This past weekend we learned about the “magic of marriage.” We learned from the story of Adam and Eve how to have strong, satisfying and successful marriages – marriages that are characterized by Companionship, Cooperation, Commitment and Intimacy. The Lord really utilized this message to bring healing and help to lots of married couples, and to bring hope for a healthy marriage in the future to lots of single adults. By the way, if you weren’t able to attend one of our Campuses this past weekend, you can view the message each day this week at 12 noon and 7 pm on one of our Online Worship Services (www.celebrationchurch.org, or http://live.mediasocial.tv/celebrationchurch).
Now, our Pastors and I received lots of positive feedback from singles, teens and senior adults as well as from couples concerning this message on marriage. Many singles communicated to us that the message helped them immensely because it helped them to understand what type of marriage they should be praying and planning for in the future.

However, there was something that was left unsaid in the message that I wish that I had said. In the section of the sermon where I taught about how God brings people together in a marriage relationship so they don’t have to be alone, I neglected to say that sometimes the Lord wants people to be “alone” for a season of time until they can become healthy enough to enter into a dating or marriage relationship. In fact, the Bible teaches that sometimes it is better for people to be single for a season (and for a few for a lifetime), so that they can overcome hurts, become healthy, and become fully devoted to the Lord.

The Apostle Paul, who himself was a single adult, wrote about this in 1 Corinthians 7. Paul said:

• “I wish everyone could get along without marrying, just as I do. But we are not all the same. God gives some the gift of marriage, and to others he gives the gift of singleness. Now I say to those who aren't married and to widows—it's better to stay unmarried, just as I am. But if they can't control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It's better to marry than to burn with lust.” (1 Corinthians 7:7-9)
• “In everything you do, I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord's work and thinking how to please him. But a married man can't do that so well. He has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. His interests are divided. In the same way, a woman who is no longer married or has never been married can be more devoted to the Lord in body and in spirit, while the married woman must be concerned about her earthly responsibilities and how to please her husband. I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible. But if a man thinks he ought to marry his fiance because he has trouble controlling his passions and time is passing, it is all right; it is not a sin. Let them marry. But if he has decided firmly not to marry and there is no urgency and he can control his passion, he does well not to marry. So the person who marries does well, and the person who doesn't marry does even better.” (1 Corinthians 7:32-38).

Here is what Paul is teaching us in 1 Corinthians 7. First, he’s teaching us that God has a special calling for some to be single adults for a season in their life, if not for a lifetime. He said that “God gives some the gift of marriage, and to others he gives the gift of singleness” (1 Corinthians 7:7). What that tells us is that we don’t have to have someone in our life to be content, but that we can be happy and content in our relationship with the Lord.

Second, Paul teaches us that one of the reasons that the Lord wants people to find a partner and get married is so they don’t fall into sexual sin. He said, “It’s better to marry than to burn with lust” (I don’t think that I have to explain that statement to anyone).

Third, Paul taught that oftentimes the Lord wants people to be single for a season (if not for a lifetime), because they can better devote their lives to growing in the Lord and serving the Lord. He writes in 1 Corinthians 7:38, “The person who marries does well, and the person who doesn’t marry does even better.” Paul says that because he knew that the person who is single has more time and opportunity to focus on the Lord and His will and way for their life.

So here is what I want people to clearly understand (and what I wish I’d said this past weekend). Marriage is indeed a relationship that should help people overcome loneliness in their lives (although some of the loneliest people in life are married individuals). However, when a person is not married or doesn’t have someone special in life it doesn’t mean that they are a “second class citizen” or that the Lord has abandoned them to a life of loneliness. It simply means that the Lord is using that “single time” in their life to draw near to them, strengthen them, and utilize them in great ways to serve Him and serve others.

So what are some “take aways” from this article? One, if you’re single, utilize this time in your life to draw near to the Lord, get healthier, and get involved in serving Him. Two, if you’re married, you’ve got to work extra hard to keep your focus on the Lord because of the distractions created by having a spouse. Three, even in the longest sermons, the Pastor sometimes forgets to say all that he needs to say. Four, I thank God for the many Singles in Celebration Church who are being utilized mightily to bless the Lord and bless others. They will be rewarded by the Lord in many different ways in this life and in the next life.

Pastor Dennis

P.S. To receive information about ministry to Singles Adults at Celebration, go to the Celebration Facebook page (facebook.com/celebrationchurchsingles), or contact our Singles Pastor Tony Leverett (tonyl@celebrationchurch.org, or 504.831.9673, ext 302).

We need to rebuild the family and renew the culture in America. Marriage is in crisis. Divorce and adultery, cohabitation and out-of-wedlock births, and a mentality that views children as a burden are all part of the problem. Over the past five decades in the United States, the marriage rate has gone down and the divorce rate has gone up. In 1960, the out-of-wedlock birth rate was 5 percent. Now it is 37 percent. While you can valiantly raise a good child in another setting and we ought to celebrate it when it happens, the best way to rear a child is between a mom and dad bonded together for life.

Children brought up with a mom and dad bonded in marriage are, on average, far more likely to succeed in school, avoid crime and live happier and healthier lives. The best way to reduce poverty, fight crime and improve education is to rebuild the family.

Families should be able to keep more of what they earn and have more options in terms of education. We need to enact common sense measures to restrict abortion, encourage adoption and promote abstinence. We need to encourage broadcast decency and to address the effects of violence and pornography on our culture. We need a culture that knows right from wrong, encourages virtue and discourages vice.

At Celebration, we are focused on strengthening and rebuilding families through our Life Groups, counseling ministries, Collaborate classes, worship services, retreats, conferences etc. We’re also focused on helping teens and singles learn how to prepare to have healthy, holy and happy families, so they can be a part of “renewing the culture” in America. That’s one of the reasons we’re launching this weekend a new series of messages titled, BEHIND FAMILY LINES (begins May 5-6). In this series we will be learning together how to:

• Prepare for and sustain a strong, secure and satisfying marriage
• Raise godly kids in an ungodly world
• Strengthen our communication with our partners and children
• Have strong and satisfying sex lives in the proper context
• Overcome the hurts of divorce
• Get our finances under control so that we can really enjoy life and be used by God

In this series we’ll be going “behind family lines” in funny but challenging ways to identify where many individuals, marriages and families are today, and then we’ll learn from God’s Word how to have healthy, holy and happy families. Our Pastors and I are encouraging you to plan to attend every weekend (and catch the Online service if and when you’re out of town), and to also be praying for and inviting others to join you for these BEHIND FAMILY LINES messages. Let’s enlist lots of others to help us “rebuild families and renew the culture.”

The A BEAUTIFUL LIFE Women’s Conference (May 11) and MOTHER’S DAY WEEKEND (May 12-13) are going to be two special times for the Celebration Congregation in May. The A BEAUTIFUL LIFE Women’s Conference has a luncheon session (Louisiana’s First Lady, Supriya Jindal will be the guest speaker over lunch) and a dinner/evening session. Tickets for one or both sessions can be obtained by going to www.celebrationchurch.org, or by picking them up after our worship services this coming weekend. Husbands, Boyfriends, Sons and Bosses who want to get on the good side of the women in their life will be sure to register their women for the A BEAUTIFUL LIFE Conference.

MOTHER’S DAY WEEKEND always presents the Women in our Church with a great opportunity to get their husbands and children to attend church services with them. For many churches this is the second highest attended weekend of the year, because wives and mothers use their influence at this time to get their families to come with them to hear the Word of God. Therefore, I want to encourage all moms and wives to go ahead and tell the men in your life that one important thing they can do for you in regards to MOTHER’S DAY is attend church with you. That may be the weekend when they surrender their lives to the Lord.

I once read about a man whose name was inadvertently printed in the obituary column of his local newspaper (someone was “pranking” him). The guy saw his obituary in the newspaper, and wasn’t amused. He called the newspaper editor and expressed his outrage to him. The editor responded, “Sir, this must have been an error, but there is really nothing that I can do.” The editor’s explanation didn’t appease the “prank” victim. He continued to rant and rave and even threatened to sue the paper. Finally the editor said, “I’ll tell you what I can do. Tomorrow I’ll put your name in the birth column, and give you a fresh start.”

In the month of April, our focus at Celebration was on letting people know how they can experience SECOND CHANCES with and through the Lord. We learned that because of the presence and power of Jesus in our lives and world, we have a SECOND CHANCE to:

• Overcome our sorrows, struggles, fears and failures (April 7-8)
• Overcome obstacles and opposition and Fulfill our Dreams (April 14-15)
• Overcome opposition and despair and Make Life Count (April 21-22)
• Overcome our personal failures and Follow God’s Will (April 28-29)

CD’s of these messages (or the message series) can be obtained through our Celebration Bookstore either in person or you can listen to them via our church website (www.celebrationchurch.org). Be sure to pick up copies of those messages and share them with others who need to receive a SECOND CHANCE in their lives. They, and you, will be so glad that you did.

Our Pastors and I look forward to seeing you this weekend as we begin BEHIND FAMILY LINES.

Pastor Dennis

I totally disagree with Mr. Sullivan’s perspective and premises for several reasons. First, unlike Mr. Sullivan, Thomas Jefferson, and many others in today’s world, I fully believe that Jesus has been, and still is, in the miracle-working business. I’ve met thousands of people who have experienced the miraculous power of Jesus in their lives in the 20th & 21st centuries. Also, I have personally experienced Jesus’ miraculous power through my salvation experience, numerous healings, deliverances from struggles and strongholds, receiving God’s supernatural provision and protection on a regular basis, etc. As we often say here at Celebration, “the Lord is in the people-loving, prayer-answering, miracle-working, and life-changing business!”

Secondly, unlike Mr. Sullivan, Jesus was a big advocate of His Church. Jesus said in Matthew 16:18-19: “Upon this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I give to you (His Church) the keys of the kingdom, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” In those words, Jesus was saying that:

• The Church has the right Foundation – it is built on Him, the “rock” of our salvation
• The Church has the right Future – it will overcome every obstacle and opponent, for “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”
• The Church has the right Function – the Church has been called by God to bind the powers of darkness and loose people from their sins, struggles, strongholds, etc.

In regards to the Church today, Jesus would say that His message and ministry can’t be separated from His Church. According to Paul in 1 Corinthians 12 (and other passages), the Church is the literal Body of Christ on earth. As the Church gathers together for worship and ministry, and then scatters throughout local communities to serve and help others, it is the Body of Jesus. And it’s the power of Jesus working through His Body that touches and transforms lives, families and cultures.

Therefore, like Jesus I believe in His Church. I know that the Church has had its issues and problems, and that there have been many in the “Body” who have not represented well the Lord Jesus. However, I believe that as the Church (the people of God) brings to people the message and ministry of Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit, positive transformation takes place in people’s lives, circumstances and relationships and even cultures are transformed for good. In fact, because of who the Church is and what the Church does, I believe that the Church of Jesus Christ is the hope of the world (that is, if we want our world to be a better place than we’ve experienced in the present and in times past).

It’s also through the Church that most people encounter the Lord, experience His salvation and freeing power, develop their best friendships, and learn the value of sharing life together as Christians. It’s through the Church that most Christians find God’s purpose for their lives, experience their greatest joys, receive help in reaching and discipling their children and other loved ones, and are helped in many different ways.

Can you imagine what our world would be like if there was no “Church of Jesus Christ,” no Church like Celebration Church? If there were no Churches like Celebration that demonstrates the love, presence and power of Jesus, our world would be a cold, unloving, miserable and mean place every moment of every day. Thank God for the Church of Jesus Christ!

That’s why I have no problem encouraging and exhorting people to be faithful in attending their Church and participating in their Church’s activities. I believe that people ought to love their Church, support their Church through their prayers, finances and service, and proudly tell people about their Church (and invite them to attend Church with them). In fact, we Christians ought to be regularly telling people not only what we love about our Lord, but what we also love about our Church, His Body.

Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:25 that “Christ loved and died for the Church.” Since Jesus loved and died for the Church, we ought to be willing to love and live for the Church. So let’s love our Church and faithfully and fervently support our Church with all of our hearts. After all, it is the hope for our world, the hope for our region, and the hope for many people’s lives and families.

Getting off my “soapbox” now,

Pastor Dennis

I’ve also discovered that the principle of James 4:2 also applies to my interaction with the people of God as well as with the Lord.  In other words, when I ask the people of God for their support, they are almost always quick to respond to my request.  So, today I’m asking some things of the people of God here at Celebration, because “you have not because you ask not.”

First, I’m asking each Celebration member and attendee to set aside time to pray every day for our upcoming Easter services, pray for many people to attend and for God’s presence and power to be manifested in powerful ways in our services.  Second, I’m asking each Celebration member/attendee to pray for and personally invite (by phone, text, email, Facebook message, personal contact, etc.) 3 to 5 people to join them for one of our Easter services.  85% of the people who ever visit a church (and ultimately give their life to the Lord) attend because they were invited by a friend or family member.  You have great influence with others, so utilize your influence this week for the glory of God and good of others by inviting them to join you for one of our Easter services.  Special Easter invitations are available at our church facilities, church offices, and on our church website and Facebook pages.

Third, I’m asking you to plan to attend at least 2 of our Easter worship services.  Why am I asking you to do that?  One, because your presence in our services will encourage others who are attending.  And two, by identifying which two services you will attend; you will give your invited guests multiple opportunities to join you for worship on Easter weekend.

Fourth, I’m asking you to do your very best to arrive early for our Easter services so you can be a part of our Church family’s hospitality effort towards our guests.  When people attend a church for the first time, they are usually nervous and uncertain.  Nothing helps put a person’s mind at ease more than being greeted by a smiling face and a warm handshake. 

Fifth, I’m asking you to bring the best offering you can to worship with you this weekend, as an indication of your love and appreciation for the risen Lord Jesus – for who He is to you and what He’s done for you.  You may want to give to our CHANGE THE WORLD Missions Offering that is designated to help us support new missionaries and missions projects, or you may want to give to our general offering to help strengthen our ministry to the people of our city and region as well as our support of missions and ministry around the world.

Some of you are perhaps thinking, “Pastor, that’s a lot for you to ask.” You may be right but, “we have not because we ask not.”

I love you all, and appreciate so much your love for the Lord, our church and for others.

I also asked the readers of this Blog to submit ideas about “what a transformed New Orleans Region would look like.” And I was blown away by some of the tremendous thought-provoking responses that were sent back to me. Here are a few excerpts from one of those responses.

“Morally in our region when Kingdom Transformation happens there would be a great decline in immorality, children having children, violence, crime, murders, chemical dependencies, etc. Educationally, we would have godly and competent teachers and children would finish school. Students would have mentors, and would demonstrate respect for one another; and there would be working relationships between parents, teachers, and administration. Economically, everyone would have a job that meets their family needs. Governmentally, there would be no more issues on abortion or preventing prayer in schools; and there would be honest people in office. For Individuals, they would be free in Christ, willing to serve, and to give,and die to self, share about Jesus, and live in peace. For Families, fathers would be present and be the spiritual leaders of the household; and there would be no divorce. For Churches, there would be more prayer.”

For more insight about what Kingdom Transformation would look like in our city and region, I encourage you to go to www.gnopc.org and read the articles titled, “True Transformation” and “Transformation Prayers.” When you read those articles you will understand why the Pastors of our city are praying and partnering together as never before.

Now, let’s think about how our Easter Services relate to the “transformation” of Greater New Orleans. It begins with you and I praying for people that we know who need to experience the transforming power of Jesus in their lives. We all have 4, 5, 10 or 12 people we know who need to experience the Lord’s forgiveness, freedom, peace, joy and purpose in their lives.

Then, after praying for them, we need to invite those same individuals to join us for one or more of our Easter Weekend services. You can invite those individuals by emailing or texting them or by sending a Facebook invitation to them. When you’re inviting them, tell them why you enjoy attending Celebration, and what they can expect. You can also utilize the Easter “invite cards” that we have available in our worship centers. We also need to follow up with our “invited guests,” by encouraging them several times over to join us for one of our Easter services. The Bible says that the Lord rewards our faithful and persistent efforts.

Once our friends and family have agreed to attend Easter services with us, we need to plan to meet them when they arrive (at the service they are planning to attend). Oftentimes when people attend a church like Celebration for the first time, they are very apprehensive about how they might be welcomed and what they might experience. Your presence helps them know that everything will be okay, so they can relax, participate, and receive the message and ministry that the Lord wants them to experience in our Easter services.

Finally, before and during the services be sure to pray for your friends and family members who attend. James 5:16 says that “the fervent prayer of righteous men and women has great power and wonderful results.” In other words, the Lord will respond to prayers on behalf of our friends and family, and will begin His mighty work of convincing, converting and comforting them.

Well, how can our bringing lots of friends and family members with us to our Easter services contribute to the “transformation” of New Orleans? It’s simple mathematics. If every Celebration member/attendee brought 3 friends or family members with them to our Easter services, we would have 15,000 new people in attendance. If in the next year we were able to win those 15,000 individuals to faith in Jesus and help them become disciples of the Lord, the next year we could have 60,000 people in attendance (we would need to use the Super Dome for Easter services). If this same cycle of inviting, winning and discipling people continued for 5-6 years, we could see the entire population of Greater New Orleans won to faith in Christ, which would result in the almost total elimination of chemical dependency, crime, violence, divorce, family conflict, bankruptcies, child abandonment and abuse issues in our region. You may think, “That could never happen.” However, read the stories of Nineveh (Jonah 3) and Samaria (Acts 8) in the Bible, and you will discover that the Lord can and will transform cities and regions when His people are faithful to pray for, witness to, invite and disciple others.

The question is not, “Can God transform Greater New Orleans.” The question is, “Are we willing to do our part in helping facilitate God’s transforming work in Greater New Orleans, beginning this Easter season?” I pray that you’ll join me and several thousand other Celebration members/attendees in “doing our part” to transform “The City Where Hell Reigns” (as Satanists refer to New Orleans) into “The City Where Heaven Reigns.” Let’s all do our part by bringing others with us to our Celebration Good Friday and Easter Services on April 6-8.

We’re addressing questions like:

• What would “Kingdom Transformation” look like morally in our region?
• What would “Kingdom Transformation” look like educationally in our region?
• What would “Kingdom Transformation” look like economically in our region?
• What would “Kingdom Transformation” look like governmentally in our region?”
• What would “Kingdom Transformation” look like for individuals?
• What would “Kingdom Transformation” look like for families?
• What would “Kingdom Transformation” look like for churches?

There have actually been times in the past when the Lord has brought “Kingdom Transformation” to cities and regions. In the Old Testament we read the story of Jonah, who begrudgingly went to a wicked city called Nineveh and preached to them about God’s impending judgment. Jonah 3:5, 10 reads: “The people of Nineveh believed God's message, and from the greatest to the least, they decided to go without food and wear sackcloth to show their sorrow. . . . When God saw that they had put a stop to their evil ways, He had mercy on them and didn't carry out the destruction He had threatened.” Can you imagine an entire city population “stopping their evil ways”? That’s what happened with Nineveh.

In the New Testament we read about a city that experienced something similar to what Nineveh had experienced. Acts 8:5-8 tells us: “Philip went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah. Crowds listened intently to what he had to say because of the miracles he did. Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city.” Can you imagine a city experiencing such a mighty move of God that countless numbers of people are saved, delivered from their demonic strongholds, and healed by the power of God? No wonder there was “great joy” in the city of Samaria.

By the way, the man who God used to bring about this great spiritual awakening in Samaria was not a pastor or evangelist. Phillip was simply a spirit-filled layman who wanted to used by God, and he is a reminder to us that God can use ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things.

In this history of the United States, cities have experienced great transforming “moves of God.” We understand from the writings of Jonathan Edwards that at one time the Lord did such a mighty work in the city of Northhampton, Massachusetts, that the churches were packed with people and the jails were emptied. There was not a single crime in that city for several years. Can you imagine all of the jails in our region being emptied and the churches being filled because God was moving in a supernatural and powerful way?

In recent years we’ve heard and read about great transforming “moves of God” in cities around our world. Great reports have come from places like Cali, Colombia (once the drug capital of the world), in Kiambu, Kenya (once one of the witchcraft centers of that nation), in Alamongo, Guatemala (once one of the poorest cities in that nation) and other cities.

Here is the big question – “Can God do in the New Orleans Region what He’s done in places like Nineveh, Samaria, Northhampton, Cali, Kiambu, Alamongo, etc.? I don’t see why not. Hebrews 13:8 says that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

The pastors of our city that are at this retreat not only believe that the Lord can transform New Orleans like He’s done in other cities in times past – but we’re actively praying for the Lord to bring such a transformation to our city and region that instead of being known as “The City That Care Forgot,” we will come to be known as “The City That Cares For God.” Would you join us in praying for God to do His transforming work in our city and region?

I pray that you will join the pastors of our city in praying daily for the Lord to transform our city and region like He’s done with other cities in times past. And as you pray, remember these Scriptures:

• “The fervent prayer of righteous men and women has great power and wonderful results” (James 5:16).
• “God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to His power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20)
• “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

Thanks for praying and believing, and thanks for partnering with us in this great transforming work that God is doing in our city and region.

LIKE ONESIMUS JUMA SAID, I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT “OBEYING THE LORD” IS THE SECRET TO EXPERIENCING GOD’S GREATEST OF BLESSINGS UPON OUR LIVES. The Apostle John said that “obeying the Lord is evidence of the fact that we really do know the Lord. He wrote in 1 John 2:3-5: “How can we be sure that we belong to Him? By obeying His commandments. If someone says, ‘I belong to God,’ but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and does not live in the truth.” John also said in 1 John 2:5, “Those who obey God's word really do love Him.” And Jesus said the same thing when He said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15).

So let me ask you – do you really know the Lord, and do you really love Him? No matter how you and I would answer that question, Jesus and John the Apostle would say that the reality of our relationship with the Lord and love for Him is evidenced by our willingness to “obey His Word” in our lives.

Now, “living a life of obedience” doesn’t mean that we live sinless, perfect lives. The word “obeying” or “keeping” (NKJV) in 1 John 2:3 was actually a mariner’s term in the 1st century. In those days, sailors steered their ships by the stars. Sometimes they would get blown off course by a storm or lose their way because of clouds in the sky. But as soon as possible, when they could see the stars in the skies again, they would realign their ships by the stars. In the same way, we Christians get “blown off course” at times by trials and temptations in our lives. What John is saying is that when that happens – if we are real Christians – we will strive to realign our lives with the Word of God.

So now let me ask you this – are you striving to live by God’s Word in your life? If you are, that’s evidence that you know and love the Lord, and it’s also the key to experiencing God’s greatest of blessings in your life.

What are “steps of obedience” that all Christians need to be taking? We all need to be:

• Prioritizing the Lord in our life (Matthew 6:33)
• Fellowshipping with the Lord daily through prayer and Bible study (Matthew 4:4, 6:9-13)
• Seeking to live a godly life by God’s power (Romans 12:1-2)
• Faithfully attending worship services and small group gatherings (Hebrews 10:24-25)
• Serving the Lord and others with our time and abilities (Romans 12:11, Ephesians 2:10)
• Sharing our faith with others around us (and inviting them to church services) so they can also experience the Lord’s forgiveness, freedom and fulfillment in their lives (Acts 1:8)
• Investing in the discipleship and development of new Christians (Matthew 28:19)
• Taking advantage of opportunities to “grow in the Lord” (2 Peter 3:18)
• Supporting God’s work locally and around the world through our giving (2 Corinthians 8-9)

You can actually “live out” these “obedience steps” when you ask the Lord for His help and power, rather than trying to live life in your own strength and ability.

You will experience accelerated spiritual growth in your life when you take a step to a higher level of “obedience”. Remember what Onesimus Juma said. He said, “I am obeying the Lord, and He is blessing me.”

Whitney was pop music’s queen in the late 1980’s and 1990’s. She influenced a generation of younger singers, from Christina Aguilera to Mariah Carey. Her success carried her beyond music to movies, where she starred in hits like “The Bodyguard,” “Waiting To Exhale,” and yes, “The Preacher’s Wife.” She had the perfect voice and the perfect image. But during her career and personal highs, Houston was using drugs. She was involved in a marriage with singer Bobby Brown where there was much conflict and drug usage. She confessed at various times to abusing cocaine, marijuana and pills, and her once incredible voice became raspy and hoarse, unable to hit the high notes as she had done during her prime time. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2009, she said that by the time “The Preacher’s Wife” was released, “Doing drugs was an everyday thing.” She went on to say, “I wasn’t happy by that point in time, and I was losing myself.” In the interview Whitney blamed her rocky marriage and unhappy life on Brown, whom she divorced in 2007. Whether or not Bobby Brown was the source of many of her problems is hard to tell, but we know that her life, even before her death, had become a great tragedy.

WHAT ARE SOME LESSONS WE CAN LEARN FROM WHITNEY HOUSTON’S TRAGIC LIFE AND UNTIMELY DEATH? First, we need to remember where we came from and cling to the values that initially shaped our lives and help us rise to strength and success. Whitney grew up singing in a church where her mother lead the music ministry. As long as she clung to her faith heritage, Whitney did well. It was when she embraced the world’s values that she began to lose control of her life and began a quick descent toward death. That reminds us that we must impress upon our children and grandchildren the necessity of staying involved in church and appreciating and affirming our heritage of faith and family values.

Second, we need to realize that every day we are in a battle with the world, the flesh and the devil. In an interview with ABC’s Diane Sawyer in 2002, Whitney said: “The biggest devil is me. I’m either my best friend or my worst enemy.” All of us struggle with the world, the flesh and the devil. We must daily clothe ourselves with the “Armor of God” (Ephesians 6:10-20) so that we can overcome the temptations and trials that come from these three adversaries in life. We also need to avail ourselves of Christian Counseling (i.e. The Celebration Hope Center) and ministries like Celebrate Recovery when we begin to struggle with issues in life. There is hope and help for people if they really want to receive that help.

Third, we need to remember that who we befriend, associate with and marry will have a great impact upon our lives for good or for bad. Although I’m certain that Whitney was a “sinner” before she met Bobby Brown (she probably wouldn’t have met and married him if she wasn’t), it appears that it was after her marriage to Brown that her life began to unravel. Psalm 119:63 reads, “I am a friend to all who fear You (O Lord), and to all who follow Your precepts.” Proverbs 12:26 reads, “The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray.” Both of these verses remind us that if we want to experience God’s blessings and best in our lives, we must choose only the very best (and godliest) of friends and mates.

Fourth, we need to remember that only the Lord can bring us the peace, joy and fulfillment that we are all looking for in life. Whitney Houston had looks, talent, popularity, fame, money, possessions – virtually anything and everything that most people want and desire in life. But in the end, all that she had was not enough. What she needed was the peace, love, joy, strength, help and hope of the Lord – which is what we all need. That’s why coming to know the Lord Jesus and staying close to Him must be our primary pursuit in life. If that doesn’t become and remain our primary pursuit in life, we will, like Whitney Houston, live a tragic life and die a tragic death, no matter how beautiful, talented, gifted or successful we are.

LORD, HELP US TO REMEMBER THAT ALL THAT WE ARE AND HAVE COMES FROM YOU, AND MAY WE DEDICATE OUR LIVES TO LOVING YOU, LEARNING FROM YOU, AND LIVING FOR YOU.

Sam Parker and Mac Anderson expanded on this simple metaphor in their short book, 212°: The Extra Degree. They wrote: “Raising the temperature of water by one extra degree means the difference between something that is simply very hot and something that generates enough force to power a machine—a beautiful, uncomplicated metaphor that ideally should feed every endeavor—consistently pushing us to make the extra effort in every task we undertake…. It reminds us that seemingly small things can make tremendous differences. Think about it:

• The margin of victory in the Men’s 800-meter Race in the 1984 Summer Olympic Games was only 0.71 seconds—less than one second!
• The average margin of victory in the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500 (combined) over the last ten years has been 1.54 seconds. And the prize money for second place was less than half that of first place.
• The average margin of victory for the last 25 years in all major PGA golf tournaments combined was less than three strokes.

The point is that it doesn’t take that much extra effort to win first place. What could you do if you were willing to push just a little bit more and break ahead of the pack?

Here’s how you can harness the 212° principle in your goal-setting:

1. Choose one goal. Select the one that matters the most to you this year. It could be one of your Financial, Physical or Spiritual Goals that you wrote down in our Celebration Worship Services on January 7-8.
2. Identify what’s at stake. Why is accomplishing this goal so important—to you?
3. Write down 2-3 key actions. These are the ones that could propel you into the winner’s circle.
4. Now execute! Stop planning. Stop stalling. Just get out there and do it.

I like to tell people that Thomas Edison invented the light bulb after failing over 700 times. What if he had not made the extra effort and had given up on the 700th time? We would be watching television in the dark (just joking). Thank goodness Edison didn’t give up. But he knew plenty of others who did. And Edison said: “Many of life’s failures are men who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

Don’t give up. Giving that little extra effort will probably make all of the difference in your life, and in someone else’s life.

1. Praying for people that you want to bring with you to our church services,
2. Contacting (phone calls, texts, emails or Facebook invites) people and encouraging them to attend with you,
3. Re-contacting those same people on Saturday to make sure they’re still attending with you, and then
4. Praying again that their hearts will be opened and their lives will be transformed as a result of their joining us at Celebration for SUPER BOWL WEEKEND.

Each of us can bring someone (or some two or three people) with us this weekend, and if we will focus on our “business” of doing so, the current life and eternal destiny of many individuals will be transformed for the good. Let’s all commit to bringing others with us to SUPER BOWL WEEKEND, so that we can conduct our “business” of seeing lives transformed by the Lord.

Pastor Dennis

P.S. It was so wonderful to see so many people signing up for our VOLUNTEER REVOLUTION this past weekend. If you didn’t have time to “sign up”, please take time to do so now online. You will be a great blessing to the Lord and many others through your involvement in the VOLUNTEER REVOLUTION.

• Bill Stafford – who was part of a great revival that took place in New Albany, Indiana

• Tom Elliff (International Missions Board) - who is aware of revivals around the world

• Sammy Tippet – who has seen God work mightily in Brazil, Cuba, Romania and Russia

• Wade Akins – a missionary who participated in a great national revival in Brazil

• Dr. Roy Fish – who is one of the world’s foremost scholars on the subject of revival

A “big question” WAS posed by one of those “revival experts.” He asked, “With all of the idolatry, carnality, lawlessness and immorality we have in today’s world, can God still bring Revival and Transformation to our 21st Century World?”

Dr. Fish is perhaps the world’s foremost expert on the “1857 Prayer Meeting Revival” that shook our nation and paved the way for an end to slavery in the United States. Our nation at that time, just as it is in our time, was characterized by lawlessness, idolatry, carnality and immorality. Alcoholism was negatively impacting our nation in that day, just as drugs and alcohol are doing today. There was a lack of morals and values, and slavery continued to be practiced in our southern states. Also, during this time there was a general falling away in church attendance and Christian commitment throughout our nation.

During this dark time in our nation’s history, a man named Jeremiah Lanphier in New York City became burdened about the plight of our nation, and he told some friends that he was going to start praying for national revival on a daily basis during his lunch hour. On the first day that he prayed he spent much of that time alone, until a few friends joined him at the end of the hour to pray for national revival. The next day a few more people joined Jeremiah Lanphier in prayer, and the next day there were even more individuals. Every day new people were drawn to participate in his ongoing daily prayer meeting for national revival. News of the people praying began to spread across New York City, and daily prayer meetings began to break out everywhere across the city. At the same time the numbers continued to grow in Lanphier’s prayer group, until at one time 5000 people gathered daily in Jannes Hall to pray for national revival. News of what was happening in New York City spread across our nation, and “national revival prayer groups” began in many cities (particularly in the Northeast, the Midwest and the far western parts of our nation). Historians say that 147 cities in our nation were impacted by the “prayer meeting movement.”

What were the results of this 1857 Prayer Meeting Revival? Great numbers of people began to turn from their sinful ways and began to turn back to God. Multitudes were able to overcome their addictions and strongholds by God’s power. The Churches of that day began to boom as people returned to worshiping the Lord on Sundays. Great things began to happen in our nation, including the fact that many people came to the conclusion that it was time to end slavery in the United States (which was a catalyst for the Civil War in the 1860’s). It is quite possible that slavery in the U.S. (at least in the South) would have continued for a number of years had it not been for the 1857 Prayer Meeting Revival.

Now here is the question, “Can God still do today, in our region, state and nation, what He did in 1857?” I don’t see why not? He is the “same God yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). What is it going to take for a great spiritual revival or awakening to happen? We’re going to have to become like Jeremiah Lanphier and others – so desperate for God to transform our nation that we’re willing to interrupt our schedules to meet with other Christians daily and/or regularly for prayer and intercession. Will God move in 2012 in our nation like He did in 1857? He will if individually, as a Church, and as a Christian community we are willing to “pray the price” for revival. Remember what the Lord said in 2 Chronicles 7:14 says: “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and forgive their sins, and heal their land.”

What would a “healed” and transformed Greater New Orleans look like? Crime would be reduced to nothing, corruption would be rooted out entirely, and government and business leaders would begin honoring the Lord with their lips and lives. If revival and spiritual awakening were to break forth in our region our schools would become strong spiritually and academically. The industries in our region would prosper and jobs would become plentiful. Also, our churches would be unified in mission and in ministry, and a culture of morality would replace the culture of immorality that now characterizes our region. What decent person wouldn’t want the Lord to bring revival and spiritual awakening to our region? When Philip the Deacon went to the city of Samaria and became a catalyst of revival (multitudes were saved, healed and delivered from demonic bondages), the Bible says there was “great joy in that city” (Acts 8:5-8). Our city would be characterized by godly joy and prosperity if we had a great move of God in our region. And what God did in Samaria in the 1st century and in our nation in the 19th century, He wants to do in our region and nation in the 21st century.

I challenge you to gather some friends at work at begin praying for local and national revival and spiritual awakening on a regular basis. I challenge you to connect with a Life Group and start praying weekly and/or daily with those Life Group friends for local and national revival. I challenge you to start praying daily for personal revival in your own life, because revival and spiritual awakening has to begin with us. I’m going to start “praying the price” for revival to come in my own life, our church, our region, our state and our nation. I encourage and exhort you to join me. What God did through Phillip, Jeremiah Lanphier and others years ago He can still do in, for and through us in our day and time.

As a boy I grew up in the midst of a terrible racist environment, and I hated it. I don’t like to admit this but I had relatives, as well as friends of my family, who were prejudiced against people of color from any background or culture and talked about their feelings passionately and openly. There were even people in my church family who felt this way. I thank God that my immediate family was not prejudiced and that my mom and dad always taught me and my brothers that we needed to treat everyone fairly and equally.

I remember when the first African American student came to my school (up until that time our school was exclusively Caucasian) during the 4th grade. His name was George. George had been a part of our class for about 2 months when our teacher announced that he didn’t have a ride to the School Halloween festival. She asked, “Who would like to ask your parents to pick up George and give him a ride to the Halloween Festival?” I immediately lifted my hand because George and I had become friends (some of you are perhaps chuckling that I would venture to bring anyone to a Halloween festival). After the class was over, some of my classmates approached me and told me that I was going to get into trouble because I had volunteered my parents to bring George to the Halloween Festival. I told them that that wasn’t true, because my family didn’t think and feel like they did. Praise God, I was right.

As a teenager I often worked for farmers, other than my dad, in the watermelon and tobacco fields (back then I was making a whopping $2/hour). Invariably, at lunch time, the Caucasians would go into the farm house to eat while the African Americans were served their meals outside. I always ate outside because: 1) I didn’t think that it was right for some people to get to eat inside while others had to eat outside, and 2) I always had more fun outside during the lunchtime breaks horsing around and throwing balls with my friends. Also, when people of color (whether they were African-American or Hispanic) worked for my dad, they were always welcomed into our home.

Athletics (not the church) was really the key to breaking through the racial barriers during my day and time. For the early years of my life, we had a “white school” and a “black school” in my town. But the schools merged/integrated when I entered the 5th grade, and never really had any significant issues. Right away I began to be placed on teams with boys who not only were of a different skin color, but they came from very different environments (some came from the “projects”). Some of my best friends were formed on those athletic teams through elementary, middle and high school, and we would spend time visiting one another’s homes. In fact, my last year of college I roomed with Earnest, an African American young man that I’d played basketball and football with throughout high school. His mom was like a second mother to me, and my mom was the same to him. I’m sure that I probably lost some relatives when I made the choice to room with Earnest (but they would have disowned me anyhow if they’d known that my first college roommate, Danny, was Jewish).

And then, you may have heard me tell the story of what happened after I’d become a Christian and started preaching in the local prison and wanted to baptize about 25 prisoners in my church. A leader from the church I was attending asked me if any of the prisoners that I wanted to baptize were black. I told him that about 15 of the men were and that I’d been praying for the Lord to bring some people of color into our congregation. He promptly told me that if any of those prisoners (white or black) walked into his church it would be over his, and the other leaders, “dead bodies”. Well, I figured that the Lord might want to eliminate some ungodly church leaders, so I called the pastor. Unfortunately the pastor was unwilling to override that leader’s stance. That incident caused me to say, “I’m never going to become a pastor” (which shows you what a sense of humor God has). So I had to baptize the prisoners in the prison pool. I’m glad to say that that church is no longer led by prejudiced individuals, and that people from every color and culture are now welcomed as members of that congregation. And I’m also glad to say that in the Celebration Congregation we’ve always loved, welcomed, affirmed and appreciated people from every culture and color. One of the reasons that we moved our church family to the Airline Drive campus years ago was because we wanted to be closer to the inner city and we wanted our church to “look like heaven.”

I share all of the above to say that although I don’t fully realize what our African American people have gone through in the history of our nation, I’m aware to some degree of the prejudice, hatred and injustice that was experienced for decades and centuries by people of color (and that still exists to some degree in some sectors of our nation). And that makes me want to stop thank God for courageous people like Martin Luther King, Jr, who were willing to stand up for justice, fairness and equality for all. And it makes me want to pray passionately and persistently that the day will come in our nation and other nations when Martin Luther King Jr’s dream will fully be realized. He said:

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day . . . little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.”

I see that dream coming true 49 years after Dr. King shared it. May that dream be fully realized in our nation and world in the days ahead.

This past weekend Vicki and I had opportunity to drive to Baton Rouge to join 12+ influential pastors from our state in a special worship service for Governor Jindal and Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne. During one point in the service, several other pastors and I laid hands on Governor Jindal and prayed for him – praying that the Lord would work through him and his cabinet in the upcoming years to make a positive difference in the lives of the citizens of our state. I believe that the Lord is raising up good and godly men and women as leaders in our state, people who want to be and will be “difference-makers” for good and for God.

THE GOOD NEW IS THAT EVERY CHRISTIAN CAN BE A “DIFFERENCE-MAKER” FOR THE LORD. Whether you live in the Dominican Republic, the United States or some other nation; whether you are a government leader, pastor, businessperson, laborer, homemaker, student etc.; you can by utilized by the Lord to “make a difference” for God and for good in our world today. Acts 10:38 records that: “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the Devil, for God was with Him.” As Christians, the same Holy Spirit that indwelled and empowered Jesus lives inside of us, and He will enable us, like Jesus, to “do good” and bring help, hope and healing to people’s lives as we surrender and submit our lives to Him.

Therefore, I want to encourage you in 2012 to allow the Holy Spirit to fill your life with His presence and power, so that He can work through you to “make a difference” in the lives of others, to “make a difference” for good and for God in our world.

THIS MONTH AT OUR CELEBRATION CAMPUSES AND THROUGH OUR LIFE GROUPS WE’RE LEARNING HOW TO BEGIN BEING “DIFFERENCE-MAKERS” IN OUR WORLD. As we begin this “Difference-making” journey together, I want to encourage you to do several things.

• Acquire the MAKING A DIFFERENCE E-Book here, which provides Scripture readings and Devotionals from our Pastoral Staff to help encourage and strengthen you throughout the month of January
• Participate with us in the 12-FASTING & PRAYER EMPHASIS (instructions can be found in the MAKING A DIFFERENCE E-Book), making sure to pray for the Lord’s direction for your life, His provision for your family and Church family, and salvation for loved ones
• Listen and view the DO SOMETHING FOR YOU message from this past weekend so that you can learn how to set financial, physical and spiritual goals for your life for 2012 (you can view the message daily via our Online Campus, or you can acquire a CD copy of the message from our campuses)
• Get involved in a LIFE GROUP (Life Group Connection Events will take place this weekend at our Campuses), so that you can have a godly support network, grow in the Lord, and have some friends that join you in meaningful ministry activities
• Attend the I WANT 2 KNOW event (if you’ve never done so) at our Campuses on Sunday, January 22 (following the Sunday services) so that you can learn about the history, mission, vision, values, beliefs and membership opportunities of Celebration Church
• Determine that you’re going to get involved in serving God by serving others in 2012 (the VOLUNTEER REVOLUTION on January 28-29 will give you insight regarding this)
  

There have been many positive changes that have occurred in our city and region in the years following Hurricane Katrina. The economy of our region has been better than the vast majority of other regions in our nation. Corruption has been exposed and rooted out time after time. We appear to have competent leadership in New Orleans and the surrounding parishes. Our regional educational systems, especially in Orleans Parish, have improved in significant ways. There appears to be less racism and classism in our region. And there is definitely a greatly solidarity among the pastors and churches of our region.

Yet, with all of the good that has happened in our region in the past six years, there is still a great need for the help and intervention of God so that we can become a godlier, safer and even more prosperous city and region. And we secure the Lord’s help through prayer and fasting. There are several ways that you can participate in helping to bring an increase in the Lord’s help and intervention to our city and region in 2012.

WE CAN SECURE MORE OF GOD’S HELP FOR OUR CITY AND REGION BY BECOMING STRONGER CHRISTIANS. What would help our region more than anything else would be for all professing Christians to rise up and become the mighty men and women of God (Difference-makers) that the Lord has called us to be.

In order to help you get a great start and become a stronger Christian in 2012, our Pastoral Staff has put together an E-book for the month of January titled MAKING A DIFFERENCE. This E-book, which can be accessed by visiting our church website (www.celebrationchurch.org), provides Scripture readings, devotional thoughts, and suggested prayers for every day in January. We are confident that if you utilize the MAKING A DIFFERENCE Devotional and Journal every day in January, you will be a stronger believer than when the new year started.

WE CAN SECURE MORE OF GOD’S HELP FOR OUR CITY AND REGION BY PRAYING WITH OTHER CHRISTIANS. We have a special opportunity to do just that on Saturday, January 7, as hundreds of Christians from Churches across our region gather together at our Celebration Airline Drive Campus (beginning at 9 am) for a “Sacred Assembly.” This “Sacred Assembly” will focus God’s people on worshiping the Lord, reading Scripture, and praying for our city, region, state and nation. I encourage you to join Christians from other Churches in this collaborative effort to intercede on behalf of our region, state and nation.

WE CAN ALSO SECURE MORE OF GOD’S HELP FOR OURSELVES AND OUR LOVED ONES BY PARTICIPATING IN OUR CHURCH’S UPCOMING FASTING AND PRAYER EFFORT. Beginning on Monday, January 9, our Church family will spend 12 days really focusing on praying to the Lord and seeking to experience His purposes, plans, power, provision and protection in fresh new ways in our lives, families, church and region. Information about different ways to “fast” as well as pray can be found in the MAKING A DIFFERENCE E-book. Be sure to dedicate those 12 days (January 9-20) to pursuing the Lord and His will in an intense way, and not only will you be changed, but circumstances and relationships will also be changed.

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN BRINGING HELP, HOPE AND HEALING TO THE PEOPLE AND CULTURE OF OUR CITY AND REGION. Participate in the above mentioned activities, and become a “Difference-maker” for God and in the lives of others in 2012.

When a crisis arose in the Church they were attending, this young couple allowed some strong Christians to meet in their home for prayer. In seeking the Lord that day, those Christians became convinced that the Lord wanted to them to start a new church. Twenty-two years later the Church, Celebration Church of New Orleans, is being mightily used by God to impact the Greater New Orleans Region and the world for Jesus Christ.

Who was that young lady who attended the Christmas service, and whose home became the birthplace of a great Church? Her name is Julie Boudreaux, our Celebration Church Lead Children’s Pastor (and her husband Ken is Celebration’s Business Administrator).

We are reminded through Julie’s story, that the people we invite to Christmas services with us may eventually become great Christians, servants of the Lord, and leaders in the Kingdom of God. What Friends, Relatives, Associates or Neighbors do you need to invite and bring with you this coming weekend to our Christmas Weekend services? Write their names down, pray for them, call, text and/or email them, and do everything you can to bring them with you.

Our Christmas Weekend services last approximately an hour, and they include the singing of Christmas Carols, Communion, a special time for Children, the reading of the Christmas story, and a shortened but powerful message. Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Weekend services are always some of the most life transforming Celebration services of the year.

Our Christmas Weekend services at Celebration are:

• Metairie Campus
  
  • Friday at 7 pm (for those who will be with family on Christmas Eve/Day)
    
  • Saturday at 4:30 and 6:00 pm
    
  • Sunday at 10:30 am
    
• River Parishes and Westbank Campuses
  
  • Saturday at 6 pm
    
  • Sunday at 10:00 am
    
• St. Bernard Campus
  
  • Saturday at 6 pm
    
  • Sunday at 10:45 am

We look forward to seeing you and your family and friends this Christmas Weekend, as we celebrate together what Christmas is really all about.

Years ago I began to develop a friendship with Pastor Larry, as I attended Cell Church conferences at Bethany World Prayer Center. I’ve learned much from him over the years about reaching and discipling people through the Cell Church, and developing Christian leaders. One of the greatest things I’ve learned from him is that our world can be reached with the message and ministry of Jesus, if we are willing to focus our ministries and monies on starting churches in undeveloped or developing nations.

THINK FOR A MOMENT OF WHAT THE LORD IS DOING TO TOUCH AND TRANSFORM PEOPLE’S LIVES IN NATIONS AROUND THE WORLD. In African nations, 30,000/people a day are coming to faith in Jesus Christ through the efforts of Christian churches and ministries. Having been in several African countries and being connected with missionaries and ministers in a number of African countries, I can tell you that the hope for overcoming the problems of poverty, HIV-Aids, polluted water, joblessness, a lack of education and corruption is directly tied to the flourishing of Christianity in those nations.

In Latin America, 35,000/people a day are coming to faith in Jesus. Many of those new believers are rising up to become significant leaders in their communities and countries, and they are beginning to transform the cultures around them.

In China, 28,000/people a day are coming to faith in Jesus, even though the vast majority of Christians have to practice their faith underground in that Communist nation. Thousands of people a day are being reached for the Lord in India, the predominant Hindu nation in our world, and we’re even seeing Christianity make significant inroads into Buddhist and Muslim countries as well.

ACCORDING TO PASTOR LARRY, WE NEED 2 MILLION NEW CHRISTIAN CHURCHES RIGHT NOW JUST TO ASSIMILATE AND BEGIN TO DISCIPLE THOSE THAT ARE BEING WON TO FAITH IN CHRIST IN NATIONS AROUND THE WORLD. That’s why Pastor Larry has left his Lead Pastor role to head up THE SURGE PROJECT, and that’s why the planting of churches in countries around the world is a part of Celebration’s TRANSFORMING OUR WORLD Christmas Offering. Our TRANSFORMING OUR WORLD Offering is also going to be utilized to: 1) support Orphanages in Haiti, India and South America; 2) support our Celebration Hope Center, so that people can still receive affordable yet excellent Christian counseling; 3) Needy people throughout our region, and 4) the planting of a new Celebration Campus on the Northshore in 2012. However, because we want to TRANSFORM OUR WORLD as well as our region, we want to send a large portion of our Christmas offering to help start churches in unreached and anti-Christian nations that will be used of God to spread the message and ministry of Jesus in those countries and cultures.

SO, HAVE YOU YET MADE YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE TRANSFORMING OUR WORLD CHRISTMAS OFFERING? If not (or if you want to make a greater contribution than you’ve already made), get that contribution in quickly (http://www.celebrationchurch.org/give-online). The Lord wants you, me and all of us to be a part of bringing the message and ministry of Jesus to people around the world (Acts 1:8). And when we partner with Him, individually as well as corporately as a church, we will be used of God to make a positive and eternal difference in the lives of lost, hurting and needy people all around the world.

Pastor Dennis

Ms. McCarty’s story demonstrates to us that if we really want to, all of us can give sacrificially to help others. And we will, if we have a vision for transforming our city and culture, and if we are truly grateful for what the Lord has done in and for our lives.

I don’t know if Jarvis DeBerry was in one of our worship services this past weekend, but he published an article in today’s Times Picayune newspaper about Osceola and her significant gift. DeBerry wrote: “Here we are 16 years after her gift to the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, and the ripples are still spreading outward.” DeBerry went on to tell about a group of women in New Orleans who were so inspired by McCarty’s philanthropy, that they decided to get into the giving business themselves. They started a giving circle and called it, “Zawadi,” a Swahili word for gift.

There are 12 active members in “Zawadi,” each of whom is required to contribute a minimum of $100 per year. Most put in more, but no individual contribution is jaw dropping. Deberry writes, “It’s the pooled effort that makes the difference.”

Here at Celebration Church we are able to accomplish much for the kingdom of God and for the benefit of hurting people in our world through the “pooled efforts” of many givers. As a result of the faithful giving of God’s people, we are able to bring help, hope and healing to the addicted, depressed, elderly, fragmented families, homeless, hurting, lonely and poverty stricken people of our region. As a result of the faithful giving of God’s people are able to bring the life-transforming message and ministry of Jesus to people in our region, our nation and all around the world. As DeBerry would say, “no individual contribution is jaw dropping, but it’s the pooled effort that makes the difference.” What I’m telling you is that if you are a faithful giver to the Lord’s work through Celebration Church, you are making a positive difference in the lives of people locally, nationally and internationally.

So let me encourage you to follow the example of Oseola McCarty and the members of “Zawadi” by becoming a generous giver. Your efforts will bless others, bring blessings to your own life (Proverbs 11:24-26, Luke 6:38, 2 Corinthians 9:6-11), and bring great blessing and honor to the Lord.

May you have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day, and may we all realize every day of the year that all we have is a gift from the Lord. And then, may we express our gratitude to the Lord in tangible ways, such as living for Him and giving to support His work to help others.

At that Pastor’s Conference I was preaching from Acts 1:8 where Jesus said to His followers: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” I mentioned that the people of Samaria were different than the Jews in Jerusalem & Judea. They were primarily a mixed race of people who worshiped God differently than the Jews did, and the 2 groups of people refused to have anything to do with one another. Therefore, it must have been a real shock to the disciples when Jesus said to them: “I not only want you to witness to the people of Jerusalem and Judea, but I also want you to go witness to the people in nearby Samaria who are very unlike you. I know they’re of a different race, background and culture, but they need to be saved as well, so you be sure to get out of your comfort zone and go tell them about Me.”

Then I said to the Pastors, “I know that the Lord is saying the same thing to His 21st century disciples. So let me ask you, ‘When is the last time you went into one of the different neighborhoods in your city or town to tell people from a different race or culture about Jesus? When is the last time you led your people to go into the different neighborhoods of your city or town to tell people from a different race or culture about Jesus?’ Jesus said, ‘When you get filled with the Holy Spirit, you’ll bring my message and ministry to the people of Samaria.’ If in some way you are not personally reaching out to those people and leading your people to reach out to people unlike you in your town or city, you are disregarding and disobeying what Jesus said in Acts 1:8. Are there any people of color or from another ethnic background in your church? If not, why not? Don’t people of different colors and ethnicities live nearby? Don’t your people go to school with them, work with them and live near them? If the answer is ‘yes’ then you and your people ought to be taking some steps to reach and minister to those people like Jesus instructed us to do when He said that we’re to take the ‘good news’ to the people of Samaria. I know that you may think that people from different races and cultures will not want to worship with you because there are differing worship styles among cultures, but at the same time many people from different races and cultures would attend your church if they knew they were welcomed and wanted.”

Well, I don’t know if I’ll be asked to come back and preach again to that Pastor’s gathering, because it was obvious on the faces of many of those pastors that I’d challenged them about something that was very uncomfortable to them. It’s not that those “uncomfortable pastors” are racists (by the way, there were a number of pastors who were cheering me on with their “Amens”). It’s just that they pastor churches where people are still prejudiced against people who are from different races or cultural backgrounds. Back in the mid 1960’s Martin Luther King, Jr said while referencing the racial biases of the churches of his day, “11:00 on Sunday morning is still the most segregated hour of the week.” Reverend King made that statement 45 years ago, but I’m sad to say that it’s still an accurate statement in our day and time. In our nation as well as in our world, we have churches that are almost exclusively Caucasian or African-American, which means that those churches are not a true reflection of the racial makeup of the society around them. It also means that most Christian, blacks and whites, never share together what they say is of utmost importance to them – the worship of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. How sad it is that Christian brothers and sisters never worship together across racial lines.

I’m so glad to be a part of the Celebration Congregation, where everyone is loved, welcomed and affirmed regardless of their racial background, color of their skin, ethnic background, or economic status. Regardless of which of our Celebration campuses I visit, I find there people of multiple races and background who love God, love one another, love sharing life together, and love worshiping together. That’s always been a value and characteristic of our church family, and will always continue to be.

I’m also thrilled to see what God is doing here in Greater New Orleans to bring together pastors and churches across racial and denominational lines. Since Hurricane Katrina, pastors and Christians from a variety of races and backgrounds now meet regularly to pray together, minister together, and worship together. There is a greater unity in the Body of Christ in Greater New Orleans than I’ve ever witnessed anywhere else I’ve been. I praise and thank God for such love and unity.

Years ago a young boy named Billy Meyers took a piece of chalk and drew a big “heart” on the wall of a New York City library. Within that “heart” he wrote, “Billy Meyers loves everybody.” That’s how we feel at Celebration, and that’s the way we are. So take some time this week to reach out to your friends, co-workers, neighbors or others who are from minority races or cultures, and invite them to join you for an upcoming worship service at Celebration Church. You can confidently tell them that they will be welcomed, loved and affirmed – and we will be sure to join you in communicating the message and ministry of Jesus that He entrusted to His followers.

In the last couple of weeks, our Pastors and I asked our people to communicate back to us via emails and bulletin inserts what they’ve learned about God, life, spiritual growth and our world during the 40 DAYS OF PURPOSE. Here are their responses.

We have learned that life is about the Lord, not us. So many people learned during the 40 DAYS OF PURPOSE that their purpose in life is far greater than their personal fulfillment, comfort, success, dreams or goals (although those are important), but that their primary purpose in life is to bring honor to God and encouragement and salvation to others.

We have learned that God loves us and has great plans for our life. In Jeremiah 29:11 the Lord said, “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

We have learned that God still works miracles. Many of our people communicated back to us about miracles that happened in their health, finances, relationships, career, etc. during the 40 DAYS OF PURPOSE.

We have learned that life is preparation for eternity. When we understand that God has created us to spend eternity with Him, it causes us to understand how significant our lives are. One guy wrote, “During the 40 DAYS OF PURPOSE I finally realized that God is not there to insure my comfort. He’s there to develop my character for eternity.”

We have learned that we were put on earth for five primary purposes. Although each of us has a distinct calling and destiny for our life, the Lord wants us all to worship Him daily, fellowship with His children, become more and more like Jesus, serve Him and others, and take the good news to people near us and around the world. One person wrote, “It’s so strange to look back at my life before surrendering it to Jesus Christ, and what a struggle each day was because I was so totally focused on my way and will rather than God’s plans and purposes for my life. It’s so amazing to now experience His joy, love and peace as a result of seeking and executing God’s will and purposes for my life.”

We have learned that life is about building relationships. Loving God and loving others is far more important than accomplishments, accolades, pleasure, possessions, etc.
We have learned that God uses our difficulties to make us more like Jesus. Numerous people said, “The greatest lesson I’ve learned is that my sufferings are used by God to mold me more into the image of Jesus.”

We have learned that we grow through making commitments. We have to do more than listen and learn – we have to begin to put into action what we’ve learned.

We have learned that we grow through engaging in fellowship. Lots of people said, “I grew more spiritually by getting involved in fellowship through a Life Group than I would have grown on my own.” Spiritual growth comes from being in relationship with other Christians.

We have learned that growth takes time. Spiritual maturity is neither instant nor automatic; it is a gradual progressive development that will take the rest of our lives.

We have learned that we grow through serving and giving back. It’s the donation of our lives, rather than the duration of our lives, that really matters.

We have learned that people are hungry for spiritual truth. According to a Gallop poll, 34 million Americans would visit a church if someone would just invite them.

We have learned that we can make a difference in our world. Through praying for, encouraging, helping, inviting and sharing our faith with others, we can make a difference in the lives of people around us. And through praying, connecting with missionaries, giving and going on mission trips, we can take the message and ministry of Jesus all around the world.

NOW WHAT? Now what are we to do since we’ve learned these great principles during the 40 DAYS OF PURPOSE? First, we need to start living what we’ve learned. God’s blessings don’t come from knowing about His purposes, but living them out in our lives. Second, we need to start passing on what we’ve learned to others. The more we “give away,” the more the Lord blesses us. So we need to communicate to others in a variety of ways what we’ve learned during the 40 DAYS OF PURPOSE, so they can begin living “purpose-driven” rather than purposeless lives.

Here is one final testimony. “My life is so much better because I’ve now experienced the love and life of God and started living a purpose-driven life. My life is no longer empty, but now I have peace, joy, purpose and hope in my life.” Let’s help others experience the same blessings and transformation in their lives by passing on what we’ve learned to them.”

If you have a testimony of what the Lord did in your life during the 40 DAYS OF PURPOSE, please comment on this blog. I would love to hear from you.

The above verses were a part of my devotional Bible reading this morning. Every morning I get up early to read the newspaper (so I can see who and what in our region and world I need to be praying for), and then I read my Bible and spend time in prayer. During my Bible reading I usually read portions of Scripture from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs (I’ve followed the One Year Daily Bible Reading Plan for years). I then meditate on one or more particular passages from my reading, seeking to determine what the Lord is saying to me through those passages, which then sets the stage for my prayer time.

Today the words from Psalm 96:2-3 really challenged me, where the Psalmist writes, “Every day proclaim the good news that the Lord saves. Publish His glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things He does.” I then began to reflect on the “amazing things” that the Lord has done in recent weeks that I’ve witnessed or heard about. Here are some of those “amazing things.”

In recent weeks the Lord has:

• Transformed several new families to our church as a result of their teens becoming actively involved in our Youth ministry and falling in love with the Lord
• Created some wonderful new and godly friendships through our Celebration Life Groups for people who needed and desired such relationships
• Restored several people back to ministries they had lost because of a struggles in their lives
• Reconciled several marriages that were seemingly irrevocably broken
• Provided unexpected funds and resources to several families that were going through hardship
• Provided new and better jobs to some of the people that we’ve been praying for
• Provided the funds for the Celebration congregation to give out 500 tickets to the movie “Courageous” to local police officers and fire fighters
• Answered prayers for a runaway teen, bringing that teen back safely to their family
• Delivered some men from some lifelong struggles and strongholds as they participated in our Men’s “I Want Victory” retreat
• Helped several hundred people in our Celebrate Recovery ministry have victory over their addictions for a period of time
• Healed a number of people of critical illnesses or injuries and also emotional hurts
• Gotten people through some incredible tragedies and brought healing to their hearts/lives
• Helped several thousand people get their focus off of themselves and begin focusing on finding and fulfilling God’s great purposes and plans for their lives
• Protected, provided for and greatly utilized hundreds of missionaries that are supported by the Celebration congregation
• Answered innumerable prayers that have been “lifted up to God” by our people
• Led 437 people to make “life change decisions” (experience salvation, apply for membership) in our Celebration worship services

Quite honestly, I could go on and on about the “amazing things” that the Lord has done in my life, in the lives of others I know, and in and through our church family.

What I would like to know is: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE “AMAZING THINGS” THAT THE LORD HAS BEEN DOING IN YOUR LIFE, OR IN THE LIFE OF SOMEONE YOU KNOW? Please let me know so that I can rejoice with you in the mighty and miraculous works that God is doing in, for and through the lives of His people. Let’s all “publish His glorious deeds, and tell everyone about the amazing things He does!”

• Life is all about love - loving God and loving others (Day 16)
• We all need a church family if we’re going to experience God’s best in our life (Day 17)
• Life is meant to be shared with other Christians (Day 18)
• It takes commitment to develop “community” with other Christians (Day 19)
• Relationships are always worth restoring (Day 20)
• It’s every Christian’s job to protect the unity of their church (Day 21)
• We were created to become like Christ – and we will fulfill that purpose when we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us and on us (Day 22)

Today’s reading (Day 23) was especially meaningful because it helped me to understand what it takes to “grow up” as a Christian. Almost all of us love babies when they come into our physical world. We love to hold them, hear them, talk to them, watch them – and we love for them to grow up. It would be a tragedy for a child to reach 20 years of age and still think, talk, move and act like a baby.

It’s the same thing in the spiritual world. When we receive Jesus as the Savior and Lord of our lives, we are spiritual infants. The Bible says that we are to grow from infancy through childhood through adolescence to adulthood in our Christian walk. Ephesians 4:14 reads, “We are not meant to remain as children”, and Ephesians 4:15 reads, “God wants us to grow up . . . to become like Christ in everything.” Sadly, however, millions of Christians grow older but never grow up. They are stuck in perpetual spiritual infancy, and the reason is they never intended to grow.

On Day 23 of The Purpose Driven Life, Warren writes: “Spiritual growth is not automatic. It takes an intentional commitment. You must want to grow, decide to grow, make an effort to grow, and persist in growing.” In other words, if we are to grow from infancy to maturity in the Christian life, we must decide that, with God’s help, we are going to grow to become everything God wants us to be so that we can accomplish everything God wants us to do. Our spiritual growth begins with a decision to grow.

Here at Celebration Church, we have some wonderful mature believers, and we have lots of others who are progressing on their journey from infancy to maturity in the Christian life. They have moved from being an occasional worship attendee to a regular worship attendee and a Life Group member. They have progressed through our BELONG TRACK (which begins with the I Want 2 KNOW luncheon), and having completed that track they’ve begun attending our GROW & SERVE TRACK classes (beginning with our SHAPE class) on Wednesdays. Many of these individuals will become strong leaders in our church’s ministry. These individuals made a commitment to grow, they are growing, and they are becoming more and more like Jesus on a daily basis. I can guarantee you that almost all of them have more joy, peace, direction and victory than do the thousands of others in our church who are basically worship attendees. Why are they experiencing so much growth and so many blessings in their life? They are experiencing great growth and blessings because they made a decision, a commitment, to start growing.

Warren also writes in Day 23: “Nothing shapes your life more than the commitments you choose to make. Your commitments can develop you or they can destroy you, but either way, they will define you. Tell me what you are committed to, and I’ll tell you what you will be in twenty years. We become whatever we are committed to.”

Let me ask you – “are you committed to growing in Christ Jesus – becoming everything He’s called you to be so you can accomplish everything He’s called you to do?” If not, why not? If you’re not committed to growing in the Lord, you are robbing yourself of the peace, joy, power, provision and purposes of the Lord in your life, and you’re robbing others of the opportunity to be blessed by you in significant ways.

Thirdly, on Day 23, Warren writes: “It is at this point of commitment that most people miss God’s purpose for their lives. Many are afraid to commit to anything and just drift through life. Others make half-hearted commitments to competing values, which leads to frustration and mediocrity. Others make a full commitment to worldly goals, such as becoming wealthy or famous, and end up disappointed and bitter.” What he’s saying is that “every choice has eternal consequences, so we better choose wisely (remember the Knight in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade), and we choose to “grow up” to become everything the Lord has called us to be.

In 1978 when I surrendered my life to the Lord, I made a real commitment to love Him, live for Him and serve Him. I didn’t realize all of what that decision would require of me. Right away my priorities began to change as I began to live for the Lord and for others, rather than myself. My schedule changed as well as I began to prioritize meeting with the Lord at the beginning of the day through prayer, Bible study and worship, rather than having Him be an afterthought at the end of the day.

My relationships also began to change as I prioritized and pursued godly relationships, seeking to surround myself with friends who would help me rather than hinder me in my walk with the Lord. The way that I handled my money and possessions began to change as I realized that all that I had belonged to the Lord, and that I was to seek His counsel in every decision I made. Every area of my life began to change as I pursued living life for the glory of the Lord.

I remember in those early days that some of my decisions were indeed difficult to make, but the more that I made them, and the more that I kept the commitment I had made to the Lord, the better my life became. Now, I believe that the Lord is going to reward me greatly when I arrive in heaven because I’ve been keeping my commitment to love and live for Him, but even today I can say that my life has been unbelievably blessed because I’ve been prioritizing living life for the glory of God. In other words, the best decision I ever made in life was to make Jesus my Savior, which brought His forgiveness and the future of heaven into my life. However, the second best decision I ever made was to make Jesus the Lord of my life, which has brought me His fulfillment, as well as His freedom.

I came to faith in Jesus back in 1978 after hearing a man named Andrae Crouch sing, “Jesus is the answer for the world today; above Him there’s no other, Jesus is the way.” Crouch sang another song that also resonated with me. The song said, “If heaven never was promised to me, neither God’s promise to live eternally; it’s been worth just having the Lord in my life; I was living in a world of darkness, and He brought me the light.”

I can honestly say the very best decisions that I’ve ever made in life have been to receive Jesus as my Savior and to “live life for the glory of God.” Although those decisions have required many changes in my priorities, schedule, relationships and everything else – I’ve been incredibly blessed in every arena of life as a result of my commitment to love and live for the Lord. That’s why I want everyone else I know and meet to also receive Jesus as their Savior, and begin living their life “for the glory of God.”

Speaking of “living life for the glory of God,” I’m reminded of another statement from The Purpose Driven Life found in Chapter 8. In that chapter Warren wrote, "Anything you do that brings pleasure to God is an act of worship. . . . Worship is far more than music. . . . Worship is not just for church services . . . Every activity can be transformed into an act of worship when you do it for the praise, glory, and pleasure of God. The Bible says, 'So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.'"I want to encourage you to practice doing that today and every day for the rest of your life. Live life “for the glory of God,” and you will experience the Lord’s “glory” in every arena of your life.”

The Bible is filled with all types of “comeback” stories, of men and women who rebounded from significant losses or failures in life to experience a life of victory and be mightily utilized by the Lord in the lives of others. Abraham’s story is about someone making a great “comeback” from mistakes and failures to become the father of the Jewish nation and the father of all who would live by faith. Joseph’s story is that he made a “comeback” from a life as a slave and a prisoner to become the Prime Minister of the greatest nation of his day. Moses’ story is that after foolishly taking the life of another person and spending 40 years hiding out in the wilderness, he made a “comeback” to become the great leader of the Israelite nation. The Scriptures tell us of many others who experienced “comeback victories” in their lives. And of course, the greatest “comeback” of all was the resurrection of Jesus from the grave.

I mention these “comeback victories” because our congregation has just begun the 40 DAYS OF PURPOSE which is a great opportunity for God’s people to begin to experience “comeback victory” in their lives. As our people began reading The Purpose Driven Life, the best-selling book by Rick Warren, I would like to share with you a few excerpts that I’ve written down from the first two days of reading from that book:

• "If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by His purpose and for His purpose." (Chapter 1)
• "God is not just the starting point of your life; He is the source of it. To discover your purpose in life you must turn to God's Word; not the world's wisdom. You must build your life on eternal truths, not pop psychology, success-motivation or inspirational stories." (Chapter 1)
  
• "You are not an accident. Your birth was no mistake or mishap, and your life is no fluke of nature. Your parents may not have planned you, but God. . . . Long before you were conceived by your parents, you were conceived in the mind of God. . . . It is not fate, nor chance, nor luck, nor coincidence that you are breathing at this moment. You are alive because God wanted to create you!" (Chapter 2)
  
• "While there are illegitimate parents, there are no illegitimate children. Many children are unplanned by their parents, but they are not unplanned by God. God's purpose took into account human error, and even sin. God never does anything accidentally, and He never makes mistakes. He has a reason for everything (and everyone) He creates." (Chapter 2)
  
• "There is a God who made you for a reason, and your life has profound meaning! We discover that meaning and purpose only when we make God the reference point of our lives. Romans 12:3 reads, 'The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what He does for us.'" (Chapter 2)

What those statements communicate to us is that no matter who we are, what we’ve done or how we’ve failed, we can all experience “comeback victory” in our lives. If you’ve never read The Purpose Driven Life I suggest that you do. I believe that you will be able to discover and live out God’s great purposes for your life, which will lead you to a life of victory, fulfillment, strengthened relationships and great influence for the kingdom of God.

Smith and his colleagues asked the young adults they survey about their moral lives, and their answers would distress those who have a Christian perspective. Brooks writes, “It’s not so much that these young Americans are living lives of sin and debauchery, at least no more than you’d expect from 18-23 year olds. What’s disheartening is how bad they are at thinking and talking about moral issues.”

The interviewers asked open-ended questions about right and wrong, moral dilemmas and the meaning of life. Apparently, the young people they interviewed really struggled to say anything sensible in response to the questions. For example, when asked to describe a moral dilemma they had faced, two-thirds of the young people either couldn’t answer the question or described problems that are not moral at all, like whether they could afford to rent a certain apartment or whether they had enough quarters to feed the meter at a parking spot.

In the book, “Lost in Transition,” Smith and his co-authors wrote, “Not many of them had previously given much or any thought to many of the kinds of questions about morality that we asked.” When asked about wrong or evil, most of the young people agreed that rape and murder are wrong. But beyond those extremes, moral thinking didn’t enter the picture, even when considering things like drunken driving, cheating in school or cheating on a partner. One interviewee said it like this, “I don’t really deal with right and wrong that often.”

Most of the interviewees responded over and over again that moral choices are just a matter of individual preference. “It’s personal,” the respondents typically said. “It’s up to the individual. Who am I to say?” In regards to responding to authority, most of the interviewees responded by saying, “I would do what I thought made me happy or by how I felt. I have no other way of knowing what to do but how I internally feel.”

Smith and his colleagues found an atmosphere of extreme moral relativism among the young adults they interviewed, but believe that the study says more about adult America than it does about youthful America. The study doesn’t indicate that today’s young adults are more naturally immoral than they have been in years past. It simply means that young people have not been given the resources – by schools, institutions and families – to cultivate their moral intuitions, to think more broadly about moral obligations, and to check behaviors that may be degrading. In other words, the moral values of the young adults of our day have been shaped by the moral relativism they see at home in the lives of their parents, on the television programs and movies they watch, and in the schools they attend.

The outcome of Smith’s study reminds us that we must raise our children in the very best of Christian atmospheres so they will have good and godly values as they grow into adulthood. What should be some of our responses to the “Lost in Transition” study? One, we must involve our children in the Children’s and Youth ministries of our church, even when they don’t want to attend. In those ministries they will learn godly values at their level of understanding, while being connected to godly peers. Two, we must either enroll our children in Christian schools that teach and portray Biblical values (like our own Crescent City Christian School), or communicate with them regularly about what they are learning in their schools, being sure to affirm over and over Christian values and beliefs as opposed to secular society’s values and beliefs. Three, we must live out our Christian faith and beliefs on a daily basis in front of our children. We must provide them with the godly examples, education and encouragement they desperately need from the most influential people in their lives if they are to have good and godly values in today’s ungodly world. When we fail to “live out” in front of our children what we profess to believe and value, they will reject the beliefs and values we say are so important to us and should be important to them. So that means that we adults must not be content to be weekend church attendees, but we must become devoted and dynamic disciples of Jesus, involved in the church and connected with other Christian. We must immerse ourselves fervently in what we believe and value if our children are to have the right kind of values as they grow to adulthood.

I had lunch this week with a man I greatly respect, who was telling me about his children’s response to the teachers and leaders of their well-respected school. His children basically said, “Our teachers and school leaders profess to be Christians, but they’re not like you and mom.” What those children were saying was, “We see the presence and power of the Lord in your lives mom and dad.” May every child in our church have the opportunity to say and think the same thing about their parents.

Yesterday and again today our Staff gathered to pray for Hank’s family (his wife Eileen and their adult children Staci and Jack), to rejoice in his promotion into heaven and to reminisce about Hank.

I remember when Hank first came into the Celebration family.  Right away you could tell that his life had been radically transformed by the Lord.  Later on, Hank join our Celebration Facility staff, where has served the Lord and our congregation faithfully, and where he grew to be loved and appreciated by many in our church family.

As our staff prayed and shared together, we commented on some of the qualities that Hank constantly demonstrated that made him such a unique man of God.  For example:

• Hank loved people, and was always looking for ways to serve and encourage others

• Hank was a hard worker who enjoyed working for His Lord and his church family

• Hank was a student of the Bible, and was always striving to live by the Word of God

• Hank’s confidence in the Lord was unshakable - regardless of the situation he was always assuring people that “the Lord would come through”

• Hank loved to witness and encourage people to receive the Lord’s salvation

• Hank loved to praise the Lord – and often was heard saying or shouting, “Praise Jesus”

• Hank had no fear of death – he eagerly looked forward to going to heaven

• Hank had a burden for hurting people and was particularly drawn to the down and out

• Hank believed that Jesus was the only One who could bring help, hope, healing or salvation to people’s lives, and so he was always encouraging people to trust in the Lord

• Hank loved Jesus with all of his heart, soul, mind and strength.  The bumper sticker on his truck read, “If it ain’t about Jesus, it ain’t about nothing.”

• Hank was greatly loved by his immediate family and by his church family

Yesterday, as I mentioned earlier, Hank was promoted from the service of the Lord into the very presence of the Lord in heaven.  We know that because the Bible says in regards to true followers of Jesus that “to be absent from the body means we are present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8).  Hank was certainly a true follower of Jesus, and now he is up in heaven receiving many rewards from Jesus because of the love that he showed and the life he lived (2 Timothy 4:7, Revelation 14:13).

One of our Staff members was telling her grandson that Hank had gone to heaven earlier this morning. He said, “Mr. Hank – isn’t that the ‘Jesus Man’?”

May we all, like Hank, love and live for the Lord in such a way in the days ahead that we become known as the “Jesus Man” or the “Jesus Woman.”

What would qualify a person to participate in a Prison ministry outreach? Well, in my first year as a Christian I participated in a Bill Glass Weekend of Champions Prison Crusade. At that time I didn’t know much about the Bible. All I knew was that the Lord had forgiven me of my sins, He was in the process of transforming me, and I wanted others to experience what I had experienced through my relationship with Jesus Christ. So I attend that crusade back in 1979, and it was a very fulfilling experience for me. I learned during the training how to interact with the prisoners, how to share my faith with them, and how to lead them to received Jesus as the Savior and Lord of their life. And it was my great joy and privilege to lead 8 men to faith in Jesus Christ during that prison crusade back in 1979. I actually maintained a “pen pal” relationship with some of those men for several years, and enjoyed encouraging them and being encouraged as I read about how the Lord had transformed their lives. The bottom line is that any Christian whose life has been transformed by the Lord and who cares for others can be effectively utilized in ministering to people in prison, because at that time, like no other, they have a “captive audience” with whom they can share the message and ministry of Jesus.

Jesus indicated that His followers would be rewarded for visiting people in prison. He said:
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then He will sit upon his glorious throne. . . . The King will say to those on the right, `Come, . . . inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed Me. I was thirsty, and you gave Me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited Me into your home. I was naked, and you gave Me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for Me. I WAS IN PRISON, AND YOU VISITED ME.' Then these righteous ones will reply, `Lord, when did we ever see You hungry and feed You? Or thirsty and give You something to drink? Or a stranger and show You hospitality? Or naked and give You clothing? 39When did we ever see You sick or in prison, and visit You?' And the King will tell them, `I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to Me!'” (Matthew 25:36-40 NLT)

• The deadline to register is September 21, 2011 (you register online at the website). This must be done ahead of the event to receive security clearance to go into the prisons.
• There is a $25 non refundable registration fee, which covers some of the Outreach expenses (you can either pay this fee online by credit card, or mail it to the Champions For Life office)
• Training for the Weekend of Champions event will take place on Thursday, October 13 at the Double Tree Hotel) 2150 Veterans Blvd in Kenner from 6-9 pm. At this training you would be paired with others who are experienced in Prison ministry and outreaches.
• When we go into the prisons on Friday and Saturday (October 14-15) you will need to bring your driver’s license, a small Bible, a ballpoint pen, and you can wear modest attire (including caps and hats for when you are outside). The team members will lunch in the units with the inmates.

You can be the Lord’s instrument for bringing salvation, help, hope and healing to people in prison. Pray and ask the Lord if He wants you to get involved or at least explore this opportunity further. Remember, Jesus said that when we “minister to people in prison” we are in effect, “ministering to Him.”

“Have mercy on me, O God, because of Your unfailing love. Because of Your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my shameful deeds – they haunt me day and night. Against You, and You alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in Your sight. You will be proved right in what You say, and Your judgment against me is just.” (Psalm 51:1-4 NLT)

The above passage includes the beginning verses in King David’s great prayer of repentance to the Lord. David was praying this in response to the conviction he had regarding his sin against others and his sin against the Lord. We learn in 2 Samuel 11 that David had committed adultery with a married woman named Bathsheba, and when he discovered she was pregnant with his child, he had her husband Uriah killed in battle. David thought that he had gotten away with his sin, but the Bible says that “the Lord was very displeased with what David had done” (2 Samuel 11:27).

If anyone could have gotten away with this type of action, it should have been a king. But God sent his prophet Nathan to confront King David. Nathan identified David’s sin, told him that the child Bathsheba was carrying would soon die, and told him that David’s family would suffer greatly because of his sin. The predictions of Nathan came to fruition, and left David a broken man because of his sin, and the consequences of that sin. In Psalm 38 and Psalm 32:1-5, David relates the conviction and burden that he was experiencing because of his sin.

Having been broken by his sin and its consequences, David confesses to the Lord in Psalm 51. He writes in verse three that sin dominates our minds – “for I recognize my shameful deeds – they haunt me day and night.” Every day and every night David had to reflect on the fact that he had committed adultery with another man’s wife, and then had that good and loyal man murdered. He couldn’t get away from the guilt of what he had done. Sin also dirties our soul, which is why in verse seven David wrote, “Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” David felt dirty and unclean because of what he did, and either consciously or subconsciously we feel the same way when there is un-confessed sin in our lives. Sin deprives us of joy, which is why David wrote in verse eight: “Give me back my joy again; You have broken me, now let me rejoice.” Un-confessed sin in our lives robs our joy and peace and leaves us broken and sad (Psalm 32:1-5). Sin also causes us shame, which is why David wrote in verse nine: “Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt.”

Sin in our lives also causes us to have “wrong spirits” or attitudes (Psalm 51:10). When Nathan confronted David, he did so by telling David a story of how a wealthy man had taken a poor man’s pet sheep and used it for a barbecue. David rose up in indignation, declaring that the wealthy man should probably die, and would at least have to pay the poor man back four-fold. Nathan then responded to David’s indignation by declaring, “You are the man.” Think about David’s response. It was one thing to steal and kill another man’s sheep, but it was a far greater sin to steal another man’s wife, and then have that man murdered. What does David’s response show us? It shows us that oftentimes the people who are most critical of others have “wrong attitudes” and are themselves covering up sin.

In Psalm 51:11, David reminded us that sin in our lives separates us from God’s presence, and in Psalm 51:4 he reminded us that sin in our lives dishonors the Lord. When we think about the consequences of sin, it should give us a hatred for sin and a determination to become godlier by the power of the Holy Spirit who lives inside us.

The main point in Psalm 51, however, is that David recognized his sin, became convicted about that sin, repented of that sin, and was restored in His relationship with the Lord. Psalm 32 and Psalm 34 record David’s feelings of relief and joy when he repented and returned to the Lord. And the good news is, although we are all sinners and will continue to sin, we also can experienced the Lord’s forgiveness, freedom and fulfillment when we get things right with God.

Any thoughts or comments?

Now, Jesus is not talking about building a home; He’s talking about building a life. You see, we are all in the “building business.” Building a life and building a home have some similarities. The most important part of building a home is not what you build, but where you build. Because you would be better off to build a log cabin on a rock than to build a mansion in a swamp.

I heard of a builder many years ago who developed a subdivision of glamorous exclusive homes in Canada. On the outside it was a magnificent subdivision. But winter came, snow fell, the winds began to blow, and all of a sudden, first one house, and then another, began literally to collapse and fall into sink holes. The authorities came, and after questioning the developer they discovered that he had built the entire subdivision on a garbage dump.

Lots of people are building their lives, families and futures on unstable and even hazardous foundations. They are building their lives on the pursuit of wealth, possessions or pleasure – and those types of foundations will not survive the “storms” of life.

What we all need to do is to build our lives, families and futures on “the Rock” who is Jesus Christ – and we do that by making Him our Savior and getting plugged into His church. When we build our lives, families and future on Jesus Christ, we are not only building something that will last – we are building something that will last forever.

What are some steps you need to take to further build your life, family and future on “the Rock”? Begin taking those steps today and you will be able to withstand the “storms” of life.

• “Storms” are a part of life
• God is all-powerful, and He can circumvent the impact of “storms” in our lives
• The Lord will be with us through the “storms” of life
• God speaks to us through the “storms” of life
• The Lord uses the “storms” of life to make us more like Jesus
• Faith in God is the key to overcoming the “storms” of life
• The Lord uses “storms” to unify His people
• The Lord uses “storms” to galvanize the church into action and ministry
• The Lord will perform miracles in, for and through His people as they get involved in serving Him by serving others

There is one other lesson that I learned from Katrina that I want to share at this time.

Ten, God can turn every tragedy into a great victory. That is the testimony of Scripture, and that is the testimony of what God is doing here in Greater New Orleans. Prior to Katrina, New Orleans had the highest alcoholism rate in the world, we were the murder capital of the U.S., we had a terrible public education system, we had a “spirit of poverty” over our city that was incredibly powerful, and we had a well-deserved reputation for corruption. On top of that, the pastors and churches in Greater New Orleans were estranged denominationally and racially.

Now, things aren’t exactly rosy all of the time here in New Orleans. We still have more than our share of social ills, crimes and violence. However, there are some real changes taking place in our region. The murder rate is diminishing, corruption is being rooted out, the public education situation has improved dramatically, we have a lesser percentage of people living in abject poverty, and New Orleans is now being touted as one of the places to move to for businesses and professionals. On top of that, a big percentage of the pastors and churches of our region have come together in unprecedented ways, breaking through racial and denominational that were previously unyielding, and these pastors and churches now actually spend time praying together and partnering together in ministry. I can see that the Lord is slowly but surely transforming our region from “The City That Care Forgot” into “The City That Cares For God.”

The story of Celebration Church illustrates how the Lord can “turn every tragedy into a great victory.” Our church began because some people pulled out of another church that had an immoral pastor. Out of that “tragedy” a new congregation was birthed that now is one of the leading churches in our region and has impact all over the world.

Some years ago one of our pastors died unexpectedly at the age of 40. Rather than allow that “tragedy” to overwhelm and overcome us, our church family rallied together and learned how to trust in the Lord and depend upon one another in the midst of great adversity. The lessons that we learned from that “tragedy” helped prepare for us for the next Katrina tragedy.

After Hurricane Katrina had moved past New Orleans, we discovered that both of the Celebration Church campuses had been flooded, and that both campuses were going to require upwards of $10 million to rebuild. On top of that, many of our people had their homes flooded, and 60% of our people had decided to relocate to other cities and states. Either of the two situations mentioned above would have conquered most congregations.

I remember the words that I spoke to our church attendees in our first service back in New Orleans on September 25, 2005. We were meeting in a building that had been flooded that most of our people had never worshiped in. We only had 25% of our Pre-Katrina attendees present, and probably half of them had their homes flooded. I said to our small, devastated but valiant congregation: “I don’t know how we’re going to overcome the tragedy that has befallen us. But I’m confident that the Lord is bigger than this problem. And we’re just going to pray, persevere and keep serving Him, and I’m confident that somehow He will take this great tragedy, turn it around, and use it for our good, for others good, and for His glory.”

And that’s exactly what the Lord has done in these past six years. Now, our two campuses have been rebuilt, and we have even added two additional campuses. Our congregation has also been rebuilt, and now is more than twice the size that it was before Katrina. After having served over 140,000 families since the storm, the reputation and influence that our church now has in our region is something that we could never have achieved in 100 years of ministry. And every day and every weekend, we continue to see the mighty hand of God at work in our worship services and ministries, and in and through the lives of our people.

Paul wrote in Romans 8:28 that “God is in the midst of all things bringing about good to those who love Him.” That certainly is true for the Christian residents of New Orleans, and for the Celebration Congregation. We are all testimonies to the fact that GOD CAN TURN EVERY TRAGEDY INTO A VICTORY.

I look forward to hearing from you about how the Lord has turned some “tragedies” in your life into great “victories.”