.Real.Greg.Lee.

What is the next step you need to take to grow spiritually?  Have you ever thought about that? 

Unfortunately, I think the most common answer to that would be “I’m not sure”.  That’s why I’m so excited about our upcoming message series called “Puzzled?”  I just believe to the bottom of my heart that this fall can be an eye-opening time for people to get real help to experience God in their lives…and think it terms of spiritual targets…things to aim at as you grow in your faith.

Fall Church Party!  OK, the event is actually called “Playin’ it Forward”, but it’s going to be a huge Suncrest event with great music, fun for the whole family and a great cause to rally around.  I’ll tell you the whole story next week.  For now, make sure you block Saturday evening, September 15 on your calendar.  We’ll see you then at Redar Park in Schererville.

Make sure you are here this Sunday for the 2^nd installment of “How to make Worship Boring”.  Should be great stuff!

PS – Some have noticed that I haven’t talked about the cardinals nearly as much this year (since they have been losing!)  That’s true, but now it looks like we have a fun race on our hands between the Cards and Cubs in September.  Look forward to me commenting on it on Sundays…if the cardinals are winning. J

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I’m still celebrating from the baptism response on Sunday.  Yesterday, I got to sit down with one of the people making the decision.  What Jesus is doing in her life is powerful.  A few short weeks ago, she had no church home, but a friend – someone who cared passionately about people far from God – brought her to Suncrest and now her spiritual journey has spiked.  Only God, right? 

We do have an important announcement about Sundays at Suncrest to make today too.  Beginning in three weeks – Sunday, September 9 – we are shifting our service times ½ hour earlier.  The new schedule will be:  

8:00am

9:30am

11:00am.   

The change has a very specific purpose – to let us reach more people by having more seats (and children’s ministry space!) at times when newcomers are likely to come.  Since going to the three service schedule, our attendance has increased by hundreds, but we keep seeing the 10:00 service grow much faster than the others (some kids were in overflow spaces Sunday).  With the change, we hope those of you who attend the 8:30 service now will stick with the early service (now at 8:00).  And hopefully the other two services will both be great options for people. 

Make sure you come this weekend as we begin a new three week series entitled (tongue in cheek, of course), “How to Make Worship Boring”. Greg

Posted in Suncrest

If you were at Suncrest on Sunday, you know we tackled the powerful topic of baptism.  After every service, I had people come down front to tell me they were making this spiritual step.  It was one of the best Sunday mornings I’ve had in a long time.

This morning was even better.  After tallying tear-off panels, people who came forward and a few other less formal conversations, we’ve ended up with more than 20 people who made decisions this weekend.  Some are decisions to explore further…and some are just ready to “jump in” so to speak.  (As long as they don’t jump in like the kid on Sunday’s video!).

A side note…those 20+ decisions are from a  diverse group – men and women; some singles and at least one couple taking this step together; elementary aged to retirement age, one was a first time visitor and others have been here a long time. 

A final request…I know a few of the people I was praying for specifically haven’t stepped forward yet.  Maybe you walked away Sunday knowing that something was stirring in your soul, but you haven’t responded yet.  The opportunity, of course, is still wide open.  Give one of us at the church a call or an email…we would love to connect.

P.S. – It may have been less than clear on Sunday, but we are offering a baptism information session/discussion on Sunday, September 9 during the 10:00 service.  If you are interested, email Doug at doug.gamble@suncrest.org

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Hey Suncrest, I’m in the first week back from my summer time away and it feels great.   Sunday was great, wasn’t it?  Worship “in the round” was more than just a creative idea to me, it was a powerful experience given the topic of communion.   

You are generous!  I didn’t get this email out last week, but the special offering Sunday for the new church plant in Tampa, Florida 2 weeks ago was almost $7000.  On top of that, we had an additional $10,000 specifically given to new churches this week.  I love the passion we all share for helping new churches launch.  

One of the neat things I’ve done over the past couple weeks in a different rhythm is to connect with other pastors in the area.  The golf course is my preferred place to do that!  So, I played golf with pastors from Bethel Church and Crosspointe Church in Crown Point and from Crossroads Church, Faith Church, and New Hope Church in the tri-town area.  We really have some great churches in the area – and a unique spirit of cooperation! 

From time to time, I know I send you updates about my mentor and our Founding pastor, John Wasem.  I talked to his wife, Leslie, last week and she told me John was babysitting their one year old granddaughter (Naomi) out in Oregon.  Those of us who know him can picture one proud grandpa!  

 Greg 

PS – You’ll want to be at Suncrest this Sunday as I teach on the topic of baptism.  I think it will be insightful for many.  I’ve been praying for some very specific people to take this spiritual step and I hope Sunday is a catalyst for that.

Posted in Suncrest

Monday was a good day.  Spent much of the day at the beach with the family.  Jack loved feeding the seagulls the crust from his ham and cheese sandwhich.  Abby, just loved playing.  I’m in the last week of this summer sabatical, but got to make sure I keep up with this rythm of family things we’ve done.

Monday was also a day for good news.  Starting new churches is our heartbeat at Suncrest and we gave our attention to that Sunday.  I learned yesterday our special offering was over $6500 to help the new church we are partnering with in Tampa.  Danny Schaffner did a great job speaking!

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Who is your enemy?  It may look slightly different today than when Jesus taught his followers to “love their enemies“, but I think this weekend’s message will have something for everyone.  As I’ve worked not just on the sermon, but on thinking through how I need to personally embrace the message there has been more than once that I thought “I wish Jesus had not said that!” 

Thanks for praying for our staff as I asked last week.  We are on the mend, but still with a ways to go.  Bobby and Beka Jackson are on the road today moving their stuff from Ohio and moving into their Cedar Lake home tomorrow.  So, say a quick prayer right now for them.  If you’ve ever had to deal with a huge move, new job, temporary housing, and being apart from family for extended times, you understand the Jackson’s life!  Bobby’s done an incredible job in the midst of it for us and getting the family settled in here will be a huge blessing. 

Last weekend, two Suncrest teams returned from trips to help one of our new churches in Salem, New Hampshire and continue helping to re-build New Orleans.  Here’s what one them on the trip to New Orleans wrote about the experience… 

Thirteen Suncrest members just returned from a week in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, where we hung drywall, painted, and roofed a house. This is in the New Orleans area and was very badly hit by Hurricane Katrina. We saw lots of homes that had been destroyed, and met several people who have been living in small FEMA trailers for almost two years waiting for their houses to be rebuilt. Some homes have been completely gutted, some have been abandoned. Other homes are in every stage of demolition or reconstruction.  Every single home and business in the parish (county) was damaged.

We heard stories of people left homeless on the highway for days after evacuation. We saw homes with huge piles of trash in front–all of their personal belongings. We also saw the efforts of hundreds of volunteers, and the hand of God at work. Please take a moment to thank God for all you have, all He has blessed you with, and also to pray for the victims of Katrina. Some are suffering from depression, as you would expect. Some are still paying on mortgages for homes that no longer exist. Marriages are under stress. The aftereffects go on and on. Also pray for the pastors and churches in the area, that they might show God’s love and be a light in a dark place. 

·          Labor of Love for Louisiana (Suncrest trip January 2007)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmQu1wq0qOo 

·          St. Bernard Parish-one year after the flood 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qe6YhCv_NGI 

·          Ruins of the Lower Ninth Ward, New Orleans

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0z9jCeRQgM  See you Sunday…

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Are any of you like me — sitting near the end of your week thinking “I had hopes of getting so much more done this week!”. But, interruptions are part of the rhythm of life. And this week has been a challenging one for our staff…

We had 5 staff members out this week either due to some serious illness or because they are serving on Mission Trips. Please especially pray for our beloved Children’s Ministry Director, Sue Hertzfeldt. She is fighting an extremely sensitive situation with one of her eyes right now and has had multiple doctor visits and is on a very strict regimen with eye-drops etc. Also, please pray for Martha Farrellbegg (one of our receptionists) as she is in the hospital after surgery earlier this week. I hope to see both Martha and Sue later today and will pass on that we are all praying for them. Mary Beth Stockdale, Denise Tribble and Laurie Olson have been serving on Suncrest mission trips to New England and New Orleans. And special thanks to Clara Clark for picking up lots of hours and big load in our office during an unusual week!

A new series starts this Sunday that Doug and I are really excited about. I’ll kick it off Sunday as we tackle “Things I Wish Jesus Never Said”. Alongside the comforting, encouraging and insightful words Jesus left us, he also left some very challenging statements. Get to church on time so you don’t miss a fun clip at the beginning of the service from the movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. I know we have few Will Farrell fans out there.

The paving of the 2nd entrance is complete, with striping yet to come as the finishing touch. Thank you for your generosity toward this project!! I think it will still be closed this Sunday, but potentially open next weekend. Landscaping and sign will come soon.

Posted in Suncrest

Jenny and the kids have been gone since Tuesday and get back tonight. After just preaching three times and feeling totally drained, I still have to prep for a memorial service I’m doing tonight and visit one of our support staff who is in the hospital…so I might not even get to be home when they get there…but I will get there in time to see them tonight.  Having the house to myself is only good for about one day for me.  After that, I hate being there alone. 

I also couldn’t wait for today because our “Pause” series is over.  I’m really glad we did it, but also glad it’s done.  For some reason it felt “heavy” to me and I think to our church.  Of course, temptation/sin are never the most encouraging topics to teach on.  The feedback from people identifying with the series always makes it worth it.  I met some first-timers after the last two services that seemed to connect well with things which is one of my most important “gauges” of our effectiveness.

Next Sunday we begin an intriguing series called “Things I Wish Jesus Never Said“.  Can’t wait for that.  For any Will Farrell/Ricky Bobby fans out there, we have a special treat for you on Sunday!!

Posted in Suncrest

Just following up on an earlier post.  I mentioned I would write some more about miracles and about visiting people personally as the church goes.  Here’s a quick summary about praying for miracles. 

Probably the best teaching I ever heard on this was from Bob Russell, now retired from Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY.  He had a progressive “Big idea”…

1.  God answers prayer.

2.  God answers prayer in miraculous ways.

3.  God answers prayer in miraculous ways, but not very often.

There is a lot that could be said about this, but let me give you my best thoughts…

First, Prayer has real power.  I say this as a theological truth and as a personal experience.  When we pray, God listens and responds.  He changes the course of circumstances, events, relational dynamics, and temptation.  Suncrest’s founding pastor, John Wasem, once said, “If you really believe in prayer, you would probably pray a whole lot more than you do.”  That’s true, isn’t it?  Prayer becomes a last resort or a token supplement to actions we take on our own to try to fix most situations.  But when the Bible says “You have not becasue you ask not” it is a motivator for asking, isn’t it?

Some people are hesitant to pray for miracles.  I think at some level it is because they are afraid God will not answer their request.  I mean, to answer a miraculous prayer God would have to act in a supernatural way, right?  I would agree wholeheartedly…but I fear the basis of that question reveals something about the other prayers of our lives — we don’t really expect God to act supernaturally (especially at our requests!). 

I would suggest that God cannot act in any way that is not supernatural.  It is is who he is.  So, every time he answers a prayer (large or small in our minds), he is acting supernaturally.

So, whether something seems small or large (in my mind, possible or impossible), I really try to make no distinction in how boldly I ask God to move.  Those are false barriers to God.  The only time I would not pray for a miracle is if it is clear to me that in His will, God has something else in mind.  (Since I’m no expert in reading God’s will in all circumstances, that means I rarely hesitate to pray for a miracle). 

Practically Speaking, that means I might pray with the qualifier “If it is your will, God…”, but I try to reflect that spirit in all of my prayers, whether I say it out loud or not.  My overarching prayer, always, is that God’s will be done in this world.

Here’s the thing about praying for miracles…I ask for them and even expect them (becuase I know God is able to do them), but I do not presume them to be answered.  I want my attitude to be the same as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when they were about to be thrown into a furnace that would burn them alive…

If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king.  But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”     -Daniel 3:17-18

God answers miraculous prayers for us rarely enough for us to remember they are miraculous.  If he answered them all, the event would feel very common place (and not very miraculous, wouldn’t it? 

Also, I think if you trace how God did miracles in the Bible you will always find a greater purpose — and most often that greater purpose (beyond the person being physically healed or something similar) was to open door for his good news message – lending credibility or cracking open people’s hearts with undeniable power.

I know that’s just the tip of the iceberg, but I’ll stop there for now.  If you post comments or questions, I’ll try to get to them.

Posted in Suncrest