Books I'm Reading, Ministry

Ephesians The Series

EPHESIANS
What being a Christ follower looks like
part 1
Pastor Steve Lummer

As a college student way back in 1978 a friend of mine and I traveled to the east coast for some ministry over Christmas break. The end destination for the trip was New York City USA.
As we actually got into the heart of it all it was not long before I felt overwhelmed by the overgrown city. As we went through China Town I remember asking my self – “where are we “ and feeling like I was in a concrete jungle with no compass.
Our destination was to get to the top of Empire State Building.

Total Height: 1,454 feet
To 86th Floor Observatory: 1,050 feet
Steps: 1,860 from street level to 102nd floor

The elevator attendant said to me as I walked out onto the observation deck “ enjoy the view”…. And wow what a view it was.

From the observation deck you can see all of Manhattan’s Skyscrapers, from Financial District to Midtown Manhattan. And on the west side you can see a little bit of Newark NJ and Jersey City. and on the east side you can see all of Brooklyn and but you can barely see queens toward rockaway beach because of smog as for New Jersey too.

The book of Ephesians is like the Empire State Building
To have a grasp of the book of Ephesians gives you a BIRDS EYE VIEW of not only the rest of Paul’s letters in the New Testament but you begin to get a  CLEAR VIEW of who God is through Jesus Christ as well as a VISION of who you are in Christ.

Look how Paul starts out in the first chapter praying for the churches ability be well ACCLIMATED to the life they are living in a culture that is so easy to get lost in.

Paul starts out his letter to the Ephesians with this prayer.

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints Ephesians 1:18 (niv)

Here is the outline to the series we will dive into over the next few week on the book of Ephesians.
Ephesians is has a two part theme:
1. Who we are in Christ  Chapters 1-3
2. How we should live  Chapters 4-6

Paul gives us a great look at how we can understand how the Christian life works.

” ‘Who are you, Lord?’  … “‘What do you want me to do, Lord?’ I asked Acts 22::8-10

1. Our Status – SIT
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ Ephesians 1:3
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus Ephesians 2:6

2. Our Service – WALK
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received Ephesians 4:1
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light Ephesians 5:8


3. Our Strategy – STAND
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Ephesians 613


ENJOY THE VIEW.

Steve Lummer

lead pastor Prescott First Assembly

Prescott Arizona

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Arizona, Bikes, cycling, Mountain biking, Prescott, SINGLE SPEED

The 2010 Whiskey Off Road Mountain Bike Endurance Race

For my birthday over the past five years I have entered the Whiskey Off Road Mountain Bike Endurance Race.

I have five posters from the past five events hanging in my man cave.

This year for my 52nd birthday I needed to kick it up a notch by doing the event on a single speed rigid.

This year I did the 25 proof and could not have ask for better trail conditions as well as the company of over 1000 mountain bikers from all over the nation.

The course this year was the same as it is pretty much every year except for the large amounts of snow we had in the months approaching the event.  The week prior to the race we had a crew out shoveling snow off a section of trail 48.

The snow really kept everything on the trails in perfect condition…..tacky and fast  is the only way to describe this years dirt. It was what contributed to records being broken by the top riders as well as helping me beat my time in for the previous four years.

Last year I did the 50 proof in just under a week – haha

But the other three years I did the 25 proof in 5:13 , 4:27 and 4:13. This year my goal was to break the four hour mark. I reached my goal by finishing at 3:57:17.

Very happy with this years time.

This year I dedicated my ride to our best friend and companion Cody. Cody passed away Saturday morning April 16th and he will be missed dearly and beyond words.

If he could have physically been able to, he would have ran the entire course right beside me. I so admire his dignity and desire to live.

The Whiskey Off Road Mountain Bike Race of 2010  is history now but the memories and friendships will be with us for a long time.

Again, thanks to http://www.epicrides .com for an amazing weekend and fun. Thank you to the community of Prescott Arizona for your amazing people and wild west Spirit.

Here are just a few pics of some great people that made the weekend such a great experience.

Bikes fill up the town every year in April thank to the Whiskey

Hal Hayden Nate Woods and Mike are great buddies that make life in Ptown the best.

Everybody loves Tomas and we all respect his riding ability. He is the real “Mayor” of  Preskitt.

Tina Ooley road the 25 on a single speed and podiumed the event in honor of her brother Nick who passed away just weeks before the event.

Keith Beesmer

Dave Sewell and I

Bren always meets me at the finish line with a kiss and a cold root beer 🙂

No wonder I am in a hurry to finish the race.

Next year I plan on being in a support role for some of my friends here in town. I have never seen the race from a spectators side and look forward to watching the hammerheads climb the water bars.

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canoing, family, rivers

Coda-Way

We named him after a favorite fishing river deep in the Missouri Ozarks. The Courtois (Coda-way) River .

Real name: “Courtois” (pronounced “coda way”) a stream in Southern Missouri ( named after the Coutois Indians) This was the first river Cody floated with us when he was a pup 14 plus years ago in my old town canoe.

Nick names: “Chinka boy “, “Curley Bill”, “Esau”, “Moosehead” , or more simply we called him “Codes”. He was a real retriever and the  greatest of friends.

He went with us everywhere over the past 14 plus years. Walks, rides, canoe trips even door to door at Halloween.

His biggest desire was to just be with us all the time anytime even when we went to the church.

He loved going on walks with us especially when he was younger and had the ability to run and keep up with the younger dogs.

This pic is Bren and Cody at the top of Granite mountain and I could begin to tell he was wearing down with age.

From a pup he loved the water and would be the first to dive in and get the party started.

His last moments with us were at Prescott Animal Hospital  here in Prescott Arizona under the care and compassion of Dr. Cameron Dow.

Dr. Dow and his amazing staff are professional and as compassionate as you can get.

http://prescottvets.com/

Cody left us Saturday morning April 16th with such dignity and grace that I cannot describe in words.

I love and miss you buddy. You are in our hearts everyday.

Thank you for your unconditional love and amazing companionship Codes.

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family, marriage

55 AND ALIVE

Today is April 9th and it is Spring.

Spring to many of us  means life and a new day ..Spring and “springtime” refer to the season, and broadly to ideas of rebirth, renewal and regrowth.

Today my parents celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary.

This morning I called them to wish them and congratulate them on 55 years of a living and thriving marriage together.

I love life, I love living things and I love watching thriving marriages.

It is an amazing legacy to have two parents that have an amazing portrait of a living marriage for all of us to see.

Happy 55th mom and dad you are amazing.

Steve

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Arizona, Bikes, Mountain biking

PRESCOTT TRAIL CREW WORK DAY

I just wanted to post a few pics of our Prescott trail work day this past Saturday.

What a great day of repairing one of the fastest sections of this years Whiskey Off Road Mountain Bike Endurance race.

The event will begin on the famous “Whiskey Row” square in mile high city Prescott Arizona April 24th.

It is steeper than it looks.

Riding mountain bikes is much better when you contribute to building the trails you ride on.

Epic rides Todd Sadow writes,

http://www.epicrides.com/

“Whiskey Off Road is three weeks away, a HUGE ‘THANKS’ to the Prescott trail crew who saddled up this weekend and put in the hours cleaning up the course. We hear the 260 descent has ‘fast’ written all over it. Tighten your woodscrews folks..”
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church family

Easter 2010

I just wanted to post a few photos that are special to me from Easter Sunday at PFA 2k10.

I just want to say thank you to all who made this Easter Sunday a moment to be remembered.

Diana, Sarah, Jason, Adam, Noah, Mikel, Natascha, Brenda, Stacey, Jimmy, Jordan, Jamie, Jeff and Tracey, Chelsey, Caleb and Beth. Also, Thanks go to our greeters, the ushers , and nursery workers that helped serve our community with another Easter to celebrate our risen Lord Jesus.

I love being able to celebrate Easter as pastor with our ever changing and passionate church family.

Thank you to all who served.

Steve Lummer

pastor – Prescott First Assembly

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Ministry

THE RESURRECTION IS KIND OF A BIG DEAL

THE RESURRECTION IS KIND OF A BIG DEAL
Pastor Steve Lummer
Easter Sunday

And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile 1 Corinthians 15:17

Without the resurrection of Jesus, there is no CHRISTIANITY.

What is resurrection?

You are LIVING then you are DEAD then you are LIVING again.

WE HAVE HOPE AND A FUTURE BECAUSE OF THE RESURRECTION.

1. Jesus went before us into the CAVE of the GRAVE.
And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud  60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away.  Matthew 27

2. It changes EVERYTHING now.
Because I live, you also will live. …. … Because I live, you also will live.  John 14

– It changes how I WORSHIP God.
This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do you, as oft as you drink it, in remembrance of me. 26 For as often as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you do show the Lord’s death till he come. 1 Cor. 11

– It changes how I OBEY God.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, – Matthew 28

– It changes how I look at FAMILY and FRIENDS.
Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23

– It changes how I IMAGINE my future.
In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. John 14

I like my future. Because He lives I live.

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Books I'm Reading

BOOKS I AM READING THIS SPRING – PART 2

One of the goals this past three weeks on our 21 day fast was to “fast” television  and read a couple of good books that would feed the soul
The Christian Atheist, by recovering Christian Atheist Craig Groeschel, is an honest, hard-hitting and eye-opening look into the ways people believe in God but live as if he doesn’t exist.

“The more I looked, the more I found Christian Atheists everywhere.” Former Christian Atheist Craig Groeschel knows his subject all too well. After over a decade of successful ministry, he had to make a painful self admission: although he believed in God, he was leading his church like God didn’t exist. To Christians and non-Christians alike, to the churched and the unchurched, the journey leading up to Groeschel’s admission and the journey that follows—from his family and his upbringing to the lackluster and even diametrically opposed expressions of faith he encountered—will look and sound like the story of their own lives. Now the founding and senior pastor of the multicampus, pace-setting LifeChurch.tv, Groeschel’s personal journey toward a more authentic God-honoring life is more relevant than ever.

So far this is great stuff.

Steve Lummer

Lead Pastor Prescott First Assembly

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Books I'm Reading

BOOKS I AM READING THIS SPRING – PART 1

One of the goals this past three weeks on our 21 day fast was to “fast” television  and read a couple of good books that would feed the soul

My first choice was, A Million Miles In A Thousand Years by Donald Miller.

Miller Writes; “every life is a story” and “the saddest part about life is that you don’t remember half of it.”
“If we want a feeling of meaning in life,” Miller writes, “I don’t think we have a choice but to live a good story — that is, to propel ourselves into some noble adventure, enduring difficult conflict for a cause greater than ourselves so we can see a tension resolve for the betterment of the people around us, for our families and our friends and for strangers less fortunate, thus setting a moral compass for everybody watching our stories, giving them the inspiration to lead a better life themselves.

“And it bears repeating: in living a great story, we defy a dark force propagating what I believe to be a lie, that a human life is not worth living, that the story you have living within you is not worth telling.”
So far this is a great read.  I love picking up a new book and forcing myself to stay away from the typical brain candy of television and the internet.
Nothing better than the feel of paper and the reading of great thoughts that propel me into another season of growth and learning.

Steve
Lead Pastor Prescott First Assmbly.

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