BillLaMorey.com

Weekly Mind Dump 5.15.11

• Crazy week!
• A new resource was released that Bob Franquiz and I got to collaborate on called "Ministering in the Hard Places." -I'm very happy with how it turned out.
• Speaking of Bob I got to spend some time with him and John Solaroli (both of Calvary Fellowship Miami) this week as they came into my neck of the woods to spend a day with Tim Keller and a small group of guys (I am happy for them and jealous at the same time about that by the way)
• Thursday I was hit with the sad news that Barry, a guy that has been part of Calvary for 5 of our 6 years suddenly went home to be with the Lord. This hit me pretty hard. Barry was gregarious, fun and funny and his laughter filled any room. Every week he gave me the biggest bear hug you can imagine and whispered "I love you, pastor." I already miss him.
• Friday was my wife Rebecca's birthday. For one of her presents, I made her upset...I am so fortunate that she puts up with me!
• I felt that I didn't deliver today's message very well, but many people shared encouraging feedback and one woman even wrote "one of the best sermons I've heard, ever" on her Connection Card. So I'm going to assume that the Holy Spirit more than compensated for my weakness today (as He tends to do).
• Today I am listening to some Jimmy Buffet and rooting for the Red Sox...only for you would I do either of those things, Barry! :)

Weekly Mind Dump 5.08.11 (Special Mothers' Day edition)

• On Mothers' Day I can't help but acknowledge that I have the best Mom in the world!
• On Mothers' Day I can't help but acknowledge that my children also have the best Mom in the world! (I'm not sure how the above statements can BOTH be true, but they just are.)
• We had a great service today; really good worship!
• One of the people on the worship team today came to Christ at our church, and it is awesome to watch them grow in their faith and service to God.
• I jumped ahead to the 5th Commandment for the occassion and taught a messaged called "Parental Guidance"
• Two people who were first-time visitors gave their lives to Christ at service today. Both were invited by friends. I LOVE that!
• The photographer who took our Mothers' Day photos this morning is top notch and I highly recommend him!
• We got some more press on our Mothers' Day service/free photos yesterday here.
• We didn't get the house we put an offer on last week. Rebecca and I are a little disappointed, but not devasted; we know God has something for us.
• I am super excited about the release of a resource coming out tomorrow for those with churches in hard-to-reach areas that I got to collaborate on with a good friend!

Weekly Mind Dump 5.01.11

• Great vibe at church today -lots of energy, enthusiasm and participation -Spring must really be here!
• While the energy was great today, the attendance was not. Less than 1/2 of last week.
• I prayed this morning that God would help me to be more excited about the presence of God than the presence of man. I think it worked because I felt God show up today, and the above-mentioned stat didn't devastate me like it might have in the past (what a difference the right perspective can make in life!).
• I taught a messaged called "You and Me" about the 1st Commandment (Click here to check it out).
• I talked about idols today and Chip said my idol is going over my allotted time (seriously, I have a real problem with this).
• One of the great thing about Spring is that new things come to life, and it is exciting to see some new things happening in my personal life.
• After a year in exile (living in a townhouse waiting to find our next house) we have found a home we really like and have put in an offer (we'll see what happens).
• Last week we officially launched Sharp Churches, a small business Rebecca and I started to help practically equip churches to be even more effective through resources/coaching, etc.
• I'll feature some resources on the blog soon, but you can check out this FREE video for church planters in case you missed it.
• Confession: I thought the Royal Wedding was pretty spectacular. :)

Meet SharpChurches.com

Rebecca and I are regularly asked questions pertaining to church accounting (her) and church planting (me). We have willingly and cheerfully helped whenever and however we can.

We had originally planned to have Rebecca return to work soon because living in CT (where we planted a church) isn't cheap! Instead of having her work for someone else we have decided (under the counsel of close friends) to establish a small business dedicated to kingdom-expansion in which we will create resources (some free and others fairly-priced) and offer coaching/consulting to help other churches in essential areas in which we have some experience.

Our aim is to help churches sharpen their skills so they can be even more effective at the great work God has called them to. Our name and mission were inspired by this verse: “If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success.” (Ecclesiastes 10:10, NIV)

Many in the church world are either strong ministerially or administratively; as a team we believe we offer skill and strength in both. We have rolled out some resources, and many more are in development. If you are interested in what we're doing, check out SharpChurches.com.

(If you are part of Calvary Fellowship and reading this, you should know that I am committed to you as ever and my role as a pastor always takes precedence over this or any other pursuits.)

Weekly Mind Dump 4.10.11

• My friend Chris Goeppner  and I  did a church swap this morning; he taught at Calvary Fellowship and I taught at Riverbank Church (it was a lot of fun, they are a great church and Chris and crew are doing a great job there!)
• Chris taught a message called "Guidelines for Making Godly Decisions" (click here to listen) and I did a message called "Parts" (Acts 6:1-7)
• Though I had a great time, I missed being at Calvary (I really do love our church family!)
• I'm getting pumped for Easter! Our first mailer dropped on Thursday and the second one drops at the end of this week (We're trusting God for BIG things!)
• In addition to standard promotions, we have a secret weapon this year...prayer! (It's been awesome to see people coming in to the church office and praying for God to move powerfully this Easter)
• I cannot wait to start our new series, "The Heart of the 10 Commandments" on Easter
• I also can't wait ti co-teach Philemon next Sunday with my good friend Bob Franquiz down in Miami!
• On the personal front I finally feel my kids are ready for the responsibility of pets so we have officially welcomed Sea Monkeys into our home

Weekly Mind Dump 4.3.11

• The staff and I had an awesome time of learning and reinvigoration at the Drive Conference this past week (I'll be blogging some of my top takeaway this week)
• It was great to see my family and my good friend Jason while I was there
• The rich spiritual climate in GA stands in stark contrast to the spiritual apathy in CT (we were amazed that there was a church on almost every corner we traveled in)
• Living in Connecticut, I cannot even fathom that my Mom has 4 contemporary Christian channels preset on her FM radio (it is possible to listen to Chris Tomlin 24/7 with the right dial surfing there!) -We only have 1 Christian station here and well...nevermind
• Super-geeked to try out my new gadget
• We have a good number of people that attend Calvary work at ESPN, and I am thrilled that I will finally get a tour this week!
• I am also excited to do a church swap with Chris Goeppner this upcoming weekend (Calvary peeps, you're in for a treat!)
• I finished today's message, "Being a Responsible Christian" in 38 minutes including an invitation...after 54 minutes last week this a big win and a small miracle (I cut a lot of content and talked a little faster to make it happen)
• The West Hartford News published this article about our Easter service/Egg Hunt today
• Easter is 3 weeks away; I can't wait!!!

Weekly Mind Dump 3.20.11

• I finished reading "Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived" by Rob Bell this weekend; I'll review it tomorrow (I know everyone is holding their breath in suspense).
• Having a biopsy done is never a good time.
• I'm not sure I can tell the difference between a super moon and not so super moon.
• Rebecca and I went to see the play "Footloose" at Conard High to support he students at the high school we meet at. It was pretty good, though I'd like to set the record straight -unlike Reverend Moore I don't think people shouldn't dance; I just know I can't!
• Because of this production our church was unable to use the school for our church service. Instead of accepting an alternate venue we opted for our 2nd annual Community Outreach Day (the link is to an article about it published this week in the Hartford Guardian).
• There were 10 teams doing various service projects in our community today; I can't wait to see all the pictures and hear all the stories of God at work through His church!
• Our team built and delivered baskets filled with fun, goodies & hope for little boy and girls spending difficult days and nights at the Connecticut Children's Medical Center. Click here for pictures.
• I love teaching God's word, but sometimes it is nice to just shut up and serve with my hands.
• The Drive Conference is only a week away; ready to get recharged just in time for a BUSY ministry season ahead!
• The U.S. is now involved in a third theater of war with Libya...what crazy times we live in.
• This is an actual weather  report from a local news outlet: "Spring Begins Today, But Wintry Mix Monday" -Another reason so few church planters want to come here!

Weekly Mind Dump 3.13.11

Here we go...

•  We tried our best at Calvary to spread the word, but some people still let Daylight Savings Time get the best of them, and they didn't make it to church!
• Though a lot of our regulars were out, I got to meet a bunch of 1st-time guests today (thank you to everyone who invited them!)
• Another person gave their lives to Jesus at service today; yeah! Jesus = WINNING.
• Today I taught on Galatians 5:1-15 in a message called "Freed for Freedom" 
• Watching back your messages on video can be very helpful and difficult. Through it Chip has detected a habit I do EVERY message within the 1st minute. Now that he pointed it out, it's annoying me and I'm trying to stop.
• This past Friday we had our annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner. We have such an awesome group of men and women that serve at Calvary and it was great to spend some time recognizing them and honoring them by serving them that night.
• Next Sunday there is no church service because our church is going out to serve the community; can't wait! (This article about the event was published in the Hartford Courant today)
• I just finish a great book yesterday that EVERY Christian should read, "Money, Greed, and God: Why Capitalism Is the Solution and Not the Problem" by Jay W. Richards (Review coming tomorrow)
• People have asked if giving up TV/movies for Lent has been challenging for me. A little, but every time I consider Jesus' sacrifice for me, mine tends to pale in comparison :)
• One disadvantage of the TV fast has been the inability to watch all of the coverage about the tragedy in Japan. Pictures are one thing, but I have been spared of all of the gruesome videos I've hear so much about. What I do know about the situation breaks my heart and keeps me praying for our friends in Japan.
• Today, my youngest daughter Ava turns 3. I can't believe how fast my girls are growing up! We're sugaring up the kids on cake and then taking them to a bounce house place to get it all out of their system. Should be a blast!

Weekly Mind Dump 3.06.11

• Even with the rain this warm weather (above 50 or even 40) is nice; after this winter I think everyone around here is ready for spring!
• I taught today on trusting God rather than ourselves in a message called "I've Got It!" (Galatians 4:21-31) [Someone told me after service that they looked up the whole Isaac & Ishmael thing on their phone and were blown away at the modern day connection. Normally I discourage surfing the web during church, but we'll let it slide... :)]
• Another person commited their life to Jesus at service today and one of the kids in our student ministry did too at a snow camp retreat this weekend. This stuff makes me thrilled!!!
• Dave, our worship leader, was out today, but Joel and the team did an awesome job. It's easy to take for granted what a nice treat this is and forget all about our video worship days of the past.
• Starting Wednesday I am giving up TV and movies for Lent. I am excited, but man it's going to be looooong 40 days! (Dr. House, I think I'll miss you most) Any book recommendations???
• I can't wait for the Drive Conference in three weeks -ready to get recharged!
• I am super excited about our Volunteer Appreciation Dinner this Friday night. We have an amazing group of volunteers that make things happen at Calvary and the staff and I can't wait to serve and honor them for all they do.
• To this day, people do not have a sufficent appreciation of papaya.

What I'm giving up for Lent, why I'm doing it, and why you should consider it too

Next Wednesday (3.9.11) is Ash Wednesday, and that triggers the season of Lent on the Christian Calendar. Lent is a 40-day period designed to prepare our hearts as we anticipate Easter, and the resurrection of Jesus that we celebrate on that day. In the tradition of Lent each believer gives up something important to them that involves some level of sacrifice. The idea is that every time we would normally do whatever we gave up or whenever we strongly desire to, we instead identify with Jesus’ far greater sacrifice for us and we focus on God in prayer and reflection.

In the church I came to faith in, Lent was never really mentioned or practiced. As a result, it wasn’t until last year that I observed this season. I talked about that and why I believe it is a good idea for all of us to observe Lent in a message called “Remember the Time…?” If you don't know much about Lent, I would highly encourage you to listen to this message (because it goes into more detail than I can get into in this context) and consider whether or not this is something you would like to be a part of. I strongly believe observance of Lent will greatly deepen your intimacy with Jesus and your appreciation for His sacrifice for us if you do.

If you do decide to observe Lent, the big question is always “WHAT do I give up?”.  As a bit of a media junkie I gave up Facebook and talk radio last year. This year I am giving up TV and movies; pray for me!!! You can give up anything you feel led to; the key is it has to be a bit of a sacrifice (which is why I couldn’t go with country music). If you decide to observe Lent this year, please post a comment letting me know what you’re giving up so I can pray for you too.