My Pastor's Shoes

This is my view most weekends….Pastor T’s (@tgramling) shoes :)  You see...I have the privilege every weekend of sitting in the front row in many of our services…and when you look up at the stage, this is what I SEE.  Many weekends later, and many unique shoes later…I began thinking…where have these shoes been?  How did Pastor T’s walk get him to this point?  What have they seen….experienced?  What obstacles have they faced that ultimately shaped him & brought him to this point in his destiny?

 

And then I began thinking of my own shoes…my own “feet” you can say….my own journey…and when I look back, I can see God’s hand on my life, EVERY step of the way bringing me to this place & time in my life. Every mountain...every valley.  I feel like I am right where I am supposed to be by divine appointment.  Have never felt more in tune with what He’s created me to be, have never felt more whole or complete than right now.  Everything He brings or allows in my life from this point forward is ADDITION. Look forward with ALL that I am to be HIS hands & feet!

 

 

Hands & Feet!

Connect Leaders

 

These are the biggest weekends of the year!!! We have been preparing for months as a staff & can barely sleep!!! Here a few things to keep in mind as we run after it:

 

• INVITE, INVITE, INVITE! We are the eyes & ears, hands & feet of Flamingo!
• Connect through volunteering. It takes a village to do what we do week after week. We can’t do it without you!
• Identify Potential Leaders for 2010! We will have many more lives desiring to CONNECT from Christmas Series. Our heart is to open many more Connect Groups to connect folks!
• Sign up to TWITTER & keep connected with your Connection Leadership Team! You can follow me & your Connect Directors at:  @lilibeth @barbyward @mnadlman @mrryanmoore @jeralinf  @flmmr
• Think Christmas! Tons of services, tons of opportunities for you to connect with God & others through volunteering. Connect Ministry will be leading one of the largest Top Secret Missions this Christmas. Stay connected to our Connections Blog for details: www.flamingoroadconnections.com

 

 

Thank you for partnering with others to help them reach their God-potential. Lets do this!!!

 

Training vs. Trying

This is the Life & Leadership weekly email from Pastor Troy Gramling.

If you had the apostle Paul as your success coach he would tell you that intensity, alone, is not enough; you have to train. In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul writes that , "all athletes are disciplined in their training." If you put 300 pounds on the bar and try to lift it but haven't trained, no matter how intense you are, you ain't gonna move it! It's so easy to try, but training takes discipline. Training is done outside the spotlight and behind the scenes. Training is the work that leads to the prize. Those who train are easy to spot -- they're the ones with the medals. The most difficult part of training is consistency. Just because you could lift 300 pounds last year doesn't mean you get a pass on it this year. Whether it's in the gym, the home, the church or the office -- to win the medal you have to train.

The Series Before the Series - Week One

Pastor Matt Miller taught us about Bridging the Gap this past weekend. How much do we really care about the people in our lives? Here is this week's iMAX (I MAXimize the message) for your group discussion...

Read Ezekial 22:30-31 Bridging the Gap
Think about who/what bridged the gap between you and the Cross. Where do you think you would be if that had not happened? Discuss.

There are three general reasons that the gap exists for people:

• They do not know - can you think of some examples of this?
• They do not understand - how can we help them understand?
• They do not care - is it possible to "make" people care?

We feel comfortable staying close to the Cross, in our own safety zone. It can be scary to step out to bridge the gap. "It is hard to put caring into action." but, is our fear or discomfort a good excuse for not helping a lost soul?

If someone was about to get hit by a speeding truck, what would you do? If no one ever bridges the gap for the lost, waht will happen to them? Discuss.

We have many resources you can use to draw people to God [via Flamingo]

• Business cards
• TV broadcast - in South Florida Sundays at 10:30 am, FOX Channel 7
• Website - www.flamingoroadchurch.com
• Evite (through website)
• Talk about the worship team, pastors, ministries

Connect Group Challenge - This week, name 5 people in your sphere of influence who either don't know God, or need to get closer to Him. Pray for opportunities and courage, and invite them to Flamingo Road Church. Bridge the Gap!

To be a kid again...

I look at this picture & cant help but think or wish sometimes "that I could be a kid again". What I would give to see the world through their eyes...

Everything is an adventure...

A friend is anyone that will play with you...

Giggling is a form of Art & expression...

There isnt anything you couldnt do...

You believe the best in people...

You keep no one out ("gate-ology") & let everyone in...

You believe everything is possible!!!

We were reminded this weekend to hold on to our "child-like" faith with all that we are. The kind of faith that carelessly, recklessly, whole-heartedly believes so much in God & in His unfailing promises that you blindly surrender, fall-back into His arms without any reservations. Praying that kind of child-like faith in me & in my arrows all the days of my life.

DREAMS

This is what I face every day when I sit at my desk...

the letters D R E A M sit right in front of me.

I am a HUGE "dreamer"!  Believe in Dreaming Big with all that I am since I was a little girl...

When I look at my list of DREAMS, many have come to fruition...so many it blows my mind!  Yet there are still some DREAMS that I ponder...some that scare me...some that excite me.  Some that I think HOW will that come true?!  

But I believe with ALL that I am, that God is the one that puts those DREAMS in us, that they WILL come to fruition if you HONOR & OBEY God first in everything (stay under the umbrella) & if you remain faithful to His calling on your life.  

Life is about reaching His plan for our lives, submitting to HIS heart, HIStory. DREAMING big for & WITH HIM.