Monthly Archives: November 2010

Angie Raess, church family, Ministry

ANGIE RAESS’S HOUSE FIRE AND PEANUT

Many of you from Prescott and beyond our little town know our friend Angie Raess.

We have known Angie for almost eight years now and we would like to offer an opportunity to help in a time of need.

ANGIE’S HOUSE FIRE AND PEANUT

Thanksgiving: I had just said goodbye to friends and family after an amazing day of fellowship food and fun when I received a phone call from Kate Pressman.

Kate had just left our house 10 minutes prior to her phone call telling me that Angie Raess’s house was in a devastating fire Thanksgiving night.
Much damage had taken place and much of Angie’s personal belongings had been destroyed in the fire.
One thing we were all ask to pray for was Angie’s little dog Peanut who was at the Vet being treated for smoke inhalation.

Peanut at the vet on the iv for smoke inhalation.

Here is an email I received from Angie tonight giving me an update.

Pastor,

Night two of not having a home… I can’t sleep. I’m taking care of sick Peanut all night. Praying for a speedy insurance process and financial favor
Here’s some pics of Peanut. One is her on an IV and oxygen and the others are her trying to sleep sitting up because of the severe congestion.
There’s a photo of what looks like snow and ice but its frozen foam pouring out of the house. Also included a picture of the old furnace, the culprit. It burned into the foundation below and crawl space. It’s considered unbelievable until the landlords can fix it. Everything must be painted over, floors and foundation fixed all clothes, dishes and linens washed. It’s going to be a lot of work.

Honestly stuff is just that… stuff. You realize in an instant what’s important… your life, your pets and others around you. I’ll try to be at service tomorrow morning but keeping a close watch on Peanut, if I cannot make it let the congregation know I love them and appreciate them. Thank you Pastor from the bottom of my heart!

Warmest regards,
Ang

The floor furnace started the fire.

http://prescottdailycourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=87946&TM=77910.37
Here is an opportunity to give back to our friend and servant Angie.
We would like to help her in the time of her need.

Personal replacement cost will be daunting and veterinary cost can be pretty large… but if we all pitch in, we can make an immediate difference and show our compassion and love.
If you would like to donate to help here is what to do.
We will receive a love offering for Angie this Sunday morning or you may choose to send your donation to :

Prescott First Assembly Of God
1455 Willow Creek Road
Prescott, Arizona
86301

Donations are  tax deductible.
Thank you for your compassion during the holiday season.

Steve Lummer

Lead pastor Prescott First Assembly of God

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Thanksgiving

THANKABILITY 2010

I love John Mason’s word about Thanksgiving.  John says,
“If you can’t be thankful for what you have, at least be thankful for what you’ve escaped!”
Wow,  what a great way to look at life.

Here is my Thankability list for 2010
I am thankful for:

God’s unending and relentless grace and provision. (I take it personally)
My Two adult children.
The awesome ability to watch my two adult children succeed in life.
The community of Prescott Az. A great community.
Books, Rivers the outdoors and our three Golden Retrievers (Bella, Lewis and Clark).
Bikes and Mtn. bike friends.

Bikes

Ministry friends who are still in the ministry after all these years.
Friends who are real and loyal when you need them to be.
People that don’t abandon you in tough times.
A life partner (Brenda of 35 years) Companionship with this woman is better everyday.
My life purpose to be a pastor, father, and husband and adventurer ..
Sustainability over this past year of incredible challenges…Amazed everyday we are still able to proceed.
The ability to still be in the game in spite of many loses.
Seeing that gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Finding a way to be thankful for  troubles and watch them become blessings.
People that are smarter than me but still like me.
People who have been through some amazing setbacks yet still press on.
The ability to see the other side of the valley’s in life.

Four days on the Eleven Point River this Summer.
Stash’s licorice spice tea.

The camp out with my son at Mount Humphrey’s

Health.
Memories of a great childhood. ( I actually do have the best parents on the planet).

My parents
My brother Gary.
Our summer vacation in Truckee ( thanks Pam and Berto)
My day job – Thank you Kent and Kristie Sexton.
An understanding, patient and communicative God.

GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they can become your blessings.

The difference is in the Thank-ability.

Steve

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family, Ministry, Thanksgiving

SAYING GRACE

Gotta love this Norman Rockwell image called  Saying Grace.

The ancient art of saying grace is resurrected around millions of family Thanksgiving tables each year.

So is it tradition or is it more than that?

Here are just a few thoughts on saying grace at meal time.

Saying Grace – What difference does it make?

1. It reflects that you are a FOLLOWER OF CHRIST.

Vs. 11 And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples.

Psalm 8:5  For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels,  (a little lower than angels , not a little higher than the animals)

2. It reminds you that God is your source of HEALTH.

1 Corinthians 6:13 You know the old saying, “First you eat to live, and then you live to eat”? Well, it may be true that the body is only a temporary thing, but that’s no excuse for stuffing your body with food, …. Since the Master honors you with a body, honor him with your body!

Proverbs 10:22  The blessing of the LORD, it  maketh rich,

Mar 16:18  They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them

3. It is a recognition of our DEPENDENCE ON GOD.

Vs. 11 And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.

James 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

4. It is a reasonable way to SHARE YOUR FAITH with those you love.

VS.  12 So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” 13 Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.

I like that phrase in vs. 13 “which were left over”.

Left overs are one of the best parts of Thanksgiving.

A few weeks ago I interviewed a 90 year old man who told me his story of being a teenager during the Great Depression. What an amazing story of surviving during some very lean and  mean years.

Some of you reading this blog  are old enough to remember hard times, shortages on cash, and limited menus. You lived on a food budget, which meant you sometimes saw the same dish more than once. Although, due to your Mom’s incredible talent in the kitchen, it didn’t always have the same face. It might show up as mashed potatoes and peas on Monday, then shepherd’s pie on Tuesday. It might even come back a day or two later as something no one but your Mom herself could recognize. She’d chop it, dice it, mix in some cheese, splash Cream of Mushroom soup over the top, dress it up with some parsley, put it on a fancy tray, give it a name and you thought it was something brand new! Couldn’t Mom work miracles with leftovers?
Well guess what? God works the same way too! If you bring Him what you have left over, He can turn it into something you never would have thought possible. You just need to step away, turn it over to Him and let Him do His thing. You didn’t hover over your Mom when she was reinventing your dinner. You were smart enough to know that everything would come out a lot better if you just kept your hands off it. This is not to say you should keep your hands entirely off your own life. You just need to step back far enough to let God work without hindrance. When you do, the promise that “All things work together for good” suddenly becomes a reality in your life.

Saying grace is a reality check and a reminder of where all our resources come from.

If you are living lean this Thanksgiving just remember God’s promise. He tells us in Joel 2:25

“I WILL REPAY YOU FOR THE YEARS THE LOCUSTS HAVE EATEN.”

“If you bring Him what you have left over, He can turn it into something you never would have thought possible.”

Don’t lose the opportunity of saying grace this Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Steve

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Ministry

THE DOMINO EFFECT

Looking forward to a brand new series I am starting soon at PFA called the Domino Effect.

domino effect is a chain reaction occurs when a small change causes a similar change nearby, which then will cause another similar change, and so on in linear sequence. The term is best known as a mechanical effect, and is used as an analogy to a falling row of dominoes. It typically refers to a linked sequence of events where the time between successive events is relatively small.

Our series will look at the domino effect of our worship, our words and our everyday walk.

Remember our service times have changed.

Sunday 10:00 AM

Wednesday night 6:30 PM

Steve Lummer

Lead pastor of Prescott First Assembly

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Life experiences, Ministry

FACING AN OBSTACLE?

ob·sta·cle

–noun; something that obstructs or hinders progress.

Obstacles won’t destroy my vision, but my attitude can. After a grueling sixteen-month odyssey an aging Paul wrote from a smelly Roman dungeon, “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice” (Php 4:4). Paul knew two things we need to know:

1. It’s not over till God says it’s over.
Circumstances and people don’t have the last word God does! He is “author and finisher of our faith” (Heb 12:2). With God, quitting is not an option. When you quit without His permission you’re “AWOL.” Furthermore, when you abandon your mission you forfeit His protection and provision.

2. Nothing can defeat me without my permission.
” and you don’t have to give it. You can’t control what happens to you, but you can control what you say and do. That’s all you need to control; God will control the rest. You can’t control the “handicaps, puzzles and persecution” that come your way, but you can control whether or not you’ll respond with “frustration, despair and rejection.” You can’t always avoid getting “knocked down,” but you can determine whether or not you get “knocked out” 2 Co 4:8-9. Refusing to stay down denies your enemy permission to sabotage your destiny. Do you have a God-given dream? Refuse to quit and it “will surely come.” Have no dream? Ask God for one. Already accomplished your dream? Ask God for another one before you lose the joy and motivation of life. Have a dream so small it doesn’t stretch you? Ask God for a bigger one and watch your faith grow!

You don’t always win by winning.. In fact your greatest wins will  always be the fact that your greatest defeats didn’t kill you!  I love that. Our defeats get defeated when we outlive them, outlast them and smile afterwards.

Again,  2 Cor. 4:8-9 is worth another read today.

“We are hedged in (pressed) on every side [troubled and oppressed in every way], but not cramped or crushed; we suffer embarrassments and are perplexed and unable to find a way out, but not driven to despair;

9We are pursued (persecuted and hard driven), but not deserted [to stand alone]; we are struck down to the ground, but never struck out and destroyed;” 2 Corinthians 4:8,9 (amp)

 

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God and your bod

GOD AND YOUR BOD

I love this quote  – “Today my heart beat 103,369 times; my blood traveled 168 million miles. I breathed 438 cubic feet of air, I ate three pounds of food. I drank 2.9 pounds of liquid, I perspired 1.43 pints. I generated 450 tons of energy. I spoke 4,800 words. I moved 750 major muscles, and I exercised 7 million brain cells. No wonder I’m all tired out!” – Bob Hope

One of the complaints we hear from people over and over is how tired they feel all the time. I too experience times where I am tired and fight sleepiness. Being tired obviously decreases motivation and causes us to feel like you aren’t at 100%.

In order to beat tiredness it’s a good idea to have a plan. Here’s a 8 point plan I use to beat daytime tiredness:

1. A Good aerobic exercise – I’m not talking about a leisurely walk after dinner, I am saying some high intensity stuff. If you find yourself wanting to doze during the day, then you need to increase your aerobic exercise. It increases your blood flow, decreases standing heart rate. You’ll be relaxed more during the day, sleep better at night and feel more energy. (A good bike ride works for me)

2. Cut the sugar – Are you drinking sugar in your coffee or morning beverage? It could be making you tired. When I switched from sugar to honey, I noticed a difference in my energy level that week. Plus, an old farmer’s tip says eating honey from your local bees helps to do away with sinus allergies. Worth a try anyway.

3. Eat a good breakfast – by “good” I don’t mean Fruit Loops or a Danish. Grab some protein, eggs, low fat toast, granola, yogurt. (Brenda really helps me with this one)

4. Eat a light lunch – This advice comes from Benjamin Franklin. He noticed that his co-workers would gorge themselves at lunch and then have an afternoon of sleepiness. He chose instead to slowly and methodically eat a hunk of bread as he read a book.

5. Take time during lunch for you – which is the second part of Ben Franklin’s advice. While he slowly ate his bread he’d take “Ben time” by reading a book. By taking a full break from the reality of work in this way, you can come back from a “mini-vacation” refreshed and ready to take on the afternoon.

6. Cat-nap – If you have a flexible schedule you can nap when you get tired. The key with this is not to nap too long. A 1 to 2 hour nap will make you more tired…Sometimes you can squeeze in a 15 minute cat nap during lunch. Other times you might have to wait until after work. Either way, a nap can refresh and rejuvenate you.

7. By banishing Negative People From Your Life –Negative people. They’re like human black holes which suddenly come out of nowhere and just suck the life out of you. You try to stay positive and remain strong but their negativity ends up just completely draining you, you feel exhausted, and you may also start to feel depressed too. So what can you do? One of the first things to do is to be aware of who the negative people are in your life.

Proverbs 12:18 There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, But the tongue of the wise promotes health.

Proverbs 3:5-8 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; {6} In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. {7} Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. {8} It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.

8. Stay in a consistent relationship with God.“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” –  Matthew 11:28

It is an amazing gift to stay wide awake through life… we miss so much when we sleep walk right through it.

Wide awake.

Steve

Lead Pastor of Prescott First Assembly

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Books I'm Reading, marriage, Ministry

THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES


Over the next eight weeks Brenda and I will be doing a teaching together called the Five Love Languages.
Starting Wednesday night November 17th at 6:30 we will begin our first session as well as take our love language assessment to let you know just what love language you have.

Dr. Gary Chapman, Christian counselor and author of The Five Love Languages writes about the importance of being able to express love to your spouse in a way that your spouse can understand. He calls this type of communicating using the five love languages.

Chapman’s Five Emotional Love Languages:

* Words of Affirmation
This is when you say how nice your spouse looks, or how great the dinner tasted. These words will also build your mate’s self image and confidence.

* Quality Time
Some spouses believe that being together, doing things together and focusing in on one another is the best way to show love. If this is your partner’s love language, turn off the TV now and then and give one another some undivided attention.

* Gifts
It is universal in human cultures to give gifts. They don’t have to be expensive to send a powerful message of love. Spouses who forget a birthday or anniversary or who never give gifts to someone who truly enjoys gift giving will find themselves with a spouse who feels neglected and unloved.

* Acts of Service
Discovering how you can best do something for your spouse will require time and creativity. These acts of service like vacuuming, hanging a bird feeder, planting a garden, etc., need to be done with joy in order to be perceived as a gift of love.

* Physical Touch
Sometimes just stroking your spouse’s back, holding hands, or a peck on the cheek will fulfill this need.

Really looking forward to the journey in this amazing study that will help us all communicate better with the people we love the most.

Pastor Steve

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Ministry

A Box Of Feet and a Wheelchair For Haiti

A few weeks ago our church here in Prescott took up a special love offering. The money was used  to help one of our members ship some needed items to Haiti so she with some other friends could minister to the people who are still suffering from the massive earthquake that took place this year.


I wanted to post a few pics of the wheel chair we shipped and the little girl who is using the chair a this very moment.

What a power way to be used to help a hurting country.

Here is Kate Pressman’s blog if you would like to check out a few more pics from her trip this past month.

http://katepressman.wordpress.com/

Here is one of the boxes of prosthetics that were shipped with the team of physical therapist to Haiti.


The Sunday morning of the special love offering we as a congregation prayed with fervency for the boy or girl that would sit in this chair.

Here is the little girl who is now using the wheelchair that so many prayed for and gave.

That is how God uses all of us. He puts us together to get the selfishness out of us so we can together make a difference in peoples lives.
From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself
up in love, as each part does its work. (Eph. 4:16)

Written in the context of spiritual gifting, Ephesians 4:16 lets us know that each and every Christian has a part in the church that will be instrumental to the growth of the Body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:7 says, “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”

Serving one another through the use
of our spiritual gifts is not optional.

Since there is a limit on the time we can serve, we need to look for maximum effectiveness. Structuring our ministries around our spiritual gifts will help us do that. Knowing where we are spiritually gifted will help us know where to put our focus, energy, and time. It will show us where we should plug into ministry.

But, in serving we must follow:

* God’s design for the church
* God’s own character
* God’s principles in His Word
And, the use of our spiritual gifts must be exercised:

* in His power
* by His grace

Thank you for being UNselfish.

Pastor Steve

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LEWIS AND CLARK

Lewis and Clark October Entry

Just wanted to post a few pics of the seven month old GROWING pups in this blog for October.

As you can see the seven month old pups have now caught up with 6 year old Bella.

Lewis and Clark gettin a coffee with dad at the Method Coffee here in Preskitt.

Clark with the rope and Lewis always analyzing.

Clark Griswold is pushing close to 85 lbs.

Lewis and Clark (seven months old) always playing, eating or sleeping.

I love these two last pics .

These guys have been just perfect especially for the last 7 months we have had.

Man what a gift God.

Thank you.

Steve

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Arizona, Ministry, outdoors

New Horizons/Teen Challenge @ Lake Powell

I just wanted to post a few pics from an amazing weekend with some amazing students and leaders I had at Lake Powell last weekend.

I was invited to speak at their annual Honors Retreat by pastor Daniel Williamson who is the Lead pastor of  Lamb Of God Church in Flagstaff.

http://www.azteenchallenge.org/cms/index.cfm?&PrimaryKeyList=,783&itemID=204069

All I can say is, this guy is a true authentic pastor. I watched him pour his life into these students and leaders.

The weekend was filled with outdoor activities as well as four sessions I themed as “SURVIVOR”.

I gave four sessions to help the teens survive in the real world after they graduated from New Horizons.

*Surviving Sons – Taken from the 33 Chilean miners trapped for 60 plus days in Chile.

*Between A Rock And A Hard Place – Taken from the Aron Rolston  Story.

*The “Z Man” – The Story of Zacchaeus who was a small man who was up a tree.

*The Apple Of God’s Eye – Taken from Deuteronomy 32:10

Here are a few pics of an amazing crew in what we called Cathedral Cove.

Double click on the pic to enlarge it if you want to see a bigger image.

One of the coolest parts of the retreat for me was having my son Caleb with us the entire weekend.

One of the leaders of the retreat took us on a tour up Navajo Canyon.

The accommodations Captain Z provided for the leaders was really tough…man we suffered in this 54 footer.

75 pancakes – Pastor Daniel

What a team of leaders. These guys truly are servants.

I have had a lot of letters and notes handed to me over 30 years of ministry but this note on a napkin from a student named Zach is one of my favorites.

Just had to scan it and make it digital for histories sake.

Thank you Pastor Daniel and Teen Challenge for a great weekend in an amazing place.

Pastor Steve


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