Ephesians 3:7-9 (ESV)
⁷ Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power.  ⁸ To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹ and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things.

Paul declares that he was “made a minister” not because he was Judaism’s golden boy, not because he belonged to God’s Fortune 500, not even because he was more able or capable.   The means of Paul’s ministry was singular.  It was grace.  He writes, “to me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given”.  You see, Paul understood, as we should, that he ministered not because he deserved it and certainly not because he had earned it, but because of the wonderful grace of God given to him by the working of God’s own power.

Friends, the closer we get to the Lord, the more we realize how insufficient we are to get close to the Lord.  The closer we get, the more we see the sin in our lives that might have previously gone unnoticed.  Notice that the closer Paul walked with the Lord, the more astonished he became that God would use him in ministry.   For example, he writes in 1 Corinthians 15:9, “For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God” or 1 Timothy 1:15, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. This saying is true, and it can be trusted. I was the worst sinner of all!” Are you beginning to see a pattern? Paul the Apostle, whose resume reads, “least of all the saints”, “least of the apostles”, “the worst sinner of all”, “unworthy to be called an apostle”.  He says, “I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace”.

Be encouraged and reflective this week!  God makes you a minister by the “working of his power”.  Draw close to the Lord this week.  Allow him to convict you, cleanse you, refresh you and empower you for his good work to “bring to light for everyone”.  Gang, God loves you and is going to change lives through you as you center yourself on Him.

God bless you this week!

Shane

The path of the virtuous leads away from evil; whoever follows that path is safe.
Proverbs 16:17 (NLT)

So, I was reading from Proverbs 16 today and was reminded of the importance of the paths we choose to walk in our lives. I was particularly confronted with the fact that sometimes I knowingly wander too far down a wrong path, in either my thoughts or actions. Remembering God’s plan and intention for me (to walk humbly, do justice, and love mercy, etc.) helps me to continually choose His path for my life. I just need to keep making course corrections, due to my errant sense of direction sometimes.

Don’t miss worship this weekend… we’re focusing on the paths we can walk, as we continue in our Pslam 23 series.

Worship Times: Saturday at 5:30pm | Sunday at 9am & 11am

Hope you can make it!

“Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 1:13 ESV)

Sometimes I try to imagine what it must have been like to have been Paul’s apprentice. Paul seems to have filled the role of mentor in Timothy’s life, yet Paul treated him respectfully as a close friend and partner. I am very blessed that Pastor Shane has chosen to play a similar role in my life; guiding me and helping me mature. I must tell you that as the apprentice, I feel a great sense of responsibility. I want to make sure that things are done in a manner that Pastor Shane would approve of, and this can sometimes be a heavy burden. But this privilege and responsibility also stretches and shapes me, so that I can be better prepared for what God would call me to do in the future.

Who is your apprentice? To whom are you giving the great privilege and responsibility of being mentored by you? How’s it going?

Friends, we’ve got to follow Paul’s example here and help others along. I am consistent in mentoring a few different men, and I have yet to find anything more rewarding than watching a close friend mature in Christ. One of those friends just took over my role as Assimilation Coach with Celebrate Recovery, and he’ll probably do a better job with that than I did. What could happen with your ministry if you decided to raise up an apprentice? Would you have more time to dream bigger; to think more about the big picture? What will happen if you don’t? Probably nothing; and this should be one of our biggest fears.

So today, ask yourself “Who will it be?” And if you’ve already found your apprentice, pour a little more into that person this week!

Blessings,

Shawn

Preparing for Your Final

Foundations

July 10 & 11, 2010

Pastor Steve Williams

Preparing for Your Final from NorthPointe Church on Vimeo.

His Promises for Your Pain

Tears

Pastor Shane Ham

May 29 & 30, 2010

His Promises for Your Pain from NorthPointe Church on Vimeo.

Acts 9:15-16 (ESV)

¹⁵ But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.   ¹⁶ For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”

Sometimes our service to the Lord involves suffering for the Lord.  This is something the A

postle Paul learned in time.  You see, a “few years” earlier, Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” Matthew 16:24 (ESV).  It doesn’t sound easy, that’s for sure!   There are crosses to carry, desires to deny, and burdens to bear.  It’s the rule, not the exception!  Such is the way of all who want to follow in the footsteps of Jesus ministry.  But don’t worry, you’re in good company.  Paul described the details of his service…

²³ Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one-I am talking like a madman-with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. ²⁴ Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one.  ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; ²⁶ on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; ²⁷ in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.  ²⁸ And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 (ESV)

It doesn’t sound easy does it?  But is it worth it?  Oh yes!  Friends, God’s calling on your life, his master plan for your ministry, its well worth the aches and pains!  Don’t give up!

Paul wrote to his friends in Rome…

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” Romans 8:18 (ESV).

How true it is!  Don’t lose heart!  Consider your difficulties a part of God’s master plan for your ministry, the fruit of your calling.  And then give thanks to Jesus that you’re just following in his footsteps!

God bless you

Shane

Matthew 8:25-26 (ESV)

“25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.”

The disciples had already seen Jesus perform many miracles and yet, in a panic, they display deficient faith. “Little faith”, the Greek word oligopistos does not mean “no faith”, but rather “ineffective,” “defective,” or “deficient” faith. So we may think of Jesus saying, “O you of deficient faith”.

It is interesting to me that it took only one episode of rough seas for the disciples to allow their faith to slip into a defective state. It reminds me of myself sometimes. Does it remind you of you? Even though we have extreme faith in Christ and our belief is solid as a rock, we can have a tendency to show little of that faith during a storm. Money, work, marriage, children; these are just some of the things that can challenge us to the point of feeling as though we are perishing. But this is when we will need our faith the most; during the hurricane.

“…Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.” Friends, Jesus is able to stop the hurricane, to command even the forces of nature. Just as God in the Old Testament “rebukes” the sea, He has complete control over the natural world. And surely the One who is in command over the natural world also has the power to calm our storm, the hurricane in our life, to settle the wind and the sea for us.

What will your faith look like during the next storm? Will your faith be faulty, flawed, and futile? Or will you have ample, adequate, able and awesome faith during the hurricane? Read Matthew 8 in its entirety this week for encouragement!

Blessings,

Shawn

The Uniqueness Of Jesus

Pastors Ronnie McDougall and Shane Ham

February 27 & 28, 2010

The Uniquenes of Jesus from NorthPointe Church on Vimeo.

The God Who Communicates

Pastor Shane Ham

February 20 & 21, 2010

Untitled from NorthPointe Church on Vimeo.

God’s Creatures

Pastor Ronnie McDougall

February 13 & 14, 2010