Category Archives: Ministry

Just sayin', marriage, Ministry

PLANK EYE

When my wife Brenda was teaching on the subject “Negotiating Change with people you care about“ this Sunday morning in Marriage Matters I had no idea that I would be using the teaching in real life this week.

Have you ever been in a situation were if you ask a person you cared about to change, you felt like they would pack up and leave the relationship?
Well, as a pastor I face that almost every week.
Pastoring people is the process of attempting to get groups as well as individuals to move forward toward a intended goal.
That is easier said than done.

FORWARD PROGRESS  is why Brenda and I love watching football so much. We get to see people move toward an intended goal in about 60 minutes.
I also love it when relationships with people who think totally different than I do work out. It just feels amazing to see stuff get resolved because two people work on a solution toward a common goal. – COOLNESS HAPPENS. When we start at the right place for change


The right place to start when it comes to HUMANITY is the place of HUMILITY.
Humility does not mean you think less of yourself. It means you just think of yourself  less.

If it is true that even “God resist the proud” , how much more inevitable is it for humans to resist us when we approach them in pride?
The place to start if we are desiring change from people we care about is not with them, it is with ourselves.

Again, Jesus nailed it when he said; “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3” Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. Matthew 7

“according to Jesus, they absolute wrong place to attempt to negotiate change in others is the speck in your brothers eye and the right place to start is the plank in your own eye.”  -Brenda Lummer  Marriage Matters 11/26/2009

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Ministry

I CAN’T SEE GOD part 4

This weekend we are looking at one of the most pandemic problems in the spiritual life of millions of people.

The issue is people can’t see God because the are MIXED UP when it comes to spiritual matters.

I CAN’T SEE GOD ……..BECAUSE I’M SO MIXED UP
Pastor Steve Lummer
part 4

If people can’t see what God is doing,  they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals,  they are most blessed.  Proverbs 29:18 ( message)

Review – HOW TO SEE GOD CLEARLY

1. Give up on religion and go for a relationship with God .
2. Quit waiting for eternal life and start experiencing it right now .
3.. Relax about finding God’s will for your life .
4. Let the Bible speak for itself instead of trying to make it say what you want it to .
5. Find a higher calling than just being happy.

I Can’t See God Because I’m So Mixed Up.

“Do not plant two kinds of seed in your vineyard; if you do, not only the crops you plant but also the fruit of the vineyard will be defiled. 10 Do not plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together. 11 Do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together”.  –     Deuteronomy 22:9-11 (niv)

We lose our vision of God because there are so many LAYERS.

1. Layers of CLUTTER.     2. Layers of CONDEMNATION.   3. Layers of CONFUSION.

People lose sight of God because we send mixed messages of what God looks like?
Ezekiel 34:18 Can’t you be satisfied to drink from the clear stream without muddying the water with your feet? Why do the rest of my sheep have to make do with grass that’s trampled down and water that’s been muddied?

The Good News is not that complicated.
1 Corinthians 14:33  God is not the author of confusion

1. FORGIVENESS OF SINS
Colossians 2:13,14 – When you were dead in your sins and in  your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,

2. A NEW NATURE
2 Corinthians 5:17  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

3. INDWELLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Ephesians 1:13,14 you believed in Christ. And in Christ, God put his special mark of ownership on you by giving you the Holy Spirit that he had promised. 14 That Holy Spirit is the guarantee that we will receive what God promised

4. FREEDOM FROM THE POWER AND SNARE OF SIN
Romans 8:2  through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

5. ETERNAL LIFE BEGINS IN THIS LIFE.
John 17:1-3 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

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Arizona, church family, Ministry

MINISTERING TO THE MINISTERS

Minister To The Ministers

What a great weekend as we get ready to turn the corner toward Thanksgiving. I just felt like we were to minister to a Pastor and his family this Thanksgiving.
Saturday we were able to take a suv full of food as well as a spirit of joy to invade Brian and Debbie’s home in the village of the Grand Canyon.
We took long time friends from our college days Kent and Judy Anderson who work with Rural Compassion.
Brian and Debbie pastor a small congregation in one of the most beautiful places on the planet.
Over 5 million visitors visit the South Rim of the canyon which is literally 5 minutes away from were Brian and Debbie live.
It was great to minister to the ministers yesterday.
Here are some pics of our trip to the Brian’s and ’Debbie’s

@ The Grand Canyon with Kent and Judy Anderson.

Kent and Pastor Brian.

Little Samuel, Debbie Mercy and Brian Fulthrop pastor the village of Grand Canyon

Also here is the link for Rural Compassion
http://www.ruralcompassion.org/joomla/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=2

About Rural Compassion
The Mission

To help break and prevent cycles of physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual poverty.

Benefits of Rural Compassion

* Strengthen small communities by utilizing and building on indigenous resources and maximizing those resources through the church.
* Build the capacity of the church to respond to the systemic needs in the community through sustainable solutions.
* Assist the church to become the center of the community and a spiritually-based service provider.
* Accomplish together what no individual or group can accomplish alone.

Really great services at Prescott First Assembly with the Rural Compassion team.

Speacial thanks to all who gave to help this ministry to the ministers take place. Here is an email note from Debbie.

We were extremely blessed with enough food to feed our family for over a week!! Thanks Pastor Lummer & Brenda; Prescott First Assembly & Rural Compassion. The Lord knows exactly what we need at just the right time! Happy Thanksgiving 🙂

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Just sayin', leadership, Life experiences, Ministry

The Earth Is Not Flat.

I can remember as a child in elementary school looking at the history book and seeing the map and pictures of what the world looked like back in Columbus day.
The picture in the history book was of ships falling off the end of the earth because the earth was believed to be flat. You remember those old maps with the sea monsters and the dragons and people hanging on to the end of the world.

(photos by Ed Miracle taken from google images)

Well, recently I had a situation that caused me to feel like my ship was about to fall off the end of the earth.
In fact I was explaining my emotions to someone. I was explaining how I felt that I had every anchor out in an attempt to keep from going over the edge.

With that, the person I was speaking to said very simply, “Hey Steve, you’ve got to remember, the earth is not flat, its round.” Wow, I had a moment where I felt at peace and realized what I was worrying about was basically conjured up in my mind and was not a real scenario at all.

Most of our fears never really come to pass.

The words of Jesus  still reverberate with truth. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34 NIV) He was teaching people who had ears to hear to learn to live one day at a time. The context of Jesus’ profound recommendation begins in Matthew 6:35, and concludes in the final verses of this life-changing lesson. “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:31-34 NKJV)

My situation was very real and had some serious ramifications if not dealt with  but we are all going to have problems and situations that are beyond our control….that is just a fact. But another fact is that we have a choice as to how we respond to the problems and situations in our lives.

The earth is not flat. That is so important because of this one important thing. If the earth was flat we would eventually fall off the edge. But, because it is round we can keep going forward.
What a great feeling to have hope and a future.

You can keep going forward Don’t let fear keep you from sailing– the earth is not flat it is round.

This is our world and it is round meaning we can keep sailing around it and not fall off it.

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church family, family, Ministry

I Can’t See God part 3

Loving the series I Can’t See God.

cant-see-god

This weekend; I Can’t See God Because I Just Don’t Like His Kids That Much.”

Here is the outline for the teaching.

I CAN’T SEE GOD ……..BECAUSE I’M IN THE WAY
 Pastor Steve Lummer
part 3
If people can’t see what God is doing,  they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals,  they are most blessed.  Proverbs 29:18 ( message)
If we can see God, we can become more like Him.
I can’t see God because I don’t like His kids very much.

spoiled brat
How you see GOD is going to determine how you see YOURSELF….How you see yourself can determine how you see OTHERS.
“My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.  34″A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  John 13:31-35 (niv)
What does ” Love each other” look like?
1. Sincerity and Respect.
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Romans 12:9 (niv)
2. Intimacy and Communion .
My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  John 17:20,21 (niv)
3. Action and Compassion .

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15: 12-13
THE WILL or HIS WILL?
Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ,    Romans 8:17
If I want to see God I need to ask him to help me to love all people with his love not just try attempt to love them on my own ability.
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Ministry

I Can’t See God – Part two

can't-see-god

Here is a outline for part two this weekends message called “I Can’t See God.”

I am going to look at how Christianity in America is so closely related to T-Ball in America.

As well, we will revisit the story of  the old testemant body builder Samson – should be fun 🙂

I CAN’T SEE GOD BECAUSE I’M IN THE WAY

Pastor Steve Lummer

part 2

If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed. Proverbs 29:18 ( message)

 

 

He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; Ecclesiastes 3:11 (niv)

The Promise and the Paradox

I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly John 10:9,10

 

T-BALL CHRISTIANITY

1. QUIT the Christian life.

2. KEEP FAILING at the Christian Life

3. FAKE the Christian life.

ARE YOU LIKE SAMSON….JUST NOT AS BUFF?

And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times Judges 13:25 (kjv)

Then she cried out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!” When he woke up, he thought, “I will do as before and shake myself free.” But he didn’t realize the Lord had left him. Judges 16:20

Then the Philistines took him and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza. They bound him with bronze fetters, and he became a grinder in the prison. Judges 16:21 (nkjv)

1. HE LOST HIS POWER.

2. HE LOST HIS VISION.

3. LIFE FOR HIM WAS A GRIND.

With the World Series wrapping up this past week I thought I would wrap up the message in a section call – “How To Catch A Glimpse of God”.
glove_GLIMPSE

 

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Ministry

I Can’t See God – Part 1

Here is the outline for the first in the series that starts this weekend called “I can’t see God”

can't-see-god

I CAN’T SEE GOD ……..BECAUSE I’M IN THE WAY
Pastor Steve Lummer
part 1

If people can’t see what God is doing,  they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals,  they are most blessed.  Proverbs 29:18 ( message)

BARRIERS TO SEEING GOD

five barriers that keep us from seeing God is Illustrated by putting your hand in front of your face.

hand

HOW TO SEE GOD CLEARLY

1. Give up on religion and go for a relationship with God .
“I (Jesus) am the way, the truth, and the life. No one may come to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6

2. Quit waiting for eternal life and start experiencing it right now .
I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10 (nkjv)

3.. Relax about finding God’s will for your life .
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is Romans 12:2 (niv)
“Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart” Psalm 37:4 (niv)

4. Let the Bible speak for itself instead of trying to make it say what you want it to .
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 (niv)

5. Find a higher calling than just being happy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,  for they will see God. Matthew 5:8 (niv)

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Ministry

I Can’t See God

Starting a new series this Sunday called “I Can’t See God”.

1.-Blind-eye

This newest Series is about Getting Beyond Self-Centered Religion to a Passionate Faith

When you hear about  Jesus’promise of an abundant life, do you ever think, I’m a Christian, but I don’t see God moving so abundantly in my life! Have you ever wondered whether you have som misconceptions about faith that could be blocking you view of God?

Over the next five weeks we will be looking at how to;

  • give up on religion and go for a relationship with God
  • quit waiting for eternal life and start experiencing it right now
  • relax about finding God’s will for your life
  • let the Bible speak for itself instead of trying to make it say what you want it to
  • find a higher calling than justbeing happy


Could it be that you are your own worst enemy when it comes to realizing God’s abundant life? Maybe it’s time to change your spiritual perspective and experience God’s presence in you life like never before.

 

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Ministry

Part 6 of “What We Do.” series

Here is the outline from the last message in the series “What We Do.”

axe-eccle

WHAT WE DO
Pastor Steve Lummer
Part 6
WHAT DO WE HAVE TO WORK WITH
The duller the ax the harder the work;  Use your head: The more brains, the less muscle. Ecclesiastes 10:10 (message)
BAZELEL and OHOLIAB Inc.
See, the LORD has chosen Bezalel ….and Oholiab …He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as skilled craftsmen and designers…. They are  master craftsmen and designers.  – Exodus 35
1  A MIND to work.
the people had a mind to work. Nehemiah 4:6
2. A WILL to work
Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, – 2 Corinthians 8:11
3. A TIME to work
As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. – John 4:9
God has given us a TOOL BOX full of  TOOLS to work with.
1. The COMPASS not the CLOCK.
“An intelligent person aims at wise actions, but a fool starts off in many directions.” Proverbs 17:24 (Good News)
2. The  CONCEPT not the CRUNCH
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.   Phil 4:19 (NIV)
3. The CLOUD not the CROWD.
He guided them with the cloud by day and with light from the fire all night Psalm 78:14
I think this series really touch a common nerve with a lot of people in out PFA family.
Really glad we did it.
Let’s be the best work force out in the Marketplace.

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leadership, Ministry

Quotes From AZMR 09′

Here are some bullet point quotes from Mark Batterson and others at the Arizona Minister’s Renewal this past week that took place here in Preskitt..

batterson

“an extended shelf life is determined by how much you renew yourself.”

“It is easy to get “stuck”  and “faithful” mixed up.”

“Your ultimate destiny is determined by your daily disciplines.”

“Love people when they least EXPECT IT and when they least DESERVE IT.”

“The Bible is the greatest deterant to sin and the greatest accelerant to faith.”

“The office is the place where I get nothing done.”

“Change of PACE + change of PLACE = change of PERSPECTIVE.”

“As leaders we are engineering atmosphere and designing experiences.”

“Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do it to just hang in there.”

“Leadership is about those situations where you don’t know where to turn and what to do.”

“Sometimes God leads us to a place where the only place to turn is to Him.”

“When you don’t where to turn…turn to scripture.”

“Everyone wants a miracle…but we just don’t want to be put in a place that necessitates one.”

“If you are going to see something you have never seen before…you need to be in a situation you have never been in before.”

“Don’t let the arrows of criticism pierce your heart unless it first passes through the filter of scripture.” – Erwin Mcmanus

“The printing press is God’s greatest act of Grace.” – Martin Luther

“Most of the time we cannot get people to a point where they are offended by the cross, because they are so easily offended by us.”

When someone ask Sam Walton how he became an overnight success he responded; “It took 20 years to become an overnight success.”

“Contextual intelligence = success.”

Matthew 10:16 “shake the dust off” – (The dust of offense)

1. Don’t share the dust of offense

2. Don’t spread the dust of offense.

3. Don’t take on the dust of offense.

4. Don’t keep the dust on you.

“We are so prone to un-intentional blindness”

Great two days put togetherby the AZ leadership team .

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