katrina have been stretching and eye-opening in so many ways.  In some ways I've found out what I'm made of and in other ways I've discovered where I need to grow.  One of the areas I've learned I need to grow is overcoming good old "people pleasing" tendencies.  On the one hand I desire to please God, but sometimes I waste time on the impossible task of trying to please everyone.  Some modern day writers refer to this as "approval addiction."  Truth be told, in some ways, I know what this drug tastes like . . . I know what it's like when it's withheld . . . I know what it's like to hear that inner voice, "What will they think of me?"   Over the last couple of years God has been rooting out of me the need to please . . . in fact, I don't know the exact date that I started giving up the need to impress.  This motivation came from a combination of personal experiences and the Word of God. First, personal experience is a great teacher, isn't it?  You know when you run into a wall full speed . . . and your nose is soft, and the wall is hard and the wall wins every time.  Over time you learn . . . don't run into stuff that doesn't move.  You learn from experience . . . you don't have enough noses not to learn.  I'm learning people pleasing doesn't work . . . people want more . . . people want opposite things . . . people don't really want what they ask for.  You simply get weary from people pleasing.   Second, I also learned from God's Word:  Jesus always played to the audience of One.  Always!  He was about God's will and not His own.  I learned from:   Gal. 1:10 -"For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ."   1 Thess. 2: 4 - "But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts."   I have been called by scripture to a life of not measuring myself by someone else's measuring stick . . . not having to be someone else . . . not to an image but to simply be who Christ made me to be.  My worth comes not by performance. . . . but from the One who alone can satisfy . . . God..   Here are the "Top 10" things I'm in the process of learning:   1.  Live for an Audience of One If everyone applauds me but God, I'm a failure.  If no one applauds me but God, I'm a success.  The question is, "whose applause am I living for?"  I must not play to the audience who pays me but to the audience that made me.   2.  Listen to criticism when it's appropriate.  Dismiss invalid criticism.       No matter how hard you may try, you can't please everyone.   3.  My life is not based on the unstable foundation of human opinion but on Christ.   4.  Endure Maturity is moving from a thin skin and a hard heart to a thick skin and a soft heart.   5.  Learn to say "No" Busyness does not = Fulfillment   6.  Refuse to ask permission from those who have no authority over my life.   7.  Do not cower to someone with an opinion just because they are loud about it.   8.  Controllers cannot control you unless you let them.   9.  Love people without needing their approval.       10.  Live in the loving care of the Father.   There is a freedom, security and safety that comes from living to please One.  Do you remember when you were in those good old days of elementary school and your teacher needed something taken down to the office?  You were given a hall pass.  You'd walk confident and secure past other classrooms.  You'd smile real big at your buddies stuck in their classes and flash them your hall pass.  Some teacher would stop you in the hall and say, "Young man, aren't you supposed to be in class?"  You'd hold up your hall pass.  Hall pass, Hall pass . . . you had a hall pass!   God gives us all a hall pass . . . an assignment.  We are to do what He calls us to do!  When people question you, doubt you, pull out your hall pass.   Betting the Farm on God,   Michael   P.S.  Call us at 985-893-0218, if you want to get an "Information Packet" to learn how to schedule a missions team here in New Orleans.  You can check out our website at www.trinitychurchonline.net.  Many are starting to sign up for Thanksgiving week, Christmas break or spring break.       October 10, 2007     Turning 50   I'm writing not long after celebrating the big one.  The Big "5-0"!  I know that most of you can't believe it.  Others might say, "With all that gray hair I thought you were 60."  I've been encouraged by the comical gifts:   Colonoscopy Instructions Preparation-H Metamucil Boost Depends Denture Adhesive Cream   I loved it when I came home and found that my staff had filled my house with balloons, and placed dozens of "Over the Hill" notes in secret places room-to-room:   "You know you're over the hill when . . . you suck in your gut and it doesn't go away."   "Be kind to Jonathan.  He'll be choosing your nursing home."    "You know you are getting old when the candles cost more than the cake."-Bob Hope   "You know you are over the hill when people call at 8:00 pm and ask, "'Did I wake you?'"   The "make-over" of my church office was spectacular!  I thank Margaret, Elizabeth, Donna, Bart, Earl and others for being such servants.   All of this has made me rather reflective.  It's a time to assess the fruit of my life.  As the saying goes, "the unexamined life is a life that's not worth pursuing."  I don't want to experience the regret of a casually lived life.   It's also time to look forward to the second half of my life.  I'm trying to work through three key questions:   1.  What kind of person am I becoming?  (Character question)   2.  Where am I going?  (Direction question)   3.  Who am I investing in?  (People question)   My life vision has been to glorify God through becoming a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ.  This involves responding to truth and love to God, my family, my friends, my church, and my world.  These questions are helping me flesh out the next steps and priorities in the journey of life.   I'm committed to:        I.    Continuous Growth   If you stop growing and learning, you stop living.  Heaven forbid I fall into stagnation.  "Without a vision the people perish" (Prov. 29:11).  I want to stay on the cutting edge.  Vision is a preservative and keeps us from getting old.       II.     Living with Unquenchable Optimism               I want to bet the farm on God.  I want to be like Caleb who at 85-years-old was vigorous and had no interest in retirement.  He wanted to take the hill country - the land of the giants.  I want to believe God for more and refuse to play it safe all of the time.      III.     Cheerleading for the Younger Generation   So many people just complain about the up and coming generation.  I refuse to give up on them.  In fact, I have been in awe of many young adults who are carrying the torch for Christ at a young age.  I can't wait to see what God is up to.  I believe Francis Schaeffer's words, "One of the greatest injustices we do to our young people is to ask them to be conservative.  Christianity is not conservative, but revolutionary.  To be conservative today is to miss the whole point, for conservatism means standing in the flow of the status quo, and the status quo no longer belongs to us.  If we want to be fair, we must teach the young to be revolutionaries, revolutionaries against the status quo."    IV.     Mentoring/Multiplying   I want to pass the baton on to emerging leaders.  Paul wrote to Timothy, "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will be qualified to teach others" (2 Tim. 2:2).   My heart is to pour myself into others for the glory of God.      V.     Enjoying Life   In Jim Elliott's words, I want to "Live to the hilt every situation I believe to be the will of God."  With Donna and Jonathan I want to "choose life" (Deut. 30:19).     VI.     Living for an Audience of One   1 Thess. 2:4b says, "not as pleasing men but God, who examines our hearts."  I've got to be about caring for what the Father wants more than how much people like me.  I need to remember that when I serve the Father first, I best serve people, but when I serve people first, I don't always best serve them.   Enough ramblings ...  I need to get on with living.   Betting the Farm on God,   Michael   P. S.  We have plenty of room for teams.  Everything is just starting to gear up again.

September 15, 2007

Michael Speaking in Maryland this Week

If any of you are in the Washington, DC area, I’d love to see you this week.  I will be speaking at the following times and locations:

Tuesday, Sept. 18 at 7:00 pm

Forcey Memorial Church

2130 E. Randolph Rd., Silver Spring, MD

301-622-2200

Wednesday, Sept. 19^th, 2:45-3:30 pm, and 6:45-7:30 pm

Thursday, Sept. 20^th, 10:45-11:30 am, and 2:45-3:30 pm

Washington Bible College
6511 Princess Garden Pkwy, Lanham, MD

301-552-1400

This past Sunday I had the opportunity to speak six times (that’s a record for me) at the Missions Conference of Mt. Life Evangelical Free Church in Park City, UT.  What a great church with a big heart for missions.  Mountain Life has sent 88 people over the last two years to serve New Orleans and are preparing to send another team in February.

At Trinity, we are gearing up to host teams for a third year.  Our new long-term staff will all be in this week for training and preparation to host teams.  Please let your church know that they are invited to serve!  Please pray for laborers.  Jesus’ hand is still on the ministry and people continually tell us that God rocked their world while they were in New Orleans.  If you are wondering … here are two new stories that tell it all:

1.  While in Park City, I met Kurt and Sara who told me about their daughter and her boyfriend who came to serve us in New Orleans.  Here’s the kicker – Lauren and Patrick decided to skip their March 25^th prom and use the prom money to serve in New Orleans over spring break.  “They “gutted and ‘mudded out’ houses, using hammers and shovels to tear down water-stained walls and remove caked mud that Hurricane Katrina left behind.  Though they sacrificed prom, Lauren, Patrick and three friends created their own promlike memories for cheap.  On the night of their school’s dance, they dressed in formal clothes they already owned.  They skipped the limo but were chauffeured by an adult involved in their youth group.  They dined on salads at a reasonably priced restaurant.  They had their pictures taken by a professional photographer at a mall.  Instead of dancing, they saw a movie.  ‘Going to the real prom might have been fun, but it doesn’t help anyone,’ Patrick said.  The New Orleans visit ‘benefited not only the people we helped, but also myself as well.  It helped me grow strong in three ways:  physically, mentally, and most of all, spiritually.’”

2.   Here’s one story that a volunteer from MD called “Ms. Pat’s Story – Katrina Experience July 22-28, 2007”:

“She heard the hurricane warning lots of times in the past. This time would probably be no different.  In her 30 years in New Orleans there were storm warnings every year and she had always stayed put and managed.  Besides, Ms. Pat had no car, no money, no Kin, and no one to help care for her sick dog.  Where was she going to go?  So, like most of her neighbors in New Orleans East she decided to wait out the hurricane at home - August 29, 2005.

“The winds of 150 miles per hour were horrific and trees were blowing down all over the neighborhood. And when the rains came it was scary, but Ms. Pat felt confident that with her house foundation several feet above ground level, she would be OK.  And then the 17^th Street Canal levee broke.  As she looked out the window, the water seemed to be rising faster than anything she had ever seen.  Water rising in your house six inches per minute doesn’t give you much time to think.

“When the floodwaters began to cross the threshold of her front door, Ms. Pat knew she was in trouble. All of her possessions and stuff were going to get wet and be ruined.  Two minutes later she began to be worried about her life.  At 5’2” tall, 66 years old and about 105 pounds she began to panic.  Somehow she heard her neighbor across the street yell to her, “are you OK?”   When she screamed back “NO” he yelled for her to go upstairs.  Although that sounded like a good idea, her furniture was now beginning to float and with no electricity she couldn’t see that the door to the upstairs was blocked.   So she headed for the kitchen towards the back of the house.

“As she waded into the kitchen Ms. Pat looked for a way to get above the rising water and saw the stove.  So she climbed up there and waited as the water quickly rose to the middle of her chest, terrified and trapped and thinking she was going to die because the only higher ground was on top of the refrigerator.  There was no way for her to get up there so she sat in the pitch black all night mostly submerged in filthy flood waters.  It was a horrible night and whenever she drifted off to sleep her head would touch the floodwaters and she would jolt awake.

“At dawn Ms. Pat heard some men in a motor boat outside her house asking if anyone needed help.  They could not hear her in the back of the house, so she began to swim towards the front of the house. Now she had to dodge her furniture, which was floating in her path. In her desperation to reach the boat she somehow cut the arch of her foot severely and didn’t even realize it. The good news is that these wonderful volunteer firemen saved her life and got her to dry land.

“In the two years since Katrina happened, life has been very difficult for Ms. Pat.  The good news is that she survived, got her foot fixed and received wonderful attention from the Red Cross and several churches who spent countless hours gutting her home of all the rotted drywall, insulation, trash, etc.  Turns out she didn’t have to worry about her furniture because vandals cleaned her out when she was in Alabama healing her foot.

“In the meantime she sits ‘paralyzed’ in a FEMA trailer waiting for a White Knight to come in and rescue her.  Two years later, she’s broke and sits in front of her broken house with no hope for the future in sight …

“I went to Katrina to serve and to connect my heart to my intellect.  I needed to ‘taste and see’ what a disaster really feels like, even two years later.  This will break your heart and change you.  Thousands of homes are still in shambles and tens of thousands of people displaced.  And in the middle of this I heard tales of generosity and miracles of faith that will take your breath away (just one little one – a single Mom and her 12-year-old daughter flee to Texas and are broke and in a hotel parking lot and a couple drives by, rolls down the window and asks ‘are you hungry?’  The single Mom says ‘yes’ and so begins a relationship/adoption/caring for 2 years that will bring you to tears).

“I don’t know about you guys, but I long to feel things deeply – I often want to cry to know I’m really alive.  Serving people who have lost everything but still maintain their faith will shake you and convict you.  Families who lost all their stuff yet still so joyful in the opportunity to reprioritize what is important in life and to bask in their faith in God who has seen them thru this season of winter.”

Betting the Farm on God,

Michael

September 5, 2007


Michael Speaking in Park City, Utah on Sunday

Information:  Please pray for me as I speak Sunday morning and evening on September 9th at
Mountain Life Church in Park City, Utah.  Their services are at 8:30 a.m. and 10:15 a.m.
and the evening conference is from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.  Pastor Scott Fine and this
Evangelical Free Church have co-labored significantly with us in the work of Katrina.  It
will be an honor to be one of the speakers at their annual Missions Conference.  Please
pray that lives are impacted for Christ and this church is even more set ablaze in their
devotion to Christ.

After the TV Cameras and Politicians Are Gone …

The two-year anniversary of Katrina has passed.  The TV cameras have gone home, the
politicians are in New Hampshire and Iowa, the President is in Iraq, TV anchors are
searching for the new hot story . . . yet the people of New Orleans face the same
challenges and slow progress.  We are gearing up for year three.  We can’t solve all the
problems but are called to faithfulness – touching one life at a time.  By God’s grace and
partners like all of you – people are coming to Christ. 

· Nine people expressed their commitment to Jesus last week in our services.

· Last Wednesday a man shared that his brother brought him along on the trip to LA.  The
man shared a 10-year struggle with alcohol and talked of its power over him.  For years he
felt like he really had no place of significance; his life had no meaning.  He shared that
this week has changed all that.  He felt at home, valued, and blessed to be able to give. 
He expressed a gratitude to the other believers for their acceptance of him as he is.  God
is changing lives.

· A lady on a team also shared that she had been praying for 22 years that others in her
church would get as excited about serving in missions as she was.  The church had not sent
a team outside of their home state in 22 years.  But here they were with a relatively
large group in LA, with much conversation already amongst the team about planning their
return trip and bringing others.

· We have been collaborating with Campus Crusade for Christ on a “Power to Change New
Orleans” project surrounding the Katrina anniversary.  This media campaign has blitzed the
region with powerful commercials during the news hour.  3,300 people have responded. 
Trinity Church is following up on every one from the Northshore who has asked for help.

· Our Free Store has been reconfigured into a “Trinity Cares” ministry.  Ministry is now
done through individual appointments so we can minister deeper into the lives of people. 
The ministry is more fruitful than ever.  The fruits of evangelism and discipleship are
evident.  Someone trusted Christ last week.  A woman named Sue lost her home in Katrina
and lost her mom shortly after.  She trusted Jesus and now regularly attends Trinity.  God
turned “losing everything” into finding everything she needs for eternal life.

Someone this week sent me a Radio/Internet poll from my old stomping grounds in the D.C.
suburbs on people’s thoughts about New Orleans.  The overwhelming percent of the comments
were negative, vile, disgusting and filled with racial prejudice.  Comment after comment
described New Orleans as a dump that should be flushed . . . or hurricanes as God’s way of
draining the swamp.  What a wake up call as to what’s out there.  I guess I live too much
in the bubble of the terrific, wonderful people who have traveled here to serve.  The vast
majority of people tell us over and over, “You have to see it to believe the extent of the
devastation.”  They leave with big hearts for the people they ministered to in New
Orleans.

I guess our newspaper heard about many of these comments and responded Sunday on the
editorial page:

“During the last two years, Louisiana has been talked about as if the state and its people
are nothing more than a colossal drain on the federal coffers, an unsympathetic burden to
the rest of God-fearing America, a quasi-American outpost from which quasi-Americans beg
for charity.”

Here was his suggestion:  “A Louisiana Day of Absence”

“How can America truly know how much it will miss us unless one day we decide to be
absent?  Let’s show them how much they will.

“Let’s first shut down the Port of New Orleans.  Nothing goes upriver.  Nothing comes
down.  Got some steel that needs to reach U.S. auto manufacturers?  Got some grain from
the middle of the country that needs to be shipped to other countries?  We’re awfully
sorry, but Louisiana is closed.  So, too, is the entrance and the exit to America’s most
commercially significant river system.

“Let’s put the kibosh on all the offshore drilling.  Let’s shut down all the refineries. 
Let ‘em eat Chinese crawfish.  Our shrimp and fish will be for our bellies.  The rest of
America can do the best they can with cod … this column is a fantasy, too.  If only
Louisiana could withdraw for a while.  I guarantee they’d pay us just to come back.” 
Jarvis DeBerry, Times-Picayune

Something to think about.  Well, I can’t solve the political/economic issues but I can be
about My calling to the Great Commission.  We are keeping our hand to the plow and moving
forward.  By the way, to all of you volunteers and supporters . . . the headline in HUGE,
BOLD PRINT in the Times Picayune on August 29, 2007 was THANK YOU to the volunteers who
have helped the people of New Orleans.  Certainly, there have been lots of questions and
failures swirling around the response of government at national, state and local levels. 
FEMA too!  However, everyone has seen the amazing work of church groups.  There is nothing
like the church when the church functions as it should.  Matthew 5:16, "Let your
light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your
Father who is in heaven.”

Betting the Farm on God,

Michael

August 27, 2007


My Adopted Home of New Orleans

Note: Before I start this letter, I want to sincerely thank the
prayer warriors, volunteer teams and donors who have sustained
the work of Jesus for two full years. I am grateful. Heaven
is richer because of your commitment. God has been glorified.
My heart is full. Trinity Church and the New Orleans area are
being rebuilt. The hand of Jesus is being felt and seen
through His wonderful family. Thank you! We are looking ahead
to our third year of ministry after Katrina. I am super-
excited about what Jesus has for us next. It always seems to
be a surprise. Never a dull moment. We are ratcheting up our
attention to reach people for Christ. This is our #1 goal at
Trinity in this new ministry season.

Request: Resources are still needed to run this ministry. I
know some churches have Fall Missionary Conferences,
Thanksgiving Projects and end-of-the-year gifts. If Jesus
leads you, would you share the need for resources at Trinity?
As God lays us on your heart, please pray. We are so
appreciative. God is our source. However, we know He usually
works through His people. (Earmark Funds – Katrina Relief.)

It has been just over eight years ago that I moved to New
Orleans. I had never been to the Gulf Coast before. Somewhere
in these last eight years this area became anchored into my
heart as home.

New Orleans is an absolutely unique culture. Think of it:

Mississippi River
Jackson Square
Garden District
Northshore
Bourbon Street
French Quarter
Swamps & Bayou’s

Crawfish
Emeril Lagasse
King Cakes
Beignets
Gumbo
Red Beans and Rice
Po Boys
Jambalaya
Commander’s Palace
Café du Monde

N’Awlins
The Big Easy
The Crescent City
New Orleans

Shotgun House
Antebellum Homes
Above ground tombs
Plantations

Jazz Music
Louis Armstrong
Saints Football
Mardi Gras

Alligators
Cajun
Muggy Nights
Lagniappe
D-Day Museum
Trolley Cars
Tulane University

I’ve learned how strategic New Orleans is to the USA:

1. Energy – Louisiana is the energy coast, with 30% of all oil
and gas in the US coming from the Gulf Coast.

2. Coastal Fisheries – America’s wetlands are the nursery,
which provide 40% of the commercial fisheries in the
continental United States. Louisiana is largest producer of
oysters, and supplies 50% of the shrimp.

3. Port System – Louisiana is home to the #1 port complex in
the nation.

4. Tourism – Greater New Orleans consistently ranks #2 in
desired destinations for Americans.

Should New Orleans be rebuilt? Of course! The United States
of America sent men to the moon. We rebuilt Europe and Japan.
We rebuilt after 911 and Pearl Harbor. We rebuilt after Andrew
and the great Mississippi floods. We are in the process of
rebuilding Iraq. New Orleans is vital for energy, tourism,
agriculture and fishing. There is no place in the world like
New Orleans. I love this place, and especially love the
people.

Many things are challenging and even grieve me about New
Orleans. Climate conditions reveal a sinking city, dwindling
wetlands, flawed levees, rising seas, and powerful hurricanes.
Political/socio-economic realities reveal failed schools,
surging crime, skyrocketing insurance, mountain of red tape,
and inept politicians.

In the past few months we have watched our senator,
congressman, and veteran city councilman caught by law-
enforcement betraying the public trust. The head of the New
Orleans FBI office said, “I’m not going to condone machine
politics, but in Boston we elected a mayor from prison … It’s
not unique to Louisiana. It’s just brazen down here. Machine
politics in the north will skim the cream. Here in Louisiana,
they skim the cream, they steal the milk, hijack the bottles
and look for the cow. And it is brazen, the amount of activity
down here where people think it’s their right as soon as they
assume office to steal from the people” (Times-Picayune, August
19, 2007).

Indeed, New Orleans is a cross between Williamsburg (a national
treasure) and Sodom and Gomorrah. Yet, the Bible says, “Where
sin abounds, grace abounds all the more.” “Is anything too
hard for the Lord?” “I can do all things through Christ who
strengthens me “. What city in the New Testament didn’t have
as many strongholds as New Orleans … Corinth, Ephesus,
Caesarea, Philippi, Athens, Rome? Isn’t it still possible that
people today would marvel, like in days of old, “Those Christ-
followers are turning our city upside down.” Has the Holy
Spirit lost His power? Isn’t the gospel still the power of God
unto salvation?

I continue to believe that Jesus is up to something Big.
Katrina was not an accident, but a divine appointment. Katrina
means cleansing and this is part of the cleansing work of God.
Jesus is building his church, strengthening His people and
seeking and saving people who are lost. If this city, New
Orleans, can be reached … any city can be reached. May this be
so, for the glory of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Betting the Farm on God,

Michael

August 13, 2007


The Eve of Hurricane Katrina 2nd Year Anniversary

Little did I know two years ago that my life was soon to be dramatically impacted.  In
fact, I vividly recall having a summer get together with 5 couples the night of August
26th, 2005, less than three days before Katrina hit the coast of Louisiana.  We were
virtually oblivious to the fact that a category 5 hurricane was looming on our horizon. 
My Saturday, August 27th, began early with a lengthy elders meeting, and Donna and I had
tickets to be in the audience of “The Wheel of Fortune" later in the day.  It was
going to be an afternoon with Pat Sajak and Vanna White and then prepare for Sunday’s
preaching.  Our normal life was about to change.  God chose to rock our world.

1.   I never dreamed on August 29th that I would live through the greatest natural disaster
in U.S. History.

2.   I never dreamed I’d see so much pain and hear so many stories of people swimming in
floodwaters or being saved by helicopter rescues. It’s hard to imagine 63,000 families
still in trailers provided by FEMA.  I still do a double take when I see so many boarded
up or bulldozed homes, overturned vehicles, broken glass, and high weeds in neighborhood
after neighborhood.  You almost have to see it to believe it.

3.   I never dreamed God would use His Katrina plan to bring me to fuller brokenness and
surrender so that ministry would be more of Him and less of me. 

4.   I never dreamed we would partner with almost 10,000 volunteers.  These sweaty, hard
working folk with out of state license plates are the hands and feet of Jesus.   Prayer
and financial support has come from around the nation.  It’s amazing to have friends now
in 38 states.

5.   I never dreamed that our “stained carpet” would weekly inspire Christ followers.  God
certainly uses the foolish, the weak, the despised, the scum of the earth, and the dregs
of all things (1 Cor. 2:18-31; 4:13).

6.   I never dreamed we would complete our 3000th request for assistance and our 50th home
repair.

7.   I never dreamed every Tuesday night I would hear kids, high schoolers, college kids,
and seasoned adults stand to their feet and in their own words state how “Jesus has rocked
their world”… “How their lives are not the same” … Here is a sample from a recent
Tuesday:

“Pray for Linda, a new sister in Christ.  A follow-up team made up of June, from CA, and
Kathleen, from TN, was traveling in St. Bernard, slightly lost on their way to make a
follow-up visit.  They saw a lady doing yard work in front of a beautiful home … one of
the very few homes repaired in this part of town.  They rolled down the window and asked
for directions.  June just felt this was ‘God-incident’, and a few minutes later she
pulled the car over and they were out looking at Linda’s yard and garden.  They heard her
story and how she had struggled to get her home rebuilt.  Kathleen then asked her if she
had thought about where she might live for eternity.  That led to a great conversation
about a relationship with God.  And a short while later, the three held hands while Linda
spoke to her heavenly Father for the first time, and secured an eternal relationship with
the Lord… all because two ladies were ‘lost’.

8.   I never dreamed there would be a “ripple effect” that is touching local churches
throughout the country to be more outreach focused.  There is a clarion call of God to
“DON’T JUST GO TO CHURCH BUT TO BE THE CHURCH and to BECOME THE CHURCH THAT LEAVES THE
BUILDING. (We release a new DVD production this week illustrating the ripple effect of
God’s choosing in churches across the country.)

9.   I never dreamed I’d get a steady stream of heartfelt e-mails that touch me deeply and
illustrate that Jesus is alive.  A woman who recently served in New Orleans wrote this
letter to her church leaders:

“So, for my 60th birthday, I decided to make my first mission trip, and chose the N.O.
inner city.  I went into places that I was told, from the time I was a child, NEVER to go
into.  I prayed, and God took away all of the fear.  Not only did he take away the fear,
but also I met the most wonderful people that I would never have had a chance to meet, if
I had held onto my fear.  I felt at peace, welcomed, appreciated, and that I was receiving
a new family there.  N.O. has some of the most resilient, courageous, generous, and
lovable people I’ve ever met!  I’d like to go back and do more for them, and I’m sure I
will some day soon.  But my husband was blessed with a job here in Memphis, so we are here
for now.  In the meanwhile, Pastor Mike from Trinity, and the Compassion/Touch Global
director, Mark Lewis, says we should get involved with our local church.  I would like to
take the ‘Urban Plunge’ and spend three days and nights in the inner city of Memphis
through your Urban Plunge Ministry.  Please tell me how to register or go about this.”

10.    I never dreamed life could be such an adventure daily.  I’m learning a little of what
Keith Johnstone said:  “There are people who prefer to say ‘Yes,’ and there are people who
prefer to say ‘No.’ Those who say ‘Yes’ are rewarded by the adventures they have, and
those who say ‘No’ are rewarded by the safety they attain.” 

An old-time preacher was speaking about God sending fire from heaven onto Mt. Carmel (1
Kings 18) and said that the manifest presence of God is “when God shows up, and he shows
off!”  He comes not to take sides but to take over.  When he arrives in splendor and
glory, it is obvious to everyone that he is present and he is in charge.  The human
agendas fade away in the overwhelming awesome presence of the King of Kings.

That is my prayer for New Orleans.  That is my dream for our community.  Let’s pray to
that end.

Betting the Farm on God,

Michael

July 30, 2007


BHAP (Big Hairy Audacious Prayers) Solicited

In this letter, I thought I would just bring you up to speed with some key strategic
planning for the future.  In doing this I am mindful of John Chancelor’s words, “If you
ever want to make God laugh – tell Him your plans.”  Yet, I am also aware of a verse that
has impacted the way I approach ministry and personal responsibility and evaluate
victories and defeats, “There is no wisdom, not insight, no plan that can succeed against
the Lord.  The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord”
(Prov.21: 30-31).  Wow!  Final outcomes are in the hand of the Lord.  His will prevails. 
Yet, I will be held responsible for this:  How well am I preparing my horse for battle?

A.   Trinity Church

It remains a huge privilege to pastor at Trinity Church.  I love the people in this
community of faith as we are called to help people become fully devoted followers of
Christ by functioning with an Acts 2:42-47 style.  Of course, we fall short so often, yet
I am teamed with elders who shepherd with integrity and faithfulness, a staff that serves
with joy and teamwork, friends who keep me sane and rejuvenated, and a church family that
is willing to step in the direction of obedience.  We long for the church to be the
church.  I’d share the 2008 vision for Trinity, but I can’t let the cat out of the bag and
spoil my August 12th “State of the Church” message followed by a Ministry Fair to be held
right in the Worship Center.  You can listen to the message after that date by going to
www.trinitychurchonline.net

B.   Katrina Response

We are delighted at Trinity to be engaged in Katrina response as long as the fingerprints
of Jesus are upon this ministry.  It has been our privilege to host teams and partner with
Christ followers from across the nation in the work of God in this community.  Mission
specialists told us what to expect in a disaster – people would remember you for a few
months and then forget and move on to other things.  This has not been the case!  As we
finish year two we rejoice that we have had more volunteers this year than last year. 
Thank you for praying, sending volunteers, finances and supplies to advance the cause of
Christ.  Volunteers to date are almost 10,000.  Volunteer Free Hours are 366,000. Teams to
date are 797. 

C.   Kansas Tornado Response

Steve and Lisa Nelson left Covington in early July to relocate to Haviland, Kansas to lead
our Touch Global disaster response in the town that was 95% wiped out by the Greensburg
tornado.  You can see a news clip of the work and one of our volunteers by going to http:/
/www.nebraska.tv/home/video?vid=8691292&ref=/home&skipthumb=Y

Pictures and an overview of the ministry are at http://www.midwestefca.com/greensburg-home.html

Way to go Steve and Lisa!

D.   Urban Impact - http://www.urbanimpact.org/

Shortly after Katrina, I visited the city of New Orleans.  I’ll never forget the sight.  A
major U. S. city was in ruins.  Yet I saw by faith what could be.  Behind me was the Super
Dome representing New Orleans.  In front of me was a huge portion of the city under water
with an upside down hearse right before my eyes.  The hearse represented death.  To my
right was the property owned by Urban Impact, representing Hope.  On that day, by faith, I
pictured a beautiful state of art ministry center that would rise from the devastation and
shine brightly for Jesus Christ.  This project will soon begin and I want to be a part of
it.  Many teams of skilled workers will have the opportunity to help make this a reality. 
We will strategically make this a top priority using teams as the building process begins.
 Imagine the transformation of Central City for Jesus.  Imagine a high quality gymnasium,
classrooms and a new church sanctuary.  New Orleans was ranked as the city with the
highest percentage of children in severely distressed neighborhoods.  We want to see God
turn Central City upside down for Christ. Isn’t that the heart of Jesus … “to preach good
news to the poor … to bind up the broken heated, to proclaim freedom to the captives and
release them from the darkness” (Isaiah 61:1).

E.   Disaster Response Center

To adopt a Jim Collins’ phrase – this will require a BHAP – big hairy, audacious prayer. 
Only God could pull this off.  For many years, Jim Snyder of EFCA Touch Global has been
praying for a regional disaster response center pre-positioned on the Gulf Coast of the
USA.  Mark Lewis and I have dared to pray as well.  The idea is to build a disaster
response center that will be equipped with leadership, play book, equipment,
non-perishables, supplies etc. so the Church of Jesus Christ can respond to a natural,
nuclear, chemical, biological disasters or terrorist attacks in a way that serves
communities in the name of Jesus.  Certainly, hurricanes will come to the Gulf Coast, and
we want to be ready, whether it is in Galveston, TX, Pensacola, FL, or in good old New
Orleans.  We have seen how effective this ministry is for the gospel.  In addition, this
Disaster Response Center will be used to lead and support missionary endeavors around the
world, in part utilizing the strategic position of the port in New Orleans and its ease of
getting goods to South America and Africa.  It will take $300,000 to build the Disaster
Response Center and God’s provision to run it.  I told you that this was a BHAP – a big,
hairy, audacious prayer.  Join us in praying to the God who is Able!

F.   Becoming an Outreach Oriented Church Seminar

God has opened up a number of opportunities to speak on what we are learning at Trinity.

1.   9/9/2007 – Mountain Life Evangelical Free Church, Park City, UT
2.   9/19-20/2007 – Capital Bible Seminary/Washington Bible College, Lanham, MD
3.   1/19/2008 – Bay Area Chinese Bible Church, San Francisco, CA
4.   12/8-9/2007 – I will be in Los Angeles, CA and would like to speak at a church in the
Los Angeles area.  Any interest out there?

G.   Book Writing on “Outward Focused Church”

I’m still interested, but time crunches are killing me.  I’m waiting on God and seeing how
He leads.

Betting the Farm on God,

Michael 

July 25, 2007


Feelings About the Younger Generation

It would be easy for young people to do what young people usually do in the summer – take
time off, work part-time jobs, go to the beach, play sports or do nothing at all.  At
Trinity, we have seen a new breed of young people … and we are sooo impressed.  Hundreds
and hundreds of high schoolers and college students from across the country and
occasionally from other countries opt for a different summer.  They brave the suffocating
heat and are flocking to New Orleans.  Their destination is not Bourbon Street but helping
the needy in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  At Trinity, they sleep on floors, eat in
the worship center and are deployed to gut homes, mow yards, rebuild homes, fix roofs and
clean up the city.  They come in the name of the Lord with a heart to share a message of
grace. Often, their lives get radically changed in the process.

Repeatedly, young adults are overwhelmed and shocked at the pace of the recovery.  They
return home as ambassadors for New Orleans and the Lord.  They tell people at their
schools and neighborhoods what the national media is not reporting.  The truth is, New
Orleans still needs massive amounts of help.

These young adults are pulling the load.  Despite the heat and dirty work, they rarely
complain.  They are motivated, caring, filled with faith, skilled and making a huge
difference.  Trinity is buzzing with the life these young men and women bring weekly. 
Last night, I almost came out of my shoes after my Tuesday night Trinity story talk as one
teenager after the next told their story of provision, teamwork, dedication, and
surrender.  Indeed, they exemplify 1 Timothy 4:12, “Let no one look down on your
youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an
example of those who believe.”  If we give young adults a chance, they will rock this
world!

Might your church’s youth group or college group need an adventure of faith?  Are you
planning a mission trip?  Do you need to plan a missions trip?  Do you want to have a
family vacation with a purpose?  Have you always wanted to go on a missions trip but have
always put it off?  Now is the time to start planning for the fall, spring or even next
summer.  Think about Thanksgiving, Christmas or spring break weeks.  This may change your
life.  If you are interested, call 985-893-0218, and we will get you or your church an
information kit.

Betting the Farm on God,

Michael

P.S.  Our ministry is not just for the younger generations.  We have had adults into their
80’s serving.  One volunteer was blind and yet gutted a house.  How about a men’s team?  A
senior’s trip?  Women’s?  There are jobs for all.  Give us a call at 985-893-0218 and
discover the possibilities.

July 18, 2007


Approaching the 10,000th Volunteer!

Within a few weeks we will hit the 10,000 volunteer mark through the ministry here.  Ten
thousand!  God has rocked our world and is touching our community.  Our teams bump into
the national politicians these days as they take their campaign swings through New Orleans
(our teams bumped into John Edwards this week), yet we see the real life-changing work is
quiet, kind of stealthy, one person, one house at a time.  This behind the scenes work
doesn’t grab headlines but is changing people’s lives for Jesus Christ.

1.   On Monday night with teens, Scott Lundeen, Operations Director of Urban Impact, shared
about New Orleans.  He told about a recent circle of sharing that took place.  A young man
watched guys in their 60’s serve God zealously all week and said, “This week I’ve gained
hope in the Church.  I see what I want to be like in 40 years.”  A guy over 60 shared
about his observations that week, “I’ve regained hope in the church because I’ve seen so
many young people serving the Lord!”  God is rocking people’s worlds and the church is
being the church.  It is great seeing the generations empower each other and serve
side-by-side.

2.   Almost 200 are at Trinity this week.  The place is packed and buzzing with young adults
– high school and college.  They are the best!  There is a huge group from Park City,
Utah.  These kids are providing incredible leadership by roofing homes, dry walling and
sharing Christ with homeowners.  This next generation is something special.  If your youth
group or college group needs a “life-changing experience” – send them our way!

3.   Here’s an example of what might happen.  One night a teenager was cleaning up along
10th street (Trinity’s approach street) rather than attend July 4th fireworks with others.
 Here he was with garbage bags in hand cleaning the church road.  A fellow named Steve
joined him and the teenager was led to the Lord.  Steve later got another person and went
for a walk down 10th Street and that person trusted Jesus.  Jesus is rocking people’s
worlds.  It is not us, it’s Jesus.  Without His hand, none of this would happen.

4.   We have officially set up shop in Kansas in the wake of the awful tornado in Greenburg.
 Lisa and Steve Nelson from our LA team have relocated there and are in those early days
of disaster response.  Oh, how I remember them so well.  In fact, it seems like just
yesterday.  Last night, one of our church members couldn’t bear to watch the Katrina video
that is used to set up my talk.  He lost his sister, and her two young children in
Katrina.  It is still so, so painful.

5.   We got a scare last week with Mark Lewis, our Compassion Touch Global Director, being
hospitalized.  Mark was running through the airport in Memphis to catch a flight and
suffered shortness of breath and chest pains.  He was taken off the plane and hospitalized
for a few days.  I told Mark last night, “It’s a good thing he didn’t die on me or I would
have killed him.”  We rejoice that Mark is on the road to recovery.  Pray for him.  He is
one of the best!

6.   I’m constantly reminded in this ministry how we are wholly dependent on the Holy
Spirit.  We cannot do this, but He can.  Our resources are only weeks from being depleted,
yet He provides day-by-day through His people.  The ministry could fall apart at any
moment, yet He sustains.  There are challenges everywhere, yet He is our Rock, Shepherd
and Leader.  Some would choose to rest easy in a big bank account, a precise game plan and
a seeming knowledge of the future.  We have none of the above yet we have Jesus.  He is
enough!

A.W. Tozer said in his Pursuit of God:

   “Much of our difficulty as seeking Christians stems from our unwillingness to take God as
He is and adjust our lives accordingly.  We insist upon trying to modify Him and to bring
Him nearer to our own image.  The flesh whimpers against the rigor of God’s inexorable
sentence and begs like Agag (I Samuel 15) for a little mercy, a little indulgence of its
carnal ways.  It is no use.  We can get a right start only by accepting God as He is and
learning to love Him for what He is.”

Tozer doesn’t mince words.  They are good words to ponder and apply.

For your information, Trinity Church was featured in the latest “Kindred Spirit,” the
Dallas Theological Seminary quarterly magazine.  You can read the article at http://www.dt
s.edu/media/publications/kindredspirit/article/?id=305.  You can also check out our church
website at:  www.trinitychurchonline.net

Betting the Farm on God,

Michael

July 6, 2007


Good Deeds are not a Substitute for the Good News

The ripples of the Spirit’s work in creating outwardly focused churches and
Christ-followers are amazing.  I am amazed at the ingenuity and heart of God’s people.

1.   One church came to realize that their community included many elderly residents.  Many
of those seniors couldn’t climb ladders to check the batteries in their smoke detectors. 
The church partnered with Wal-Mart (who provided free batteries) and went door-to-door
serving the elderly for free in the name of the Lord.  They also partnered with the fire
department, which sent their fire trucks around the community with sirens to create a
buzz.  Firefighters joined the church people in this effort.  Many conversations took
place about Jesus.  Good deeds often lead to good conversations.

2.   A 68-year-old retired pastor now views himself as a “Starbucks Chaplain” and he loves
his new calling.  He arrives at Starbucks at 5:15 a.m. three days a week.  The Spirit
leads him to great conversations as he cares for people.

3.   One person likes to pay for the order of the person who is behind him at the fast food
checkout window.  He asks the attendant to give them a card that reads, “We hope this
small act of service shows you God’s love in a practical way.

4.   One church went out 1000-strong to a challenged, dirty area of their city with buckets,
trash bags, shovels and brooms to pick up broken glass, litter, and cigarette butts, etc. 
By the end of the day, the community was overjoyed as people could literally see where the
Kingdom of God had been.  Over and over people asked, some with tears of joy, “Why are you
people cleaning up trash?”  The answer each time was “If Jesus were in our city, He
wouldn’t just be preaching in a church, He’d be out sharing his love in practical ways. 
So we are out cleaning up trash in the same spirit.”

5.   One man intentionally makes generous relational investments by shopping at the same
stores over and over again.  He personally gets to know the waitresses, managers, and shop
owners.  He prays for them, at times brings them a Coke or a bottle of water, loves them
and over time he gets to know them well enough to tell them about Jesus. His conclusion is
that tellers and gas station attendants want to talk, if they are approached in the right
way.

6.   A few weeks ago I was with a Bible teacher who made a few of us pastors laugh by
saying “It’s so much more fun to teach it than to live it.”  He told us this story on
himself.  He was on his way to teach his Bible study and stopped to get his coffee buzz. 
He came across a father with a little girl whose car had run out of gas.  Politely he
asked, “Are you two OK?”  However he remembers he has to get to Bible study.  The Holy
Spirit started to pursue him.  He agreed to get some gas for the dad.  At the gas station,
he asked, “Do you have a gas can?”  The answer was “no”, but a lady at the sub shop said,
“I have a pickle jar!”  She washed out the pickle jar and the Bible class teacher filled
it with gas.  Of course, when he got to the dad’s car, it was tough getting gas out of the
big pickle jar and into a car gas tank and he ended up with gas all over himself.  He
started his class with the comment, tongue in cheek, “It’s so much more fun to teach it
than to live it.”  Isn’t that our challenge—to live it!

As Steve Sjogren puts it, “Small things done with great love will change the world.”  This
echoes the Word of God that says as we follow Jesus we bring “the aroma of Christ” to
others (2 Cor. 2:15).

I love these ideas but we need to remember—

Good Deeds are not a substitute for Good News:   “How shall they call upon Him in whom
they have not believed?  How shall they believe in Him who they have not heard? And how
shall they hear without a preacher?” (Rom. 10:14)
  
“Faith comes by hearing and learning the word of Christ” (Rom. 10: 17).

“Share the hope in you” (1 Peter 3: 15). 

People who are left on their own to interpret good works will often come to the wrong
conclusions—

1. Acts 2:15 - God works and people speak in tongues and the people conclude the disciples
are what?  Drunk

Peter has to say its 9 a.m. (not even happy hour). They are not drunk.  It’s about Jesus.

2. Acts 3:12 - Peter and John are at the temple and a lame man was healed.  The people
missed the truth.  Peter says, “Men of Israel, why do you marvel? Why do you gaze at us as
if by our own power or piety?  We did not  make him walk.”  It was Jesus.

3. In Acts 14 - A guy was healed and the crowds said, “The gods have become like men.”   
They said Barnabus was Zeus and Paul was Hermes.  Their answer was “No, we are men like
you.”  They preached Jesus.

Good Deeds are not a substitute for the Good News

"And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that
has been given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).   

June 26, 2007


Ultimate/Ulterior Motive

One of the questions I have been challenged with is, “If your church disappeared tomorrow
would anyone in the community notice … would anyone outside your congregation even care?” 
Great question … Stimulating … Challenging … Convicting … Important.  As we wrestle with
this question, we are increasingly called to these truths:

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and
glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good
news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to
captives and freedom to prisoners; to proclaim the favorable year of the LORD and the day
of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to grant those who mourn in Zion,
giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the
mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting so they will be called oaks of
righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified” (Isaiah 61:1-3).

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the Father and the
Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am
with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do
justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)

Our desire is to have an increasing percent of ministry being done outside the four walls
of our building.  We don’t want to just go to church but want to be the church.  We want
to get out of the pew and put feet to our faith all for the glory of God.  I am finding
that this heartbeat is something that God’s Spirit is orchestrating and more and more
congregations are catching the vision.  It’s exciting in all our Katrina contacts to learn
how other churches are making visible the invisible Kingdom.

1.   One church determined the greatest need in their community was overwhelming consumer
debt in families.  Some people were being charged up to 40% interest on their on credit
card debt.  The church responded with a no interest loan to people in the community if
they would commit to work down their debt and be held accountable by meeting weekly with a
mentor to learn biblical financial principles.  The loans were funded by people in the
church who, at the time, were only making 1-2% on their own money.  A $2.6 million amount
was available to be loaned out.  The payback rate to the church has been 97.5%.  Many
people, who would never have gotten out of debt, are experiencing financial freedom.  Good
deeds have engendered good will, which has opened up doors for the Good News.  People are
finding Christ through this kindness.

2.   Christian businessmen working out of Hong Kong are starting manufacturing plans in main
land China in rural areas based on practicing the Great Commandments (love God, love
people) and the Great Commission.  Poor people are loved by being paid a fair wage, given
doctor and dentist care, and the women are given surprise manicures and pedicures at work.
 They observe, “The Gospel shouts when it comes through love.”  The leaders report between
40-60% of the factory workers have come to know Jesus as Savior.

3.   A church in Florida was burdened to reach out to prostitutes living in their community.
 They sponsored a “Queen For a Day” banquet.  The pastors and elders rented tuxes and
served the women from the community and the church.  There were free pedicures and
manicures for the guests.  One of the women said, “I knew your church was here but I
didn’t know this church cared for prostitutes!”

4.   One of our men met a middle age woman who was banged up and was walking with a cane. 
He stopped her and said, “Could you tell us a little about your leg so we could pray for
you?”  She started crying and told them she needed spiritual help.  The power of a
question!

5.   As we repair homes, we find people are watching and wondering.  Sometimes it’s the
homeowner … next door neighbor … the relatives.  Service leads to conversation that leads
to Jesus.  Crisis leads to care that leads often to Christ.  Good Deeds lead to Good Will
that leads to Good News.

6.   Many grapple with the “why” of suffering and disasters.  I’m learning that
intellectual answers rarely satisfy.  Sometimes the best answer is, “I don’t know, but I
do know how Jesus would respond because four books in the Bible show how He did respond to
loss, pain, hurt and suffering.  That’s what we are trying to do in our response at
Trinity.”  The initial focus is off the talk and onto the walk, which often leads back to
Jesus.

7.   Another church took a large team to paint, landscape, and do a makeover of some rooms
at their local public school.  One teacher was amazed and said, “We thought Christians
hated public schools.”  Walls, misconceptions and stereotypes were blown up and a
relationship began.

8.   One of Trinity’s young adults (a Dallas Theological Seminary student) just returned
from India.  Her summer ministry demanded she wash clothes in a bucket, live in a bamboo
hut with no air conditioning, swim with water buffalo and drink buffalo milk and even eat
worms.  Why?  All of this to reach out to prostitutes in the red light district of a
village of 250,000.  So many young women get trapped through sex trafficking.  The
ministry was an expression of reaching out a hand of love and a message of freedom that
can come through Jesus Christ … Demonstration and Proclamation … Works and Words … Showing
and Telling … Love and Truth …

I am learning that evangelism is our ultimate motive, not our ulterior motive.  This is
important because people can sniff this out a mile away.  The apostle Paul was before
Agrippa, and Agrippa says, “You almost persuade me to be a Christian” (Acts 26:28). 
Someone says, “I suppose you want me to become a Christian?”  The answer, “Absolutely.  I
believe it is the best for everyone.”  The difference is we don’t serve to force or
manipulate someone to become a Christian and drop them if they don’t respond … rather we
love and serve because we are Christians.  We trust God to do His work.

Betting the Farm on God,

Michael

June 18, 2007


Waiting Time is Training Time

I’ve been marveling at the sovereignty of God’s work in my life.  I can see how I was born
for these days … and see clearly how waiting times in my life were not wasted time but, in
God’s economy, waiting time is training time.

In the book, Trading Places (p.100) the author says,

“Remember the movie Karate Kid?  Daniel wants to learn karate from Mr. Miyagi.  He shows
up for his first lesson and there are a half dozen cars lined up.  Miyagi hands him some
soap and wax and says “First, wash cars, all of them.  Then wax.” 

What for?

“Uhh!  Wax on … right hand.  Wax off … left hand.  Wax on  … wax off.”

The next day it’s, “Sand deck.  Right circle.  Left circle.  Whole deck.”

Daniel’s frustrated, but he really wants to learn karate.  So the next day he comes back.

This time it’s, “Paint fence.  Wrist up … wrist down.”  And then, “Paint house – side to
side.”

About that time, Daniel blew a cork!  He says, “You’re not teaching me karate;  I’m your
stinkin’ slave!  It’s been four days and it’s nothing but ‘sand deck,’ ‘wax car,’ ‘paint
house!’”

Mr. Miyagi replies, “Things are not as they seem.  Show me ‘sand floor.’  Show me ‘wax on,
wax off.’  Show me ‘paint fence.’”

And all of a sudden, it became so clear.  He had been learning karate moves all along. 
Those four days weren’t wasted days; they were training days – and Daniel hadn’t even
realized it.”

Isn’t that how it works.  Joseph’s 13 years in Egypt … Paul’s 3 years in Arabia … Moses’
40 years … all the waiting time was training time.  It’s so easy to forget this in our
“microwave” age.

God has opened up so many opportunities in my life.  Believe me, I do not have many dull
moments.  Please pray for the following areas in my life:

1.   Pastoring Trinity – This is above all other opportunities the calling on my life.  It
is a privilege to serve the dear people of Trinity Church.  With 40% of the New Orleans
region churches yet to re-open their doors post-Katrina, I am thankful God chose us to
continue.  We’re finally full-staffed.  VBS had 150 kids last week.  Our ministries are
mostly in a good season and there is a real sense of unity and togetherness in the church
family.  Our elders and ministry leaders pull a huge load for the glory of God.

2.   Compassion Teams – We hit the 9,000th volunteer mark this week.  Yea God!  Teams
continue to be a pack of the most choice people you could ever know.  One volunteer told
me with passion and emotion this week that he originally thought New Orleans should
basically have been bulldozed under and let the grass grow.  Yet, God has touched his
heart profoundly as he came to know the stories of God and people here.  He says his life
has been turned inside out and he is radically changed.  This happens all the time.  Only
God!  Would you pray for more volunteers to come to the harvest?  The need continues. 
Would you talk to your mission coordinator about sending a team?  All are welcome.  All
are needed.  The fall schedule is wide open.  Pray for Mark Lewis as he leads our
Compassion Ministry.

3.   Castle Rock Church / Urban Impact – Recently I joined the board of Urban Impact.  I am
now getting an insider’s view of the wonderful work John Gerhardt and his team are doing. 
The excitement is building as they are preparing to launch the capital campaign for the
new Ministry Center just below the Super Dome.  The goal is to serve Jesus in such a way
that the community of Central City, New Orleans, will become a place where kids can ride
their bikes in safety and Jesus is made known.

4.   Touch Global – You may not be familiar with this terminology but the Evangelical Free
Church’s Compassion Ministry has been renamed Touch Global.  We have partnered with them
from the time Katrina hit on August 29, 2005.  Our commitment is to continue to run teams
as long as the finger prints of Jesus are upon this work.  Yet, we have another exciting
opportunity.  Touch Global would like to position an on-going Southern Disaster Response
Center at Trinity Church.  This center would be staffed and would respond to disasters
that will hit the Gulf Coast in the years ahead and be ready to respond to other disasters
such as tornados, terrorism, chemical, biological, etc.  This would demand a building and
resources.  Pray for wisdom and the financial resources to move this forward, if God
wills.  It would be incredible if some business people or resource people could help us
figure out how to make this happen.

5.   Outwardly Focused Church Seminars – I’m excited about putting together a Friday
Night/Saturday morning seminar for churches on becoming a more Outwardly Focused Church. 
I have a great opportunity to field test this material at Capital Bible
Seminary/Washington Bible College in September and a church in San Francisco in January. 
I don’t know what God will do with this but I’m open as time permits.

6.   Book – I’m learning, growing, thinking and writing a little.  The time crunch kills
me.  This may never be unless God makes a way.  Pray.

Thank you for caring for Donna, Jonathan and me.  Pray for our son as he slugs through
Accounting at Baylor University in a loooong summer school class.

Betting the Farm on God,

Michael

June 5, 2007


The Needy of New Orleans

One of our team members met with a man in the community and his story unfolded.  He had a
barn/warehouse that housed five pristine antique cars.  The man’s family fled Katrina but
his father would not leave so he stayed behind.  When the hurricane hit, the water came in
so fast he had to slush though water to get to his dad’s home to wake him up and get him
to higher elevations.  By the time he got his dad out the door they waded through waste
high water to get to their multi-story barn/warehouse.  While up several levels they
looked across the street and saw the one-story motel roof filling with women and children.
 Moved with concern, they could not stay in their safe perch with so many in potential
danger.  They were compelled to swim across the street and bring the families to their
barn/warehouse.  It’s a good thing they did because after Katrina moved through they
looked across the street and the motel was gone.  Lives were saved.  The antique cars and
so much else were underwater.

Home ownership in the city of New Orleans is a burden and sometimes unbearable.  Many
people are shocked when their insurance and Road Home money falls far short of what it
will take to return home and rebuild.  Some homeowners who used to pay $2,000 for hazard
insurance now have to pay $8,000.  Many cannot afford this.  We are all getting socked
with enormous insurance increases.  What do people do?  Not pay?  Yet, that’s not an
option if you have a mortgage.  Sell the home?  Who wants to buy if insurance is
exorbitant?  Many homeowners are sick from worry, insurance hassles and are questioning
their future.  Home is often where the heartache is in New Orleans.

Yet, with all the heartache our challenge is to be faithful one life at a time. I think
God honors this. The following was the recent experience of Mary Held, our follow-up
director at Trinity for Compassion Ministry:

“As we went out to visit Joe at a team’s request, there was no way to imagine the impact
of the story that would unfold.  A crisis response team had worked in Joe’s neighborhood
recently gutting a home.  Joe had brought the team water and drinks and he was able to
share with the team.  Being one of only three people living on his block, Joe said it was
hard not to notice the activity that was going on in the neighborhood and that it was nice
just talking to someone.  The team felt that Joe was ready to openly share his story and
receive encouragement from others. 

“Joe eagerly shared his story on the day of our visit.  He said that on the day Katrina
was scheduled to hit, he made one of the worst decisions he had ever made in his life – to
stay at their home in Chalmette.  Joe was up all night keeping an eye on the storm until
daylight broke the next day.  Shortly after he had fallen asleep that morning, he was
quickly awakened by a tidal wave that came down his street and blew in his front door.  As
he got on his feet, he was soon standing in five feet of water in his home.  His father
also was awakened, got up and tried to get to the front door.  Joe remembers his father
coming up for air a few times as he tried to get past the metal bars that were still in
place in the doorway.  Joe was able to force the door open to be met by a swift current
flowing past their home.  Joe somehow managed to get his father and himself to the roof by
first hanging on to the eaves.  He also rescued one of his chocolate labs who was now
bear-hugging his neck.  Another family dog found his way to the roof.  Somehow in the
confusion, Joe had opened his garage door and found his other four dogs had not survived. 


“Seeking safety on the roof was the only thing that Joe and his father could do.  The
waters kept rising and before long water was half way up the roof.   At one point, it was
looking as if the roof was going to be completely covered with water.  Joe’s father had
picked out a nearby tree that he was going to swim to and he announced to Joe that it
would be ‘his’ tree.  Fortunately, it did not get to the point of fighting over the tree. 
Joe managed to get a boat from his backyard.  Instinct kicked in and he remembered that
his father had taught him during a storm to turn the boat upside down over himself.  He
placed the boat over his father and his chocolate lab.  The other dog was instinctively
grabbing dead rodents, possibly as a food supply.  Eventually, Joe got him under the boat
as well.  Then Joe placed himself on top of the boat to hold everyone onto the roof.  He
did this during 80 mph winds withstanding a blow in the face from the branch of a tree
that came flying by.  Joe is still missing his front teeth from that tree blow.  Joe
remembers both crying and laughing at the same time as he made it through that experience.
 He and his father waited on the roof for six hours before they were discovered, rescued
and taken to a community building for a period of time.  While staying with that group of
people, they found themselves breaking into stores and pilfering for items to keep them
alive. 

”Eventually, Joe and his father were displaced into other areas.  His father was airlifted
to a place that would care for his wounds that were by now infected with bacteria.  Joe
spent a little time in Texas, only going where he could keep an eye on his dogs. Joe found
out that his mother, who was left at a hospital near his home, did not endure Katrina. 
She perished in the storm.  Joe and his father had to encounter that loss along with their
home and other things of this world disappearing. 

“In asking about their faith and how Joe and his father had the strength to deal with the
trauma from Katrina, it was discovered that Joe’s father was a born again believer.  He
had quite a story to tell and he was grateful to have the company in which to do that. 
Joe, on the other hand, said that he had turned away from his faith.  In the past, Joe had
been to seminary and at one time God had a very important place in his life.  He had
struggled with what he should believe since Katrina.  The effect that volunteers have had
on Joe’s life has been amazing.  Joe said that since volunteers have been on his street
and he has seen them unselfishly being the hands and feet of Jesus Christ, that his faith
has been renewed.  As we were having this conversation, a group of relief workers from
another church showed up to clean Joe’s yard.  We all came together and standing outside
of their FEMA trailer, we held hands and lifted up a prayer for Joe and his father.  Joe’s
dad ended with a prayer of thanksgiving and praise.  God continues to use His body to
restore hope in the lives of His people… one life at a time.” 

Please pray that teams will continue to be raised up to serve in our community.  The
harvest is plentiful, the laborers are few, so pray that the Lord of the harvest will
raise up laborers.  You and your church have a standing invitation to come.  Maybe you are
the answer to our prayer.  If you need information, call Mary at 985-893-0218 and we will
be glad to send out an information kit, complete with DVD’s, brochures, and all of the
information needed to pull a team together.  Individuals can come also.  We also need
additional long-term staff as well.  We are at a transition point with some, and are
looking for God to supply once again.  You can check out Trinity’s website at
www.trinitychurchonline.net to find out additional information about the on-going ministry
of the church and the relief work.

Betting the Farm on God,

Michael

June 1, 2007


A Blessing Strategy

1.   The ripples from our Compassion Ministry, New Orleans have helped spawn new ministries
back at many home churches. Valley Church has initiated a Touch Local Ministry.  Their
pastor and teams designed this compassion ministry “to encourage Valley volunteers to
reach out to their neighbors – to encourage them to a relationship with Christ and to get
them into a nearby ‘solid’ church.”  The Mission verses are James 1:17, 2:18 and Galatians
6:10.  They call themselves the “James Gang” and have t-shirts, a logo, business cards,
etc.  The leadership team includes three directors and eight foremen.  The three directors
divvy up the responsibilities between organizing workdays, administration and oversight. 
Workers turn out for a Saturday breakfast and go out to a project.  Homeowners pay for the
materials for the projects unless the family meets a benevolence criteria.  Projects get
an interesting name to peak interest in the bulletin and website and a photographer
chronicles the projects.  The church is accumulating tools and supplies, and has a wiener
wagon for the projects.  The monthly projects have had between 15 and 60 volunteers, and
meet the 4th Saturday of the month.  Many home groups and the men’s ministry are getting
tied in.  Projects have included a kitchen remodel, ministry to families of deployed
soldiers at the local Air Force Base, projects with the Alpha Crisis Pregnancy Center, and
an inner city park cleanup.  They are tying in with the local disaster preparedness
agency.

Their report is “that God is absolutely just a-heapin’ blessings on us and we’re loving
it” ... “What is thrilling and exciting is that people come up and ASK me when the next
work day is!!” ...  “God is good … and you can bet the farm on that!!!”  One of their
leaders concludes this way, “what is currently exciting and gratifying and captivating me
right now is this new and wonderful ministry.  I can actually serve in my community!!!  A
dream I’ve had for years.  It never occurred to me that it would surface in this venue. 
I’m learning, growing, doing … being.  And, I LUV it!!!  It’s a ministry that regenerates
itself throughout our church – how cool is that?!?!”

2.   Last week we had a group of 19 high school seniors who worked at Trinity the week
before their graduation.  They had to drive straight home to get to the rehearsal before
graduating on Saturday.  What dedication.  As they worked on roofs and with drywall, a
19-year-old from across the street from their work assignment asked if he could help.  The
young man was a talkative atheist and the teenagers got the chance of a lifetime to share
the hope within them.  What a divine appointment.  These new graduates are ready to take
on the world for Christ.  Choice teenagers!

3.   Tonight we had a group from Fairfax, VA who went out for a prayer walk in the hood
(their words) of New Orleans.  The two black belts from the team didn’t go but three
walked the city.  Along the way they came upon a crying woman.  They asked if they could
help.  God worked and she accepted Christ.  While they were talking to her, they
discovered she had a crack cocaine addiction and they spoke to her about the power of
Christ.  She threw her crack pipe on the ground and stamped on it.  They then looked for a
rehab center to enroll her.  After closed door after closed door they cried out in
desperation to God.  He immediately supplied a rehab center for this new daughter of the
King.

4.   We are two weeks away from having our 9000th volunteer (335,000 man hours, from 37
states and 6 countries).  I just got a copy of the full page story about Trinity that
appeared in the Dutch newspaper.  Europeans were encouraged to come help with the work in
New Orleans.

5.   I thank God for a group of nine seniors who have resourced the construction of a
portable shower system.  These servants installed six showers (800 man hours) in a large
container that can be transported on a truck to any location we want.  The leader of the
group couldn’t come to New Orleans but organized electricians, plumbers and carpenters to
custom design this disaster resource.  We needed more showers here but the portable system
has been deployed to Kansas.  Mark Lewis scoped out the city the tornado demolished a
couple weeks ago in Kansas.  We are now setting up a disaster response team in Kansas. 
The work multiplies.

God sure has a blessing strategy here just like He had in Genesis 12.  Remember how He
blessed Abraham so He could bless others so that the whole world could be blessed.  It’s a
blessing strategy through intentional acts of kindness done in the name of the Lord.  Two
weeks ago I was with a guy who regularly prays for people.  He finds that people don’t
turn down prayer in our country.  He was recently at a restaurant and asked the waitress
if there was anything she needed prayer for.  She said, “Pray for my sick mom and one
other thing.”  He prayed before he ate.  Twenty minutes later she excitedly came to his
table and said, “God did it.  What did you pray?”  He said, “I asked God to bless your
life because He loves to bless.”  She said, “My boyfriend walked in after our big fight
this morning and gave me 12 roses.  That was the other thing I needed prayer for.”  He
then talked about Jesus.  Our job is not to convict or convert but to bless.  The Holy
Spirit does the inside work.

Betting the Farm on God,

Michael

P.S.   Donna and I are getting away for a few days this week to celebrate our 25th wedding
anniversary.  The breather comes at a needed time and we are thankful for so much.
Jonathan is in the first session of summer school at Baylor.  Pray for him as he just had
his wallet, money and cell phone stolen the day before classes started.  More than that,
pray that he will learn accounting (a challenge) and continue to grow to honor the Lord.

May 16, 2007


It’s A.D. 33 All Over Again

Someone recently said to me and some other guys, “If you’re on a wave and not screaming
like a girl, you are on too small a wave.”  No problem, I thought.  I feel like I’m on a
tidal wave.  There is a move of God in His church to create Acts 2 churches – churches of
irresistible influence, who practice obedience to Jesus Christ and who bless their
communities with good deeds done in His name.  It’s a wave.  It’s a movement.  People
around the country are getting it.  People who haven’t talked to each other are saying,
“God has been saying the same thing to me.”  It’s not a method thing; it’s a lifestyle
thing.  It’s not a fad - for the roots of this go back 2,000 years.

It’s just not here but around the world.  A missionary just told me that in the tsunami
ravaged sections of Indonesia where Christians have shown such compassion and good deeds,
entire towns are coming to Jesus.  He reports that radical Imams are saying, “Your Jesus
is appearing to me in my dreams.”

There are so many surprises of God’s grace.  Here are just a few:

1.   I met with a member of one of our teams who was here for his third time.  He told me of
a couple with kids in his church who felt called by God to go and minister in Peru this
summer.  The man was fearful he couldn’t raise the $8,000 to go.  This volunteer put my
book, Stories From Katrinaland, into his hands.  He read it and decided to bet the farm on
God.  The entire $8,000 has already been provided.

2.   I received an e-mail from a lady named Heleen who was a volunteer.  She wrote a
full-page article (with lots of pictures) for a Dutch newspaper on what Trinity is doing. 
Her goal is to raise awareness in Europe of our needs and hopes teams from the Netherlands
will come later in the year.  Only God!

3.   I received an e-mail from a volunteer named Kathy.  She bought a couple of my books and
felt compelled to get the book into the hands of Robin Roberts, the host of Good Morning
America.  Her friend was traveling to New York City and indeed had the opportunity to
personally put the book into Robin’s hands with a personal note about what God is doing
here.  Wow.

4.   I will have the privilege on September 19-20 to minister to the student body of
Washington Bible College and Capital Bible Seminary in their pastoral lecture series. 
This will include speaking at chapel four times on the subject of “Compassion Ministry.”

5.   A church I visited in January recently had a few families involved in a Bible study
pass out some flyers for a neighborhood barbecue.  175 people showed up.  As people
talked, many people were griping about one neighbor who never mowed the lawn, paint was
peeling, and the screens were out.  This house was bringing down the value of everyone’s
home.  The conversation headed south until they found out who lived there – a single mom
with kids whose husband was serving in Iraq.  Ouch!  Church people and many neighbors
scheduled another party.  What if they were the hands and feet of Jesus to that woman? 
The next Saturday they showed up to mow the lawn, paint the house, and repair the screen.

God is raising up a compassion component at Trinity and in churches around the country. 
Compassion is part of being a fully devoted follower of Christ and is often compelling to
spiritual skeptics who wonder where is the church in everyday life.  I’m convinced if we
are not in the compassion game to some extent; it’s hard to be in the evangelism game
because many will not even give us a hearing in today’s culture.

God is rooting compassion into our DNA.  Though this whole area is still like wet cement
to us, we are trying to figure out what a compassion-based serving model looks like as we
integrate it into our lives and ministry. 

From the beginning, God’s dream for His church was to be a place where needs are met. 
Acts 2 talks about “no needy people among them.”  What if we ministered to the whole man: 
spiritual, emotional and physical.  What a difference we could make.  Why don’t we follow
Henry Blackaby’s advice:  ““Find out where God is working and join Him in the work.”

Betting the Farm on God,

Michael

May 11, 2007


Investments in the Soul

A recent article in Leadership Magazine called me to ponder the “Mach 5” pace I have often
been on since Katrina.  The point:  An ever-increasing pace of ministry (the speed line)
at some point will create a negative impact on matters of the soul (the soul line).  When
soul health is neglected it impacts every aspect of our lives and the result can be
burnout, irritability, fear, or trying to alleviate the pain in unhealthy ways.  On the
other hand, a well-tended soul brings energy, humility, compassion and courage even when
circumstances are challenging.  Dallas Willard writes,

   “Our soul is like an inner stream of water, which gives strength, direction,
and harmony to every other element of our life.  When that stream is as it should be, we
are constantly refreshed and exuberant in all we do, because our soul itself is then
profusely rooted in the vastness of God and his kingdom, including nature; and all else
within us is enlivened and directed by that stream.”

   Jesus has been so good to me over the past 20 months.  For the most part I have had plenty
of energy for the challenges and opportunities before us.  God’s personal provision for me
has been amazing.  However, one is not built to live in “crisis mode” forever.  I need
wisdom in making sure my speed line does not run too far ahead of my soul line.  I need to
be aware that saying “yes” to anything other than the “Holy Spirit’s calling” is sin.  I
need to be careful not to make decisions based upon ego, desire to be liked, worldly
achievement goals, performance pressures, etc.  I need to remember I am running a marathon
and not a 50 yard dash.

   Please pray for wisdom on this need for replenishment.  This schedule reassessment is
complicated because it comes at a time where I have never had so many great opportunities.
 Pastoring Trinity Church is sometimes like holding a tiger by the tail.  The body is
alive and there is never a dull moment.  I’m finally fully staffed and that helps.  I’m
getting more speaking opportunities, yet have to turn most down.  I’m enjoying putting
together a half-day seminar for churches on “How to Become an Outreach Oriented Church”. 
I’d love to write a book on the subject.  I’m learning so much and my spirit is alive to
what God is doing.  Oh, yeah, I want to get some R&R somewhere, sometime soon.  Pray for
wisdom as I balance my speed and soul lines.

   Donna continues to be my partner, friend and soul mate.  We serve the Lord together and I
am better in every way because of her.  The Proverb is so true:  “He who finds a good wife
finds a good thing and finds favor with the Lord.”  It will be 25 years of marriage for us
on May 21st.  I am a thankful man.

   Jonathan just finished his second year at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.  He will be 20
years old on June 4th.  Time flies.  He still enjoys weight lifting and he’s taken up a
little tennis and golf.

   Thank you so much for praying for us as a family.  Donna, Jonathan and I love our friends
across the country.  You are choice people and we couldn’t do what we are doing or
wouldn’t be who we are without the investment, love, and example you are to us.  God bless
you.

Betting the Farm on God,

Michael

April 27, 2007

It’s About Jesus

Note:  Before getting into this letter, I’d like to share an urgent prayer request and
ministry need:

We are in need of long-term staff for a variety of positions including skilled tradesmen,
administration and finance, construction project management, cooks and kitchen
coordinator, and supply and construction support staff who can invest their hearts and
skills in the lives of others.  If you would be able to serve for three months to three
years, or if you can provide financial support for someone else to enable them to serve in
New Orleans, please contact Mark Lewis at mark.lewis@efca.org, or 985-893-0218.

Sometimes, it is easy to think I have God all figured out.  After all, I’ve been in church
almost since the time I was born. I’ve been a Christ-follower for 32 plus years. I’ve had
11 years of formal seminary education. I’ve passed an ordination exam. I’ve got a doctor’s
degree. I’ve been a pastor for 23 years. I love studying scripture and theology.

It’s easy to get my theology structured in a nice, tidy box; however, I keep finding over
and over Jesus does not fit into my boxes.  The “Jesus” of the Bible refuses to fit into
any molds I conveniently design for Him.

My Sunday school picture of Jesus sprang from an image of Jesus with long flowing brown
hair.  Jesus was handsome and striking as he cradled a small lamb in his arms.  Jesus was
nice, passive, gentle, almost Gumby-like.  My seminary view of Jesus included
prepositional and didactic truths to be believed, and attributes of Jesus to be learned. 
I was more aware of Jesus historically, biographically and theologically.  J. I. Packer in
his book Knowing God writes a challenge:

We need frankly to face ourselves at this point.  We are, perhaps, orthodox evangelicals. 
We can state the gospel clearly, and can smell unsound doctrine a mile away.  If anyone
asks us how men may know God, we can at once produce the right formula-that we come to
know God through Jesus Christ the Lord, in virtue of His cross and mediation, on the basis
of His Word of promise, by the power of the Holy Spirit, via a personal exercise of faith.
 Yet the gaiety, goodness, and unfetteredness of spirit which are the marks of those who
have known God are rare among us-rarer perhaps than they are in some other Christian
circles where, by comparison, evangelical truth is less clearly and fully known.  Here,
too, it would seem that the last may prove to be first, and the first last.  A little
knowledge of God is worth more than a great deal of knowledge about Him.

Time, and I trust, growth has made me yearn not just to know the Jesus of my boyhood or
school days, but to know Jesus experientially, personally, intimately in ways that are
fully in line with the scriptures.  With Paul we can all say “That I may know Him and the
power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His
death” (Phil. 3:10).  “I count all things to be loss … count them but rubbish in order
that I may gain Christ” (Phil. 3:8).

The more I learn of Jesus, the more difficult it is to pigeon-hole him.  He is anything
but predictable.  He cannot be tamed or domesticated; the clergy of His day tried to kill
him; His family tried to forcibly take Him away having deemed him insane; the demons
recognized exactly who He was and Jesus tells them to “Shut up”; the disciples were often
clueless and the crowds confused; His claims kept Jesus at the center of controversy; His
love dumbfounded the multitudes and ticked off His critics; His message of grace was
scandalous; His clearing the temple leaves us with a “Huh?”; He offered not a formula or a
bunch of hoops to jump through, but an invitation to know God through Him; He came not to
make bad men good or good men better but to make dead men – live.

Jesus taught in a way that turned everything upside down.  You must die to live.  You must
lose to gain.  Weakness is strength.  Pray for your enemies.  Up is down.  Servant is the
greatest.

Walter Wink said, “If Jesus had never lived, we would not have been able to invent him.”
Jesus is the most revolutionary person who has ever existed and is committed to advancing
His kingdom in the hearts of people everywhere.  His revolution is not for the faint of
heart.  It isn’t comfortable.  In fact, it may cost you everything … abandoning ourselves
to Jesus and surrendering everything else to His callings.  Jesus says, “Follow Me”. 
Following Jesus may get you killed … may make you squirm … surely will be hard . . . yet
is the opportunity of a lifetime.  Some say the safest place is the center of God’s will,
but the truth is that it may be the most dangerous place.  Remember Paul’s litany of
troubles in 2 Corinthians 11:21-28.  He said there were dangers on every side.  Only in
America can we create a prosperity Gospel that God will protect us from all harm on this
side of eternity.

Why do we so often try, to reduce Jesus, to domesticate Jesus, to edit Jesus?
Is it that we want to control Him … our God in a box?

At age 49, I’m finding Jesus more compelling than ever … surprising … interesting …
shocking … confusing … attractive … and awesome.  His person is … mysterious … stunning …
fascinating.

I can say without a doubt I want to know Him more and more.  I’m convinced He is
absolutely revolutionary and irresistible.  If you encounter the real Jesus you will love
Him or hate Him.  There is no middle ground … no sitting on the fence.  It’s almost
impossible to ignore Him.  He has this way of cutting through the crowd forcing people to
choose. 

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon
finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it” (Matt.
13:45-46).

Betting the Farm on God,

Michael

P.S.  A team from Harrisburg got to share with 20 people over two days.  Two people
trusted Christ as their Savior and one person made a rededication decision.  It’s all
about Jesus.

April 21, 2007

Get the Word Out

We keep hearing the following comments from people across the country:  “We thought that
everything was back to normal in New Orleans.”  “It’s over with, right? … Right?”  “We
haven’t heard anything in a long time about New Orleans.  Is there still a need?”

Truth:
The need is IMMENSE, HUGE, GREAT!
40% of churches in the region have yet to reopen.
Over 50% of damaged homes have yet to be gutted.
290,000 houses were destroyed.
Many marriages are on the rocks.
Our free store has long lines every day.
So many need the peace of God through Jesus Christ.

Would you please, please, please help us get the word out?

Teams are needed.  Resources are crucial to continue the work.  New long-term staff is
needed to replace those who are transitioning back home.  Mark Lewis still needs to raise
his full financial support.  Urban Impact needs a New Ministry Center.

Many people find these days more challenging than the early days - economically …
insurance nightmares … emotional challenges … doubts … relational stress … people living
in tin cans (FEMA trailers) since September 2005.  This struggle goes on for people along
the Gulf Coast for 200 miles.

Team members said this week, “I didn’t get how bad it was until I saw it … heard it … and
one team tasted it.  One team from Utah did work at a Katrina damaged home for a few days.
 The owner was so moved that she invited the team to lunch.  She sat the team down and
told them “You wanted to understand what Katrina was like … so I’m going to help you have
the experience.  I went five days without food … and when I got food, this is what I had
to eat.  I want you to eat what I ate.”  The lunch consisted of nasty looking bottled
filtered water, an MRE (Army meal cooked in a bag) and liquid cereal in a bag.  Lunch!!! 
This was Katrina.  Fortunately, after the shock, she pulled out PoBoys (sub sandwich),
sweet tea, and cheesecake.  This team is fired up to go back to Utah and tell everyone,
“The job is not done in New Orleans.”

Please get the word out about the need.  Please get the word out that the spirit of the
Lord is working powerfully … please get the word out that teams are having their lives
transformed … please pray for us.

Betting the Farm on God,

Michael

April 12, 2007


Times Don’t Change … Much

Hi Everyone,

This letter encapsulates some of my musings biblically about how we influence our culture.
 If this subject does not interest you, you can skip down to the end of this letter to
read about a few God-sightings here in Covington.  In my next letter I hope to fill you in
on a more personal nature of what is going on with my family and with Trinity.

“Sons of Issachar.  They understood the times to know what to do.” (I Chron. 12:32)

First Century Israel faced many challenges:  high taxes … terrorism … sinking middle class
…. poverty … military challenges … religious extremism … political ineptitude.  People
talked about revolution and New Kingdoms.  Elaborately constructed theological and social
systems were set forth to improve the culture and bring forth a new kingdom.

Three of the groups of people who lived at this time were:

1.   ZEALOTS:  combated culture; attackers; revolt; fight; force

2.   SADDUCEES:  conformed to culture; assimilators; compromise; collaboration; pragmatism

3.   ESSENES:  cocooned from culture; avoiders; retreat; isolation; withdrawal

ZEALOTS

The Zealots’ proposed solution was revolt.  They would COMBAT CULTURE by bringing in the
kingdom through arming Israel and leading a bloody guerilla overthrow of Rome.  These
extremely nationalistic zealots regarded themselves as freedom fighters, while others
regarded them as terrorists.  It all depended on your politics.  What did Rome think of
them? 

Think Al-Qaida.  Many Romans died from Zealots putting daggers in their backs in acts of
terror.  This movement believed the Kingdom would come when people got angry enough to arm
themselves and fight.  This group was on the ascendancy in Jesus’ day and their revolt led
Israel to disaster in A.D. 70 Jerusalem.

Isn’t it interesting how many in our world today tilt toward religious extremism or
political might to usher in a new Kingdom?  They feel moral agendas change by terrorism,
force or politics.  Why are we so quick to suppose the Kingdom of God can be ushered in on
Air Force One?

SADDUCEES

The Sadducees thought the Zealots were crazy.  With the military power of Rome being
formidable, violence was considered stupidity or suicide.  Their approach was to CONFORM
TO CULTURE – assimilate, compromise, be pragmatic.  If you can’t beat them, join them.

The Sadducees worked with the Roman system and they profited handsomely from this
collaboration.  The high priest and chief priest positions went to the Sadducees.  The
economic engine of the region was the temple and the Sadducees made a killing from the
temple tax, food, lodging and the sale of relics and animals for sacrifice.

Isn’t it easy to blend in with the culture today?  The temptation is to want the approval
of culture rather than approval of God.  It’s easy to want an open and tolerant church
that rarely ruffles feathers and doesn’t take sin (or at least our sin) too seriously.

ESSENES

They thought a military coup was impossible and compromise turned their stomachs.  The
Essene’s strategy was withdrawal, retreat and COCOON FROM CULTURE.  Maybe you have heard
of the Dead Sea Scrolls found in Qumran.  This was an Essene community who felt all they
could do was withdraw.  Often Essene groups became highly legalistic and exclusive.  Their
graphic writings often spoke in detail of God one day blow-torching their neighbors.

Certainly the Essenes still live.  Far too often the Christian community is long on mad
and short on mercy.  We can create religious subcultures, man-made rule systems in our
old-time religion.  Judgementalism, arrogance and self-righteousness were not only a
first-century phenomena.  Religion is often a substitute for God.

Three Kingdom approaches … and Jesus comes along and takes a swipe at all three.

1.   Jesus was always in trouble with these Zealots.  He said a Roman Centurion had more
faith than anyone in Israel (Mt. 8:10).  He called ordinary folk to carry a Roman
soldier’s bag an extra mile, and turn the other cheek.  When Jesus turned out not to be
interested in being a Rambo-style Messiah, He was thrown to the spiritual wolves.

2.   The Sadducees couldn’t have ever been more ticked off then when He took a wipe and
cleansed the temple.  In fact, Jesus didn’t want to reform the temple but replace it.

3.   When Jesus touched a leper, fellowshipped with prostitutes, ate with tax-gatherers
and didn’t follow the rules, He offended the Essenes.  Jesus said the Kingdom of God was
not about legalism, withdrawing into religious subcultures, or calling God’s condemnation
down from heaven.

Jesus didn’t get crucified for being a nice guy or for peddling religion.  Jesus was not a
Mr. Rogers figure and He could never be tamed or domesticated.  Jesus was a King and a
Kingdom bringer.  This put Him on a collision course with all the little kingdoms of this
world.  Powerful people were threatened and they pushed back.  The same is true today.

Jesus’ message is shocking and scandalous.  The shalom of God is available to everyone
through Him and Him alone.  His Kingdom is not of this world, yet it is in His followers …
it is now and not yet … present and future …  we can live in the power, presence, reign
and rule of God.  His call is:  “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross and follow Me” (Mt. 16:24).  His promise is, if you save your life
you will lose it, but if you lose your life for my sake and the gospel, you will find it.

Jesus’ call is to a totally new kind of revolution – to be in the world but not of it … to
not damn sinners to hell but invite them to parties and be hopeful in their healings
through the power of an empty tomb and a blood-stained cross … to practice our faith
through stealthy, radical acts of compassion all in the name of our Lord.  What will be
the Christian influence on culture?  T. K. Glover said, “The early Christians out thought,
out lived and out died their pagan counterparts.”  May their tribe increase!

I loved seeing the kingdom breaking through on Tuesday – high school and college kids
giving up spring break to be “Good Samaritans”, a church starting a Touch-Local Compassion
ministry, men moved of God to stretch dollars and rebuild a house that should have been
torn down because this is home to a family of six, the gospel shared with someone
wrestling with the occult and ghosts.  What a day!

G. K. Chesterton challenges our day, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found
wanting, it has been found difficult and left untried.”  May we approach culture with
INFLUENCE … Jesus-style!

Betting the Farm on God,

Michael

www.trinitychurchonline.net

April 7, 2007


Easter Blessings from New Orleans

Tomorrow we will gather with millions of people around the globe to celebrate the
cornerstone event of our faith.  I’m praying for what God may do.  How can we not be
enamored all over again by the amazing love and grace of Jesus?  I trust that Holy Week
has been sacred for you.

Pray for Trinity this Easter as we present, “Witness”, an original drama created by the
Trinity creative team.  The ancient Easter story will be brought to life and told through
the eyes and emotions of both obvious and obscure characters who would have witnessed
Jesus walk through Jerusalem.  I’m excited because everything has been done in-house: 
writing, directing, music, multi-media, acting, sound, lights, etc.  Our contemporary arts
team is making a difference.  (Check out their free resources at www.trinitychurchonline.net.  I’m sure this production will be made available to others soon.)

We have now had 8,061 volunteers who have worked 313,501 man-hours.  March set every
record in the record books – volunteers, meals, and work.  We have a group of choice
leaders who pulled off a “win” with teamwork, ingenuity, and the power of Jesus Christ. 
Renting the YMCA next door and with the help of North Shore Bible Church, we were able to
accommodate the overflow of crowds.  We have only 150 at Trinity this week, and 80 at
Castle Rock – small week (lol).  I remember when 50 was a big week!!  God is so good.

March brought us groups of terrific hard working, Christ honoring high school and college
students.  Awesome!  Groups from Taylor University, Capital Bible Seminary and Washington
Bible College have been here this week.  The stories of life-change are incredible.  One
girl expressed awe of God’s interventions.  Others reported God’s provision, leadership,
and power.

A team was at work in New Orleans with their “Compassion t-shirts”.  A young man asked,
“What are all those t-shirts?”
Answer:  “We are a group of Christians from across the county who have come to help.”
Question:  “Who paid your way?”
Answer:  “We paid our own way.”
Question:  “How do you get the time?”
Answer:  “Vacation time”
Question:  “Why?”
Answer:  “To help you.  God taps people on the shoulder all over the country.  It is our
privilege to be here.”
Question:  “It’s a privilege to be in New Orleans???”
Answer:  “Yes!”

This young man was overwhelmed and wanted a hug from those on the team.  They asked him
how they could pray for him.  He said, “I’ve learned since Katrina that there are not many
gods but one God.  Would you pray that I can get closer to God?”  They shared with him,
and of course, prayed for him.

Have a blessed Easter.

Betting the Farm on God,

Michael

March 26, 2007

The Church Has Left the Building

“ … let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth.”  I John 3:18

Are you sensing a move of the Holy Spirit today in your church?  Has a volunteer
revolution begun?  Is the “Great Commission” (Matt. 28:19-20) being rooted into your
vision?  I sense more and more churches and church leaders are sick of the philosophy of
success being defined as the counting of “nickels and noses” and are more and more asking
these questions:

·   What difference are we making in our community?
·   If our church went out of business tomorrow would anyone in the neighborhood notice?
·   How can the church get outside the four walls of the building and let our light shine in
such a way that they may see our good works and glorify the Father who is in heaven (Matt.
5:16)?

The church is once again viewing itself as the “fishers of men” rather then merely the
“keepers of the aquarium”.  Transformed people lead to transformed families, which can
lead to transformed communities.  Exciting and challenging, isn’t it?

No doubt this was the same feeling the disciples had when Jesus said, “I will build my
church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it” (Matt. 16:18b).  Jesus spoke these
words while taking his young apprentices into Caesarea Philippi (Matt. 16:13).  It’s easy
to skip over this geography.  When a good Jew heard the words, “Caesarea Philippi” all
lights would begin to blink on the dashboard.  You didn’t go there if you were a good
Jewish boy or girl.  Caesarea Philippi was the world headquarters for the worship of the
goat god, Pan.  People from all over the world would travel to this destination.  There
was a cliff with a giant crack that followers of Pan believed the spirits from hell would
come and go from the earth.  The crack was known as the “Gates of Hell”.  A pagan Pan
temple existed at the base of the cliff and pagan rituals in the courtyard consisted of
unspeakable acts of darkness with goats.

Imagine Jesus taking these good Jewish boys, some teenagers, to the ledge of this cliff,
26 miles from Galilee.  Their families never took a summer camping vacation to Caesarea
Philippi.  Imagine the disciples thinking, “If our parents find out, we’re busted … We
don’t even have a permission slip.”  Jesus asks them, “Who do people say that I am? …Who
do you say that I am?”  Jesus’ response to their declaration that he was the Messiah was,
“Upon this rock I will build my church and the Gates of Hell shall not overpower it.”  In
other words, upon this rock (Christ) I will build communities of faith and the gates of
hell (like the one right over there at Pan Headquarters) won’t stop me.  The Church of
Jesus won’t be stopped by goat movements, the powers of darkness, or anything.  This is a
call for the church to be the church and storm the gates of hell.  It’s a call to play
offense and get outside of the four walls of the building.  Like the early disciples, our
call is to all-out commitment in denying ourselves, taking up the cross and following Him.
 The church is not a weird, empty, irrelevant organization but is a powerful, beautiful,
prevailing, impacting collection of Christ followers who have experienced Jesus and His
grace and want the world to know Jesus and His grace also.

I loved the story of one of our teams who, in traveling to Louisiana, reflected on the
truth that the “real” church was not the building but “Christ-followers” like themselves. 
When they got to their first work-site in New Orleans the first question that came from
the homeowner was, “Are you the church?”  With confidence they said, “Yes!”  People are
getting this revolutionary truth.

One of our teams, led by Mary DeMarco and Denise Lewis, were out in a Trinity Compassion
vehicle about 1½ hours from Trinity, out in the middle of nowhere.  Another vehicle
started to apprehend them … honking their horn … waving, etc.  No way were they going to
stop for this crazy person.  This loony driver persisted, finally caught them and said,
“Trinity Church gutted my house and I just wanted to thank you.” 

A week ago Sunday we had a first-time visitor … the “Parish Pot-hole fixer lady.”  It
seems we contacted this government official to fill the potholes on the street leading to
our church.  The potholes were filled within 3 days, and a Trinity staff person called her
to express our gratitude.  Normally this woman was used to being cussed out, yelled at and
criticized.  She had never had anyone call to say, “Thank you.”  She said she just had to
visit the church and check out who these grateful people were.  The best thing was she
said she’d be back to visit Trinity, and it happened on Sunday!

A Wal-Mart cashier showed up on Sunday as well.  For 18 months she had met volunteers from
Trinity work teams.  It was her first Sunday off ever and she had to check out this
church.  Wow!  The Church has left the building!

Betting the Farm on God,

Michael

P.S.  Trinity website:  www.trinitychurchonline.net.  If you want anyone added to
Michael’s mailing list just e-mail me at mdsprague00@bellsouth.net.

P.S.S.  Pray for Mark and Denise Lewis to get up to full missionary support.  This is not
easy when one is leading a major ministry like Compassion (Touch Global).  If you or your
church would like to help, I would be glad to be Mark’s #1 reference.  This is a choice
couple in Kingdom work.

March 20, 2007

God Doesn’t Play Dice

   I’m convinced that being a Christian is a great adventure.  When you follow Jesus,
anything can happen!  Anything!  Proverbs 16:9 says, “In his heart a man plans his course,
but the Lord orders his steps.”  Some days we think we know where we’re headed but we
really don’t!  John Chancellor said, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.”
 
   God has His way of strategically positioning us to be in the right place at the right
time. Call it providence.  Call is sovereignty.  This is a God-thing and this perspective
changes the way life is lived.  Acts 17:26 says, “From one man He made every nation of
men, that they should inhabit the whole earth: and he determined the times set for them
and the exact places where they should live.”  In other words, our chronology and
geography are ordained by God.” 

   Now it’s certainly possible that being in the right place at the right time may feel like
the wrong place at the wrong time.  When we get pushed out of our comfort zone or go
through hard times, it can often seem like that.  Yet, often God uses hard times or closed
doors to transition us from one place to another or cause us to consider other options.

   In light of all God’s been doing in my life over the last 18 months, I have pondered the
sovereign hand of God in bringing me to New Orleans for such a time as this.  For most of
my first 41 years of life I lived in the Washington, D.C. area.  Donna, too.  All of our
family and friends resided there and our plan was to stay local.  Yet, after I finished my
doctoral program at Dallas Seminary my plan fell apart.  A big door closed.  My only
option was to enter the adventure and wait on God.  As Albert Einstein said, “God doesn’t
play dice.”  There is no guesswork with God.  His timing is perfect.

   I’ll never forget the call that unexpectedly came from New Orleans …“We have your resume. 
Can you send us a packet of information?”  My reply, “Who are you and how did you get my
name?”  The answer was an old outdated resume that Dallas Seminary put into the hands of
the Trinity Church pastoral search committee.  I said I would send some information but I
wondered, “Who are these guys?”  When I told Donna, her first words were classic:
“Louisiana?  Who would ever want to live in Louisiana?”  Within days we were informed
Trinity Church had narrowed the candidates for the senior pastor position from 27 to 7. 
Shortly after that they reduced this list from 7 to 3.  My thoughts were, “Who are these
guys?”  Upon reducing the number to 3 candidates, we were informed that they were flying a
member of the search committee to Maryland to meet us.  We knew we were getting highly
scrutinized when we found out that the Search representative was an F.B.I. agent.  The
meeting must have gone well because Donna and I were invited to travel to Covington, LA to
be interviewed by the church leadership. 

   This candidating interview period lasted for 4 days.  It seemed like meeting after meeting
filled each day.  They were being careful and we were, too.  The most important thing was
the will of God, of course.  Two years prior to this trip my mentor at Dallas Seminary,
Dr. John Reed, encouraged me to work through a battery of personality, leadership, and
gift assessments to better understand who I was – so that I would discover the kind of
church I would be a good fit for.  I took this seriously and ended the process with a list
of 15 specific qualities that would be a good match for my wiring patterns and
convictions.  After the 4 days of interviews I found that Trinity was a 15 out of 15
match.  Coincidence or divine appointment?

   The four days of interviewing were such that there was no time to look at houses and
communities.  On the way to the airport to return home I said to Donna, “How about if we
find a neighborhood to drive through.”  We had about 15 extra minutes so we turned, and
finally found a subdivision to drive through.  It was nice and I pointed to a house and
said, “I’d like a house like that!”  We were out of time and headed to the airport.

   The church leadership voted unanimously for us to come back and candidate before the
church family.  Indeed, Trinity was the kind of church I had dreamed of pastoring for many
years.  We hit it off with the people and had a great time.  On our second trip to
Louisiana I connected with a realtor.  She knew nothing of our first trip.  We got in her
car and she said, “I’ve got a neighborhood I think you might like!”  We watched as she
turned and then pulled right into the community we had stumbled upon several weeks prior. 
In fact, my eyes bulged out as she pulled right up to the house that I had said I liked. 
Coincidence or divine appointment?  By the way, this was the house we ended up buying!!

   Before we left for home the chairman of the search committee asked, “Do you want to know
what your compensation will be?”  Truthfully, I simply wanted to be where God wanted me. 
I said, “Whenever you are ready.”  One more point of information:  when I put together my
list of 15 criteria I was looking for in a church two plus years prior, I asked Donna on a
whim, “What do you want my salary to be?”  I wrote the number she gave me on my paper as
#16.  When the chairman gave me the compensation number it was the number Donna gave me to
the penny.  Coincidence or divine appointment?  I can be pretty dense at times but even I
couldn’t miss God’s hand in leading us to Trinity Church.

   I think now about all that I would have missed if I would have stayed in Maryland.  So
many good things can be tracked back to that one small step, that one giant leap in
following God’s leadership 8 years ago.  I can’t imagine now not being part of the
strategic spiritual mobilization that God has in New Orleans.  Our mission is to help
people become fully devoted followers of Christ.  The church is becoming an epicenter of
hope for people here, near and faraway.  A big boulder was thrown into our pond called New
Orleans that has created a volunteer revolution of compassion that is rippling across the
country.  I thank God for friends like you who partner with us. 

   George MacLeod said, “The cross must be raised again at the center of the marketplace as
well as on the steeple of the church.  I am claiming that Jesus was not crucified in a
cathedral between two candles, but on a cross between two thieves; on the town garbage
heap, at a crossroads so cosmopolitan they had to write His title in Hebrew, Latin, and
Greek.  At the kind of place where cynics talk smut, and thieves curse, and soldiers
gamble, because that is where He died and that is what he died about and that is where
church-men ought to be and what churchmen should be about.”

   I thank God for the comfort and adventure that flows from His sovereignty:  I thank God he
brought me to New Orleans, LA.

·   “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable
are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!”  Romans 11:33

·   “Then Job answered the LORD and said, ‘I know that You can do all things, And that no
purpose of Yours can be thwarted.’”  Job 42:1-2

·   “The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it
wherever He wishes.”  Proverbs 21:1

·   “The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over
all.”  Psalm 103:19

·   “Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker-- An earthenware vessel among the vessels of
earth!  Will the clay say to the potter, 'What are you doing?'  Or the thing you are
making say, 'He has no hands'?”  Isaiah 45:9

   He is God.  My job is to resign daily as manager of the universe.  Jesus, indeed, knows
what He’s doing!

Betting the Farm on God,

Michael

P.S.  Check out our web page at www.trinitychurchonline.net.  A lot of wonderful things
are going on.  There are many free resources available as well. 

March 9, 2007

Ripples

   Only God … Only God knew … Only God could conceive a plan to drop a cannonball into the
pond to create ripples in every direction.  The cannonball’s impact point was New Orleans
and ripples are going out throughout our country by way of nearly 8,000 volunteers. Over
8,000 “Contagious Christ-followers” have been inflicted by Jesus’ heart of compassion, and
have combined incarnation of the Word with proclamation of the Word.  This has created an
irresistible influence that is impacting our community.  Yet, the bigger story is that
there is a ripple effect that is creating this same phenomena in churches and communities
across our county though a revolution of compassion and service.  You’ll see … this is a
God thing.

1.  West Shore Evangelical Free Church, Mechanicsburg, PA (www.becominglikejesus.org) West
Shore has sent many wonderful volunteers our way.  While speaking at their mission’s
conference in February, I heard how they were bringing compassion to their neighborhood
through a life-giving Saturday.  The goal is for 1,000 adults, youth and children from
West Shore to “flow deep and wide,” into their community by performing acts of service
directly with people in the community.  Their motto:  “The Church has Left the Building.” 
Their theme verse:  1 John 3:18 “Let us not love with words or tongue… but with actions
and truth.”  There are over 60 project opportunities including outdoor/building cleanup,
construction with Habitat for Humanity, food drives, gardening, music at nursing homes,
kids outreach, cooking at soup kitchens and shelters, carnivals/parties in the inner city
of Harrisburg, help at private homes of seniors and needy, etc.  All of this will be done
in the name of Jesus and is designed as an annual event.  This isn’t a ripple but a tidal
wave.

2.   Hershey Evangelical Free Church, Hershey, PA has sent 200 volunteers our way.  These
volunteers have returned to create a compassion support ministry that started on January
2.  Requests came into the church and volunteers got deployed.  Hershey is also beginning
a “Celebrate Recovery” ministry.  Amazingly, one team member’s heart was so touched on our
super Friday in New Orleans that she went home, sold her nice, safe house in the suburbs
and moved into inner city Harrisburg.  She says, “God put the wheels in motion and I’m
coming along for the ride.”  Ripples!

3.  Christ Community Church, Waseca, MN started a “Loving through Serving” ministry. 
Requests come into the church office and 20 volunteers are deployed one Saturday morning a
month.  Retired volunteers handle jobs during the week.  These teams handle moving people,
yard work, painting fences, gutting a basement that flooded, etc.   Ripples!
 
4.  Milica Evangelical Free Church, MN had men return from LA who didn’t want to stop
their ministry.  They started a “Helping Hands” ministry.  Requests from the community
came in for snow shovels, painting, home or auto repairs, etc. Needs are matched to
volunteers based on gifts and abilities.  Ripples!

5.  Crystal Lake Evangelical Free Church in IL started a HUGS ministry (Hearts United in
God’s Service) after returning from Trinity.  They have done house makeovers and helped
widows.  Ripples!

6.  One church in Illinois sent their youth group who needed to be touched by Jesus,.to
Trinity.  It worked.  The teenagers came back on fire for Jesus with a heart to witness to
friends.  Ripples!

7.  Discovery Hills Church, in CA sent eight people last year and they came back to their
church and “testified on wings of the Holy Spirit” as to what God had done in their lives.
 One man had been so touched he said, “The rest of my life I’m going to reach out to the
community.”  The church started a ministry entitled “Discover your wings – reach out in
God’s love.  Find a need and meet it.”  Ripples!
 For too long there has been a chasm between the evangelical church and the neighborhoods
outside our church doors.  Thus, the message of grace we preach often times goes unheard
by those who most need to hear.  I thank God for the Bridge of Incarnation and
Proclamation.  Ripples!

How about you?  How do you enter a pool?  … big toe dipped into the water very slowly? 
How about living life in a new way.  By faith, attempt a Cannonball … of Compassion. 
Sure, water will go flying everywhere … Ripples will go out in every direction.  Make a
splash with your one and only life for God and people.  Keep the “Ripples” going!

 Betting the Farm on God,

Michael

P.S.  Almost 300 volunteers will be at Trinity next week.  This smashes every record. 
Pray for Ripples!

P.S.S.  If you or your church has started a new ministry thrust after returning from LA,
send me the report.  Thank you!

 
P.S.S.S.  We got our Children’s Pastor.  You can check out his bio at
www.trinitychurchonline.net.   Thanks for praying. 

March 3, 2007


Airplane Adventure

   My adventures of faith seem never to cease.  Friday morning I got up early to travel to
WestShore Evangelical Free Church in Harrisburg, PA to speak at their mission’s
conference.  It was a full day of travel, but I brought plenty of work to do.  My plan was
to prepare for my upcoming mini sermon series on the “Security of the Believer”.  As I
took off on my United flight, I had my notes and papers out to prepare for preaching. 
About 30 minutes into the flight there was a “boom” that could not be missed.  Everyone in
the entire plane immediately came to complete alertness.  We seemingly had hit something
and the plane fluttered for a time.  The flight deck alerted us that a “state of
emergency” had been declared and we had lost our #2 engine.  Our flight attendant told us
we were returning to New Orleans.  I asked her how many engines a plane like this has.  I
was hoping the answer was 4 but it was two…. And now we were down to one.  The young
female co-pilot that I had noticed when I boarded the plane came on the intercom and
informed us that the crew had encountered this problem in the simulator in pilot school. 
Everyone in the plane rolled their eyes, not finding much comfort in that attempt at
assurance.  The man in front of me had ear phones on and was monitoring flight deck and
ground communication.  He told us that rescue trucks and fire engines were called to the
runway.  Indeed, we saw them with lights on as we approached the runway.  It is
interesting to see what happens in the cabin at a time like this.  The lady in front of me
started to pray.  A lady in the aisle next to me turned on her cell phone to call home to
maybe say a “good-bye.”  There I was with God and my notes on the security of the
believer.  Coincidence?  No way.  It seemed God was saying to me, “Michael, I know you are
going to preach this stuff in two weeks but do you really believe it?” This is where the
rubber meets the road, right?  In those moments it was reassuring to run through the
foundations of my life and eternity. 

1.   My eternal well-being was settled when I trusted Jesus Christ as my savior.           
His death and resurrection was all-sufficient to provide me peace with God.

2.   Heaven is real.  In fact, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

3.   God is able and sovereign.  He knows the days He has for me and has promised a future
and a hope. 

4.   Jesus saves and will take care of my family.

   You can be sure my stomach jumped a time or two when the plane bounced around.  Yet, I
rested in my God and Savior.  There are certainties that I know that I know that I know. 
I thanked God for the anchor of my soul and the interesting way God was preparing me to
preach. 

   Our callings in New Orleans remain focused to help people know this peace with God
through a relationship with Jesus Christ.   Last week a friend told me about a
conversation with a member of his team.  The man said, “If I died in the next five minutes
I’m not sure that I would go to heaven.”  My friend took time to open a Bible and show him
that he could know with certainty he was heaven bound through trusting Jesus Christ.  The
scripture resonated with this man and he said he wanted to pray to make sure that he had
eternal life and that his name was written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.  The next morning
that story was shared and several other people had conversations on how they could know
with absolute certainty they were at peace with God.  This is the message I want all to
know and experience.  We will keep sharing as God opens the door.

Betting the farm on God,

Michael

P.S.  If you go to the front page of our website at www.trinitychurchonline.net we have a
section that will walk you through the verses on knowing how to go to heaven.

P.S.S.  Someone else just trusted Christ at Trinity, PTL.

February 21, 2007


Michael Speaking in Harrisburg, PA, Friday/Saturday

   Mark Lewis, Director of the Katrina Relief Project through Touch Global, and I will be
speaking Friday and Saturday at West Shore Evangelical Free Church in Mechanicsburg, PA,
near Harrisburg, PA, at their missions conference entitled, “How Katrina Changed Our
Church”.  The conference will kick off with a potluck dinner Friday at 6:00 pm.  Mark and
I will both tell our stories on Friday from 7:15 – 8:45 pm and have back-to-back workshops
on Saturday from 9:00 – 11:30 am.  Mark will speak on “Understanding How Crisis Leads to
Powerlessness”.  I will speak on “Removing Roadblocks to Becoming a Compassionate Church”.
 If you are in the area please come.  You can call the church at 717-697-0226, or Peggy
Moshier at 717-620-2330 ext. 107.  A flyer for the conference and directions to West Shore
can be viewed at www.becominglikejesus.org/. Click on the icon “This Week at West Shore”
at the top of the page.  Once you have been directed to “This Week’s Events,” click on
“How Katrina Changed our Church” information under “This Week at West Shore.”

   This is a great opportunity.  I hope to see many old friends at the conference and meet
many new friends.  The Lord is teaching me many things about becoming a compassionate
church that boldly yet wisely shares the gospel of Christ.

   I am amazed how the lives of volunteers are being changed for Christ.  Pray that Jesus
works His work in Pennsylvania this weekend!

Betting the Farm on God,

Michael

February 15, 2007

Creative Ministry

   Our volunteer training always emphasizes making ministry about people and starting our
days with prayer.   Practically, teams are instructed to get to their work site …  join
with the property owner out in front of the property for all the community to see … hold
hands and pray.  The other day a team was just about to grab hands when a FEMA truck came
up the street.  A woman on the team walked into the middle of the road and held up her
hand stopping the truck.  She asked the driver if they wanted to join the circle of
prayer.  He looked at her like she was crazy; yet, one guy hopped off the back of the
truck and said, “I do.”  Sheepishly, the other three FEMA guys came over and joined the
circle.

   After prayer, the first guy said, “Thank you.  I haven’t taken the opportunity to tell
the three guys I work with that I am a Christian.  You helped me get started!”  While her
team worked, this woman started a “stop the cars” ministry.  She stood by the road and
stopped vehicles that came through and asked them what she could pray for.  It worked all
day.  Note:  We don’t advocate this ministry on high speed roads!

   Be creative.  Put people first, pray for open doors.  Go where the Spirit prompts. 
Practice compassion.  Look through the eyes of God.

   In the book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey shares this
personal experience:

“I remember a mini-paradigm shift I experienced one Sunday morning on a subway in New
York.  People were sitting quietly – some reading newspapers, some lost in thought, some
resting with their eyes closed.  It was a calm, peaceful scene.

“Then suddenly, a man and his children entered the subway car.  The children were so loud
and rambunctious that instantly the whole climate changed.

“The man sat down next to me and closed his eyes, apparently oblivious to the situation. 
The children were yelling back and forth, throwing things, even grabbing people’s papers. 
It was very disturbing.  And yet, the man sitting next to me did nothing.

“It was difficult not to feel irritated.  I could not believe that he could be so
insensitive as to let his children run wild like that and do nothing about it, taking no
responsibility at all.  It was easy to see that everyone else on the subway felt
irritated, too.  So finally, with what I felt was unusual patience and restraint, I turned
to him and said, ‘Sir, your children are really disturbing a lot of people, I wonder if
you couldn’t control them a little more?’

“The man lifted his gaze as if to come to a consciousness of the situation for the first
time and said softly, ‘Oh, you’re right.  I guess I should do something about it.  We just
came from the hospital where their mother died about an hour ago.  I don’t know what to
think, and I guess they don’t know how to handle it either.’

“Can you imagine what I felt at that moment?  My paradigm shifted.  Suddenly I saw things
differently; I thought differently, I felt differently, I behaved differently.  My
irritation vanished.  I didn’t have to worry about controlling my attitude or my behavior;
my heart was filled with the man’s pain.  Feelings of sympathy and compassion flowed
freely.  ‘Your wife just died?  Oh I’m so sorry!  Can you tell me about it?  What can I do
to help?’  Everything changed in an instant.”

   Just as Steven Covey shifted the way he looked at a slice of life in a New York subway,
so must we make a paradigm shift in the way we look at people in our sphere of influence. 
We must look at people through God’s eyes and with compassionate hearts or we, too, will
fail to see the opportunities all about.  Jesus put it this way in Luke 10:29b-37:
   “And who is my neighbor?”  Jesus replied and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem
to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away
leaving him half dead.  And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he
saw him, he passed by on the other side.  Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the
place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  But a Samaritan, who was on a journey,
came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and came to him and bandaged up
his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him
to an inn and took care of him. On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to
the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I
will repay you.’  Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who
fell into the robbers' hands?”  And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then
Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.”

Betting the Farm on God
Michael

P.S.  Several people have trusted Christ as their Savior this week!
•   Comments to Michael or add to e-mail list: MDSprague00@bellsouth.net
•   Trinity’s updated website:  www.trinitychurchonline.net
•   Schedule a team:  www.efcakatrinaproject.com
•   Copies of Stories from Katrinaland:  Trinity Church, P.O. Box 351, Prospect Heights, IL  60070 – cost $20 which includes postage.

February 7, 2007


New Orleans Helps Florida Tornado Disaster Zone

  Tonight, I went to a funeral service in the devastated tornado zone in Lady Lake, FL. 
One of the twenty-some deaths from the twister was a dear member of an Evangelical Free
Church that just a few weeks ago sent a team to serve at Trinity Church.  This Christian
woman was in bed with her husband.  A tree fell on the wife and missed the husband by
inches.  He survived unharmed - she didn’t.  She is in heaven - he is left here for a
time.  It was a privilege to hear the husband speak boldly for the Lord at the service and
express great love for his partner.  It was wonderful to see the church be the church.  It
was helpful to sing in the midst of loss:  How Great Thou Art, What a Friend we have in
Jesus, The Old Rugged Cross.  The pastor reminded us, “Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of His godly saints” (Ps. 116:15).  He told the crowd, “If you don’t know
Jesus, who died on the cross for you, trust Him as your Savior … If you know Him, make Him
known.”  There were many survivors from Sunshine Mobile Park where the tornado hit,
guests, and a reporter present.

   Just after the tornados hit, Mark Lewis dispatched a team to Florida with a Bob-cat to
help and to scout out how we could help mobilize local churches in the region to practice
good deeds in the name of Jesus and share the love of Jesus.  In the providence of God, I
happened to be traveling Monday to Florida for a wedding and got to speak with this pastor in
the affected area.  The pastor and a team from his church had been at Trinity in January. 
The team heard the challenge to take the Compassion Ministry home to their community.  The
pastor called the whole church to love God and people through practical, loving acts.  The
church had been praying and fasting about how they would impact their community.  Several
men had come together as a Compassion team.  How would they reach out?  The tornado came
through their town, and now they know.  Mark Lewis, Director of EFCA Disaster Response,
flew in on Tuesday to meet with them and to brainstorm how to “Let your light shine before
men in such a way they may see your good works and glorify the Father who is in heaven”
(Mt. 5:16).

   When Katrina hit New Orleans, there was no playbook, knowledge-base, or resources on how
to respond.  We have been learning one-day-at-a-time.  Jesus has taught us much.  Our
vision is that we may be able to help many other churches and communities who have had
disasters strike.  Please pray for Trinity, Mark Lewis and EFCA Disaster Response and our
continuing ministry in New Orleans and now in Florida.

Still Betting the Farm on God,

Michael

P.S. – Pray for resourcing and logistics as we gear up for over 1,000 volunteers in the
month of March alone!

February 1, 2007

New Orleans:  Good News/Bad News and Prayer Requests

What do you want first . . . the Good News or the Bad News?
BAD NEWS:  It is hard for many to grasp how big this disaster really has been.

“Sen. Mary Landrieu, chair of a new subcommittee on disaster recovery, opened with this
litany:  275,000 homes destroyed, 875 schools and 20,000 businesses in ruins, 22 levee
breaks, 1,836 dead, plus thousands more who’ve ‘died from broken hearts since.’
“Gil Jamieson, FEMA’s deputy director for Gulf Coast recovery, chimed in with news that a
whopping 62,000 Louisiana households are still in travel trailers and temporary mobile
homes.  And that, Jamieson said, is actually ‘a sign of progress.’  The government set up
87,000 trailers.” - The Times-Picayune, January 30, 2007

Government is struggling.  The following appeared in an editorial in The Times Picayune on
Sunday, January 28, 2007:

“Firefighters say they can't even get the Nagin administration to provide toilet paper for
their restrooms. The New Orleans Police Department, as of last week, had only made one
arrest after the 14 murders this year. The Recovery School District is turning away
hundreds of children who want to enroll, and officials are making excuses for why those
children can't be served hot meals.
 
“A fire hydrant on Howard Avenue gushed water for well over a week before anybody came to
shut it off.

“There's no place for poor people to live, so some desperate people have attempted to
break into local housing developments. Police say that one person trying to break in was
25-year-old Garelle Smith, who they believe killed a Gentilly man outside a FEMA trailer
in August. The arrest of a murder suspect should be a cause for celebration, but Smith has
been arrested for murder twice before, and the district attorney -- citing problems with
evidence or witnesses -- abandoned both cases before trial.”

GOOD NEWS:  The Church is being the Church.  Good rumors are everywhere.  Jesus and His
Church are the hope of the world.

1.   Exciting times here:  1,500 volunteers in the last couple of weeks have committed to
come here between now and the end of March.  1,500!  This will bring our grand total to
8,000.  We have over 200 volunteers each week in March, and one week we will have 300
volunteers.  This will tax our systems to the max since our optimal level is 100 a week. 
The adventure goes on!!!

2.   God knew in calling so many people that He would need to supply the additional tools
and equipment to make the March ministry work.  Here’s, in part, how He is supplying:  A
man called and said his wife didn’t need much for Christmas, so he was going to get her ½
of a Bobcat skid loader, and was going to ask her for the other half.  Since neither of
them needed a Bobcat, they thought they would give it to us.  Mark Lewis, our Compassion
director, informed him that we had already been given a Bobcat, so the man asked, “What
else do you need?”  The man is sending us generators, compressors, roofing nailers and a
pick up truck to carry it all in!  Hudson Taylor said, “God’s work, done in God’s way will
never lack His supply.”

3.   Yesterday, a team in an unmarked van was working in Slidell.  Someone came up and
knocked on the window and said, “You’re working with a church, aren’t you?  What church
are you with?  … wait, don’t tell me … my guess is you are with Trinity.  I can see from
the look on your faces!”

4.   A team member from New Hampshire went to Wal-Mart after dinner one night this past
week.  While in the check out line, he asked if Wal-Mart gave discounts to Katrina Relief
workers.  He was promptly told “no” by the manager.  But he went on to tell the lady
checking him out about his experience that day in the ninth ward.  Gutting a home out for
a disabled widow, the team had asked her if there was anything of value that she wanted to
try to recover.  The only thing that mattered to her were the two rings that been given to
her from her grandmother.  The team looked for the rings as they cleared out a house full
of still soaked debris.  Amidst the mess of her bedroom, they found a small ring box with
the rings in it.  At the end of his story, the cashier realized that he was a volunteer
from Trinity Church.  She teared up and said, “Last summer Trinity Church came and fixed
my house and they wouldn’t let me buy them so much as a nail!”  While she told her story,
she reached into her purse and pulled out a check to pay for his whole order, probably her
whole day’s wages.  Jesus Christ expressed through this church has certainly changed her
life.

5.   On Saturday morning a team cut wood and cleaned up a woman’s yard in Covington.  Later
in the morning, we got a call from her.  She said she had been seeking help from her own
church and other sources for a long time, but to no avail.  While at Wal-Mart a few weeks
ago, a check-out clerk told her, “If you need help, call Trinity Church.  They care about
people.”  She was amazed that another church would do such a job for her, for free.

Pray:

1.   Please pray for resources to do ministry at Trinity.  So many projects are coming that
require major money.  We are servicing thousands of people on a septic system at Trinity
that is designed for something not much bigger than a home system.  There is an $80,000
bill looming.  Our parking lot paving will be over $200,000.  Please pray for God’s
provision.

2.   Pray for the hundreds of college kids on spring break who will make up most of our
volunteer army in March.  This could be a life-changing time for all.

Betting the Farm on God,

Michael

P. S.  Thoughts, comments, questions … e-mail Michael at MDSprague00@bellsouth.net
P.S.S.  If you know anyone else who wants to be added to the e-mail list, you can e-mail
that address to me.

January 28, 2007


Lessons Learned in Louisiana

   Recently Linda Woodin volunteered at Trinity Church with 24 other volunteers to help with
disaster relief.  She is one example out of the 180 people from Hershey Free Church and
nearly 7,000 from all over who have become our friends and partners.  The following is
what she wrote entitled, “Lessons Learned in Louisiana”. 

   I had the privilege of going to Trinity Church in Covington, La., for a week in September
along with 24 other volunteers from our church, Community Evangelical Free Church,
Brookfield Bible Church and two other Evangelical Free churches from Minnesota and Oregon.
 I chose to stay at Trinity Church and cook for the teams going out on the gutting and
reconstruction projects.

   Previous articles have detailed these relief efforts and their value to the people of New
Orleans area and to the Kingdom of God.  Rather than just relating the work experience in
Covington, I would like to share the life lessons that God taught me while I was there.

   God’s Timing is Best:  I signed up to go to Covington twice before, but either the
details hadn’t been worked out or I had had no peace about going at that time.  I was
distraught.  Why wouldn’t God bless my intent to go?  Finally, in September, God made it
clear to me that the details would work out, and I signed up again.  When I got there, I
found that cooking for a group of 25 would be more manageable for me than cooking for 100,
and that I would be working with an old friend, Carol Riehle, who attends Brookfield Bible
Church and who felt relieved and blessed when she found out we would be working with
someone she knew as well.  When Carol and I embraced each other and she testified at a
Wednesday evening prayer meeting that I was a direct answer to her prayers, I realized
that God’s timing was perfect.

   No Joy is Insignificant When God Calls You to It:  When my team drove around the
Covington area on Sunday afternoon and saw the devastation first-hand, I began to regret
my decision to remain at the church and cook, feeling that I would not have an impact on
those in need.  As the week progressed, however, and we sent the volunteers off with
encouragement and nourishing meals, and greeted them upon their hot and sweaty return with
smiles, tantalizing smells and yummy food, I realized that I was right where God wanted
me.  Suddenly, things as simple as restocking shelves, baking cookies and preparing salads
were done “as unto the Lord.”

   The opportunity to serve and encourage the TouchGlobal Team working at the church daily
became my middle-of-the-day mission.  It might not have seemed as dramatic as gutting or
rebuilding a house, but I knew in my heart that I was serving the Lord as directly as I
could have done with a hammer or paintbrush.

   Out of Sight Should Not Be Out of Mind:  Once I saw the devastation and realized that,
but for the grace of God, it could have been my house that was destroyed, I realized that
I must continue to pray and be burdened for these people.  How easy it is to become
consumed with my own personal issues and daily dramas and forget those with REAL needs. 
Just because it is no longer in the news headlines and in front of me, I cannot forget
those in need, God forgive me!  May I look beyond my own needs and be burdened with the
things that burden your heart in Louisiana and around the world.

   A Kind Word Goes a Long Way:  As my friend, Carol, and I waited to enter the sanctuary
for the church service on Sunday morning, Pastor Michael Sprague, senior pastor of Trinity
Church, came along with his Bible in hand and greeted us with a smile. 

   “Good morning, thanks SO MUCH for coming!  What are your names and where are you from?” 
He listened intently as we stumbled over our words, not even feeling worthy of his time
and attention.  I realized he could have been putting the final touches on his sermon or
making sure that all the arrangements were in order, and that 5,000 other volunteers had
already come through their doors, yet he took the time to greet us, get to know us and
show us the love of God. 

   Boy, did I feel like I was right where God wanted me!  I realized that a kind word goes a
long way to a visitor on a Sunday morning no matter how many details there are to attend
to and friends to greet.

   Real Christians Get Involved:  Hearing the stories of Pastor Michael and the staff of
TouchGlobal, I realized that in order to be used by God we need to be willing to get
involved.  I heard story after story of those who came to serve and felt God’s pull on
their lives to give up jobs, homes and families to return and minister full-time.

   God has called Mark and Denise Lewis of Mechanicsburg, TouchGlobal director and his wife,
who are former attendees of the Hershey Free Church;  Mary of Community Evangelical Free
Church; Kim, a graduate of Messiah College; Ralph from Minnesota, who gave up a pastorate
to spend a year in construction supervision and pastoral care of the volunteers, the
cooks, Vixie and Frannie; and Doug and Vonda Smoker from Keystone Evangelical Free Church
in Paradise, who moved down with their four pre-teen and teen children to spend a year
supervising construction while homeschooling their kids.

   While not everyone who participates in Katrina relief will be challenged to return for a
long-term commitment, once we allow ourselves to be involved, God can move our heart to
ministry.

   Stained Carpets Are Good:  When I arrived at the church, one of my first observations was
that the carpets in the sanctuary were coffee-stained and quite well-worn.

   “Gee, you’d think the church could afford to have nicer carpets than this,” I thought
with a sense of disdain.

   When Pastor Michael spoke with us on Tuesday night, he told us that the church had been
dubbed “The Church of the Stained Carpet.”  I realized that they offered their beautiful
carpet and building to TouchGlobal and more than 5,000 volunteers, risking stains and wear
and tear for the sake of ministry.  I was embarrassed and ashamed that I dared to look
down on their stained carpet.  Would I be willing to open my well-groomed home and my
possessions so freely to strangers in the name of ministry?

   See the Need, Meet the Need:  While we were working in the church kitchen, I truly
enjoyed the large sinks and tall faucets, which made it easy to wash and drain several
large pots and pans at one time.  When I commented on it to Vixie, our chief cook, she
said “Isn’t it great?  One of the Hershey Free teams saw that the old sink and faucet were
much too small, so they went out and bought this for us.”  Thanks, EPIC team – you
influenced my life to see then need and not hesitate to meet it!

   I also heard stories about how the construction teams have reached out to those they are
serving with food, clothing and money above and beyond the construction work.  May we be
willing to see then need and not hesitate to meet it, no matter what the cost.  Oh, and by
the way, because of the EPIC team’s example, that sink now has a garbage disposal.

   Take It To the People:  Fridays are dubbed “Super Friday” at Katrina relief.  We all went
down in our “I Love N.O.” t-shirts and ministered with Castle Rock Community Church in the
city.  Our time began with a spirited pep rally led by Associate Pastor Duane Gidney and
the Castle Rock church staff, and then off we went with lawn mowers, garden tools and
trash bags to clean up the city.

   People driving by honked their car horns, waved and smiled, touched that someone cared
about them and their city.  We got to share with people on the street – “we care about you
because Jesus cares about you.”

   I saw two little sisters frolicking with balloons that one volunteer had blown up for
them, and Assistant Pastor Al Palmateer of Brookfield Bible Church talking with a group of
older black men just sitting outside a house passing the time.

   I had the opportunity to talk and pray with a young lady with many social and spiritual
needs.  Then along came The Hot Dog Truck, Castle Rock’s pickup truck and volunteers with
a barbecue grill strapped to the bed, serving hot dogs and sodas.  We had the opportunity
to invite several young people walking by to join us for hot dogs.  Those who joined us to
share food and conversation were astonished that someone would care enough to offer them
free food and invite them to eat with us.

   Then we heard Pastor John Gerhardt, senior pastor of Castle Rock, share the history and
God’s vision for the church:  to go out into the community and reach the people with
tangible social help first, then spiritual help.  We heard how it took several years just
to acquire a building, a modest one at that, by our standards, and how their focus is on
meeting needs in the community as a way of leading them to Christ.

   As he played an inspiring version of “Amazing Grace” on his saxophone to end the program,
it struck me:  If we would have merely hosted a party, a picnic or a Bible study at the
church, would we have been able to impact the hundreds of people who drove by and waved
that day?  Would the people we talked to on the streets and ate hot dogs with have come to
the church to do the same just because a sign was posted on a telephone pole or the church
door?  I doubt it.

   At that point, God reminded me that the church is the people of God taking the Lord to
people in need, wherever they are and with whatever they need.

   Cockroaches Move!  Finally, in a lighter moment, I quickly realized that hot and humid
Louisiana has its share of bugs, salamanders and frogs – not my favorite!  One afternoon,
with towel and shampoo in hand, I entered the ladies’ shower building, a small, wooden
structure with four shower stalls constructed by one of the first teams to arrive.

   I heard the ladies showering in stalls one through three call out, “Watch out – there’s a
cockroach in stall four.”  Just my luck – the only stall available for me to use.

   I cautiously lifted the shower curtain and, much to my relief, found no cockroach.  I had
the last laugh as I called out, “Sorry ladies, he’s not here – he must have moved to one
of your stalls,” and heard them all screaming.  In the buff and lathered up with shampoo
and soap, they were in no position to escape the dreaded cockroach.

   “How silly of them to think the cockroach would stay put,” I thought smugly as I enjoyed
my cockroach-free shower.  I never did find out where he ended up.

   Blessing:  The bottom line is that I went to bless the people, but I found that it was
really I who was truly blessed by the lessons that God had prepared for me during my
Katrina experience.  Everyone who has gone before or after me goes with their own
expectations of what they can give to the people, yet returns with their own individual
stories of what God returned to them four-fold as a result of their obedience and
willingness to serve.

Thank you, Linda.  Thank you, volunteers.

Betting the Farm on God,

Michael

1. E-mail your thoughts to Michael at MDSprague00@bellsouth.net.

2. Trinity Website:  www.trinitychurchonline.net 

3. Purchase Book:  Stories from Katrinaland, www.trinitychurchonline.net/Resources.htm

4. Schedule a team: www.efcakatrinaproject.com

January 20, 2007


A Question from Michael Sprague

   Everyone has a story here in New Orleans, right?  An elder recently shared a 5-minute 
devotional at breakfast explaining how God worked to allow their church team to come for 
the third time.  Some time ago, a large undesignated donation was received by the church.  
The elders recommended the money be used to build a small addition onto the church.  On 
the day of the church vote on the proposal, this elder and his wife had a prior 
commitment.  The vote failed to pass by one vote.  It would have passed by one vote if the 
elder and his wife were present.  The elders slumped back together wondering what God 
wanted them to do with the money.  Then Katrina hit.  Instantly, the elders and the 
congregation knew the money was to be used for teams.  Many have come with the church 
underwriting the lion’s share of the trips.  The members of this church are being built 
up.  This elder said the challenge is not to become Katrina junkies needing a Katrina fix 
here, but to learn from the time here and then learn how to impact the community back 
home.  

   I will be speaking at a Missions conference at West Shore Evangelical Free Church, just 
outside Harrisburg, PA, on February 23-24.  (You all are invited!)  The topic I will be 
speaking on is “How to Remove Roadblocks to Become a Compassionate Church?”  I would like 
to know how you or your church are bringing Compassion Ministry to your neighborhood.  How 
are you applying the lessons learned here?  What principles have you discovered to grow an 
outward-focused church?  Please e-mail me.

   For example, a woman who came here 5 weeks after Katrina went home and asked God how she 
could minister in her community.  She went into a poor, crime stricken section of town and 
began to reach out.  She now has a discipleship ministry going and some of the 
participants, like the disciple Andrew, are going to friends and saying, “Come and see.”  
Others are being added.

   A pastor’s son was so impacted by his mission trip here that he chose to go on a one year 
mission assignment.  Pastors are telling me that their churches are being changed by the 
teams who return from New Orleans.

The websites below may help you stay connected with Katrina work:

1.   Check out the Trinity Church website, complete with a new resources section, at:  
www.trinitychurchonline.net.  I have heard that on occasion some of you do not get my 
letters.  I guess things get lost in cyberspace. You can always check my letters posted on 
the website if you need to. 

2.   Information about my book, Stories from Katrinaland, is available at 
www.trinitychurchonline.net/Resources.htm

3.   Check out the Katrina Project webpage at www.efcakatrinaproject.com/ and look at the 
dates available for teams to come and serve.

Betting the Farm on God

Michael

P.S.  I want to hear all of you cheering for the New Orleans Saints on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. 
 (My condolences to the Eagle fans!)

January 15, 2007


Will the Work Continue at Trinity?

   Every now and then I pinch myself and wonder . . . Is this amazing season really 
happening?  Did I really go through the greatest natural disaster in American history?  
What a ride!  On some days I wonder . . . How long will it continue?  Will we keep our 
hand to the plow?  Will God keep His hand on us?  Will volunteers still come?  Will people 
forget or get apathetic to all the bad news in the press about New Orleans?  I wondered 
what the New Year would bring after spending a few days in Maryland, Virginia and 
Pennsylvania for Christmas.  Upon my return I would find that the “God of the Re-supply” 
was doing what He does best.

1.   The church was full and buzzing with volunteers, including some wonderful servants from 
Forcey Memorial, my home church.

2.   There were 100 plus scheduled last week and we have over 200 coming each week for 
several weeks in March.

3.   One of our staff team members forgot to order a re-supply of masks and gloves.  God 
knew.  A church called that day and told us they had sent 20 boxes.  Wow!

4.   A church read about our Compassion Christmas wish list.  They decided to give their 
Christmas offering to our Compassion work.  Half would go to the free store and half would 
go toward resourcing their teams.  They hoped for $6,000 total and got $24,000.  
Hallelujah!  What a God!  What a generous church.

5.   Someone donated a large shed, yet it needed to be transported cross country.  This 
would cost $800.  That day someone called and wanted to make a contribution of $800.

6.   While at Hershey E. Free, I found that they had trips planned every month into the 
fall.  Praise the Lord!

7.   One man told about reaching out to a big burly motorcycle guy.  This guy said, “I 
haven’t been in church in 25 years!”  He was so moved by the expressions of compassion to 
him and the community that he started to cry.  Better yet, he started to attend church.  
The compassion volunteer said, “That got my heart.”

8.   A team ministered at a home that was so badly damaged it couldn’t be rebuilt.  They 
listened to the older woman’s story.  Her husband died in the storm but their dog 
survived.  Since Katrina the beloved family pet has been separated from this widow because 
the fence at the house was ruined.  It would mean so much if the team could reunite the 
pet and the woman.  Unfortunately, they only had equipment to gut a house and no material 
to build a fence.  Miraculously, they looked in the clutter of the destruction outside and 
found cement, sand and posts; all the materials they needed to build the fence.  That is 
love in action.

   The stories continue.  Jesus is changing lives.  There is room for you.  Can you come?  
Will you come?  You are invited.  There are jobs at the church, on the phone, in the 
kitchen, in the neighborhoods.  2007 is here and we are ready to serve.  What government 
can’t do, the church can do.  Would you pray and ask God if He wants you here for a week?  
If He says “yes” – come.  If He says “no,” pray for us.  Maybe you could help facilitate 
your church sending a missions team this summer. Maybe you would be led to give to help us 
continue to resource the work.  Maybe there is a church out there that would help us with 
VBS again this year.  We are still without a children’s pastor.

Betting the Farm on God,

Michael

January 10, 2007

 Pruning

   One of my deepest desires is to be fruitful for Christ and the cause of Christ.  

According to Kingdom Truth, fruit comes not simply by growing but by Christ’s pruning.  

This pruning is delivered through pain, failure, loss, discipline, hardship and suffering. 

 Pruning is always painful, but it results in bigger, sweeter and multiplied fruit.  Some 

pruning seems to go on and on.  I wish I did not have a target on my back for criticism 

whether deserved or undeserved.  I wish so many friends had not been scattered throughout 

the south.  I wish I didn’t have to wrestle with Romans 7 truths of the flesh.  I wish 

sometimes for greater wisdom in decisions of strategic direction.  I wish for days when 

Christian consumerism is not so pervasive and church shopping is not the rage.  I wish 

there weren’t so many poor people with painful stories.  I wish for less days of watching 

people that I love shipwreck their lives through folly and deception.   

   Yet, I realize that it is in the middle of real life, even messy life, that the call 

comes to trust Jesus.  Because of pruning, I am who I am.  The other day, I stumbled 

across an old journal entry from my younger days.  The topic happened to be pruning.  I 

was amazed by how God had prepared me long ago, in part, for such a time as this. Long ago 

waiting days were not wasted days but were training days for Katrina times.   The journal 

entry reads:

   “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those

who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” 

~Hebrews 12:11

It seems to me the Father is taking me through a time of discipline.  For some time it 

seemed that there was some measure of success in all that I had undertaken.  But the last 

year plus I hit a brick wall.  

1.   Having key mentors in my life not embracing my ministry ideas and even actively 

opposing them.

2.   Not seeing wide numbers embracing my Jesus but having one view out of many.

3.   Losing the dream of ministering in one place 40 years.

Etc. etc.

Surely God is up to something.  During these times of failure, insignificance, unsure 

future, I am assured God is teaching me many things:

1.   Humility – I am not the center of things – He is.  Obscurity, being brought low, 

conflict is all a wake up call to humility.

2.   Prayer – He is the vine, I am the branches.  Apart from Him I can do nothing. (John 

15:5)  Looking up is key.

3.   Letting go – I have no right to hold onto ministry, position, dreams.  Letting go is 

critical to God being able to direct.

4.   Waiting – I may be in a hurry but God is not in a hurry.

5.   Character – is built piece by piece.  God is looking for character more than talent.

6.   Individuality – I am learning more who God is and who I am.  I will be me and allow 

others to be who they are.  Comparison is deadly.

7.   Vision – Refined vision, biblical, simplicity

In the book, The Emotionally Healthy Church, the author recounts the picture of pruning 

portrayed in C.S. Lewis’, Chronicles of Narnia, Voyage of the Dawn Treader:

Eustace, a young boy, becomes a big, ugly dragon as a consequence of being selfish, 

stubborn, and unbelieving.  Now he wants to change and go back to being a little boy, but 

he can’t do it himself.  Eventually the great lion, Aslan, (representing Jesus) appears to 

him and leads him to a beautiful well to bathe.  But since he is a dragon, he can’t enter 

the well.

Aslan tells him to undress.  Eustace remembers that he can cast off his skin like a snake. 

 He takes off a layer by himself, dropping it to the ground, feeling better.  Then as he 

moves to the pool, he realized there is yet another hard, rough, scaly layer still on him. 

 Frustrated, in pain, and longing to get into that beautiful bath, he asks himself, “How 

many skins do I have to take off?”

After three layers, he gives up, realizing he cannot do it.  Aslan then says, “You will 

have to let me undress you.”  To which Eustace replies:

“I was afraid of his claws, I can tell you, but I was pretty nearly desperate now.   So I 

just lay flat down on my back and let him do it.  The very first tear he made was so deep 

that I thought it had gone right into my heart.  And when he began pulling the skin off, 

it hurt worse than anything I’ve ever felt …Well, he peeled the beastly stuff right off – 

just as I thought I’d done it myself the other three times, only they hadn’t hurt – and 

there it was lying on the grass:  only ever so much thicker, and darker, and more knobbly 

looking than the others had been.  And there was I as smooth and soft … Then he caught 

hold of me … and threw me into the water.  It smarted like anything but only for a moment. 

 After that it became perfectly delicious and as soon as I started swimming and splashing 

I found that all the pain had gone from my arm.  And then I saw why.  I’d turned into a 

boy again … After a bit the lion took me out and dressed me … with his paws … in these new 

clothes I’m wearing.”

   Doesn’t C.S. Lewis nail this truth?  Pruning can feel as if God’s claws are ripping so 

deep our heart will be cut out, but the fruit yields a life that becomes new, fresh and 

alive.  In the last year I have seen many of my prompts, crutches and security blankets 

kicked out from under me.  My greater discovery is that – You never quite know Jesus is 

all you need, until Jesus is all you’ve got, and then you know He is all you need!  He 

gives real life.

Betting the Farm on God,

Michael

January 7, 2007
 
 Light Not Hid Under the Bushel Basket
 
 Last Sunday evening I spoke with a former addict who was recently working as a volunteer
 at Trinity.  While out on a project near the French Quarter he was approached by a heroin
 addict who said, “Give me some money.”  The response was “I don’t have any money, but I
 can tell you about the love of Jesus Christ.”  The man responded, “I’m an addict.  I’m not
 interested in that.”  My new friend responded, “I’m an addict who has been changed.”  The
 man wasn’t interested, but the friend with him was.  He said, “I’ve been in 13 rehabs and
 they haven’t worked.”  The gospel was shared and this man was referred to nearby Castle
 Rock Church.
 
 The story doesn’t stop there.  The volunteer was amazed by the boldness that had been
 demonstrated in his life.  God used him!  He returned to his home church which was Hershey
 Evangelical Free Church in PA.  A pastor asked him to start a Celebrate Recovery ministry
 to help people with hurts, hang-ups and habits.  This is the amazing hand of God.  People
 are being touched by God in New Orleans and then returning home to make a difference in
 their community.  How exciting.
 
 While at Hershey E. Free Church, I had the opportunity to speak to several former team
 members:  A husband came up to me and said, “Thank you … New Orleans has changed my wife’s
 life.”  An engaged couple came to New Orleans and she spoke of the passion and fire of her
 fiancé.  They want to return next summer after their wedding.  A single mom with four kids
 told about how their group of twenty-some volunteers became family to each other.  Pastor
 Dave Martin spoke of how the over 100 volunteers from Hershey are impacting the church. 
 There is nothing like the church being the church.  I say Hallelujah!  What a Savior.
 
 Betting the Farm on God,
 
 Michael
 
 P.S.  A leader from Rockford, IL shared about how their people ministered in our flood
 zone.  Upon their return, Rockford had a flood from rains that gave them 3 weeks of
 ministry in their “mini-Katrina” zone.  The gospel is going out through the context of
 compassion.  Isn’t that the heart of Jesus?  May it spread everywhere.
 
 “You are the salt of the earth.  But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made
 salty again?  It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by
 men.  You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do
 people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it
 gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men,
 that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”  ~Matthew 5:13-16