Online Confessional?

At Church I have been teaching “Putting on the New Man” for a few weeks now. You cannot put on the new man until you “Put off the old man” – Col. 3 :9-10

There are thoughts, behaviors, attitudes or actions of which are not apart of the new nature. God, who is rich in mercy, deals with us to repent of these sins. With repentance comes growth and maturity.

Has the Lord dealt with you about an area that needs to be “Put off”? Would you be willing to list a few here on this blog? (A sort-of online confessional) Risky, I know but someone wrestling with similar sins may receive encouragement to also repent.

Let me be the first:

• Unforgiveness

As a pastor, I work with lots of people. People are not always nice. Most of the time they are but every so often, they hurt you. It hurts when you want the best for people and invest much time, praying, teaching and loving them and for many different reasons, they fall away. It's like my wife Julie says, "Hate the sin, LOVE the sinner." I have held onto hurts that have hindered the love of Christ from flowing through me the way He longs to. (Don't worry it's not you, I love all of my blog friends). I thank God for His freedom through Christ. "I" cannot but HE can.

-PST

Morning Glory

Every Saturday morning, 7:30am, men gather at the church for prayer. All men welcome.

Praying Man-tis

Here I caught Ron in action praying for Reggie during a men's meeting.

"Seeker friendly" or Sin friendly?

Mention the name Bill Hybels to any student of the modern American church and it’s sure to garner many different opinions these days. He’s credited as one of the largest proponents for the seeker friendly movement in the church. His recent admission that he, (Willow Creek) was wrong, because the ministry model that has influenced thousands of church leaders has failed to produce disciples. Ask my church members and they’ll tell you that I’ve been preaching this for some time. Programs are often the pastor’s solution to a lack of the presence of God in their church. Look at scripture:

As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit — just as it has taught you, remain in him.
1John 2:27

This doesn’t mean that we have no need for Bible teaching but when a true convert is born, the Holy Spirit leads them to all truth. A program or “track” can give the illusion of progress but reaching maturity only comes through the Spirit. Read this insightful article and draw your own conclusion.

Willow Creek Pastor Admits 'Mistake'

Bill Hybels said research shows his program-oriented church-growth strategy isn’t as effective at discipleship

The leader of the Illinois church that popularized the seeker-sensitive approach to evangelism and church growth said recent research shows his ministry's strategy isn't as effective at making Christian disciples as was once thought.

"We made a mistake," Bill Hybels told more than 80,000 church leaders participating in an August Willow Creek Association conference. "When people crossed the line of faith and became Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become 'self-feeders.'" To read the full article click here.

Over 150 strong!

Check out the MaxMan Houston logo I designed the network. I placed it in white & black backgrounds. Which do you like better?



There are over 150 men in our MMH network currently going through the Ed Cole Curriculum. We are in the process of creating a strategy to double and triple that number this year. Please pray for this world-wide men's movement, as God continues to call men to authentic biblical masculinity. Because "Manhood and Christlikeness are synonymous"- Dr. Ed Cole

Panhandler found with $3,426.78

By Jason Whitely / 11 News

Mention panhandlers to most METRO riders and you hear the same thing. "It's bad,” explained rider Laura Garrett, “They have little children coming up to you asking 'Ma'am do you have a quarter, a dime, a dollar?'"

Metro Police says it's one of the biggest complaints they get, too. But panhandlers, especially the aggressive ones, are hard to catch in the act like the one undercover officers ran across in downtown Houston Monday afternoon.

"He asked the lady for money and she refused,” said METRO Police Capt. Mike Raney. “He continued the request for more money. The officer was standing just a few feet from the panhandler at the time."

Police stepped in and questioned 42-year-old James Dillon but were not expecting what they were about to find on him.

When Dillon did not have any ID, plain clothes police officers searched him. Looking down in one pocket they found a wad of $1,700 in cash. Looking in the other pocket they found even more money and another citation for panhandling issued last month.

The homeless man’s cash added up to $3,426.78. And he was caught asking for another quarter.
"They sometimes will have a fair sum of money but not that large a sum of money,” Raney added. “That's more than some of us have in our savings account."

Three months ago, METRO Police started placing undercover officers on city buses and light rail trains trying to eliminate the nuisance of panhandling for riders. Cops caught one but police admit the problem persists.

Dillon told officers he had been saving his money but could not deposit it in a bank since he had no identification. He got to keep the cash but was written a new ticket for panhandling.

Why this Blog?

As an avid reader and follower of blogs, ingesting bite size portions of practical and insightful info has become a daily requirement for me (and all the other web 2.0 fanatics). This blog is a natural step for me as I see ministry opportunity all over this.

Press means to use a steady and significant force to put weight on something, sometimes to make it move or start working. But it also means, the written opinions expressed in articles and publications. Welcome to PRESS THE KINGDOM. As a pastor and friend, I am interested in things that connect people. I hope you will read this blog and leave comments