This is My Story

    The story of the resurrection is celebrated by almost two billion people around the world. We pause and remember what happened to our Lord when he entered Jerusalem for the final time 20 centuries ago. However, if we are not careful, the Easter story can be glossed over, and we can forget the surprise and shock of the resurrection. Let’s never forget the “aha” moment it really delivers. Re-read Mark 16:1–7 and let it surprise you again.

    Sunday, I asked you to think of your life as chapters in a storybook. You have an introduction (the set up), the body (the plot) and the ending (the significance).

Chapter One: My Life – Found Guilty

    All humans share the same story because we all have the same sin DNA. The crime has been committed and we are separated from God. There is an old saying that says, “We all stand equal at the foot of the cross.” Romans 3:23 says, "There is no difference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

    Chapter One is pretty bleak and is leading to a bad ending.

    But stories don’t end at chapter one. In the grand courtroom drama – Satan stands as the accuser, with a lot of ammunition to find us guilt and worthy of the death penalty.

Chapter Two: God’s Defense – The Cross

    Jesus enters the courtroom, not as a defense attorney, but as a substitute. He does not declare us innocent; he receives our punishment. He doesn’t carry a briefcase full of notes; he carries a cross. He doesn’t even cross exam the witness against us; he takes on the shame for us.

    The cross is not pretty – it is painful. It is ugly and full of death. But it is at the cross where wrath and grace meet. Think of it, through the death of One Man, all the sins of the human race are fully paid for—past, present and future. When Jesus died, he took our place and suffered the penalty meant for us. He who was innocent paid the price so that we can go free. This is truly beyond human understanding.

    But this chapter has two parts, and the second part contains the resurrection.

    Without the Resurrection, Good Friday is simply a tragedy. Without the resurrection, Jesus is just another mad man. Without the resurrection, there is no hope in our eternal destiny.

    This leads us to chapter three.

Chapter Three: The Verdict – Reconciliation, Justification and Freedom

     He restored our relationship with The Father - Study Ephesians 2:14-18

     We are justified - Study Romans 3:22-25

     We are free - It doesn’t matter how many sins we’ve piled up in our lives. It doesn’t matter how guilty we are. It doesn’t matter how many skeletons rattle around in our closets. The death and resurrection of Jesus is God’s answer to our deepest needs.

    That is what theologians mean when they talk about the "finished work" of Jesus Christ. It’s not just a slogan; it’s a profound spiritual truth. When Jesus cried out "It is finished" (John 19:30), he meant that the penalty for sin had been paid in full.

    Freely His,
    Keith

What a Celebration

I am reading the many tweets from pastors around the country celebrating how many they had in attendance and how many were baptized and converted. There is no doubt that souls are being drawn to the Savior and that God's spirit is moving in great ways.  I am excited about the Kingdom.

I love to see the Body of Christ come together and move forward with the work of redemption. Today at Centerpointe, the church came together for worship and then celebrated with a community outreach. From what I can tell, we had over 100 guests for the service and hundreds more that came from the community for our after service outreach event. I watched as many families which live close to the church walk up to join us.

I am proud of our pastors, volunteers and church family. They worked so hard to make this incredible day come together, and they treated everyone like an honored guest. 

My favorite part of the day was during the worship time. We baptized three people and several others made commitments to become Jesus followers. It really is why we do what we do - share the gospel the best way we know how and pray that people will respond.

I expect there will be many more days like today.

Words are Inadequate

    Words are inadequate to describe how I feel about yesterday (Sunday). Centerpointe Church was given a clear mandate to impact Fairfax County for Christ. 

    A good day in church consists of connecting with God through worship, Word, and giving. It also consists of connecting with people and watching them grow in their faith. But a great day in church is when we get a chance to connect people to God for the first time. YESTERDAY WAS A GREAT DAY! From what I know at this point, six people gave their hearts to Christ and others came back to Him. Two people, from another faith, came to me and said, "I want to be Christian." I love my job! 

    When I drive into Fairfax every Saturday from Baltimore, I am overwhelmed with the amount of people that live here - over one million and growing. I ask God every week, "How can so few make a difference in the lives of so many?" Yesterday gave me the answer: If we work to consistently connect people to Jesus and teach them what it means to be a disciple of Jesus and continue to honor Jesus in everything we do, we will make a difference. I guess you could say it is all about Jesus.

    The day continued to be incredible. At a celebration service later in the day, I was officially installed as the pastor. Larry Hickey, Bob Rhoden, George Raduano, Rob Seagears, Steve Brimmer and Bill Fraznelli spoke to the church about what the Spirit of God is doing. Each brought a word from the Lord to challenge the church to move boldly forward. I am truly humbled that these men took the time to speak into the life of the church, as each has played key roles in my life as mentors, teachers and friends. I was doubly blessed to have Brian Biondo and Miki Fields bring their extraordinary musical gifts to the occasion. Adding to the day were the staff and friends from Trinity, and personal family members that persevered route 66 to celebrate with me.

    Steve Brimmer said it boldly, “Remember Keith, you are not the first pastor of this church, and if the Lord tarries, you will not be the last.” We have to follow God in our season. I pray that when the next generations speak of this season, they will be able to say, “They were boldly faithful.”

    The day was topped off with a delicious spread of desserts prepared by ladies in the church. They went out of their way to make our guests feel welcomed. I am so incredibly proud of them. The people of Centerpointe have embraced my family and me with open arms, and I can’t help but fall in love with them.

    It’s a new chapter in my life and the life of Centerpointe Church. I feel like the first sentence was clearly written. “The eyes of the Lord are searching for a people who are calling out to Him, and He found Centerpointe Church at Fair Oaks. In His sovereignty, His favor now rests on them.”


What a way to start a journey!


PS. A very special thank you to the staff and volunteers who worked so hard to make the house ready for guests.

Where is My Hope?

Over the last seven days, our family has been through a tragedy. One of our family members died unexpectedly. Like many friends and family, I find myself speechless, and a flood of emotions still overwhelm me: anger, shock, grief, loss, confusion…

Where is God in the midst of this?

Where is God in the midst of disappointment and storms and sickness and unwelcomed circumstances?

When I got the news, I was working on a sermon about hope, but now struggle to find what it really means.

So I run to the only place I know that makes any sense during these times – the Bible.  I have to turn to scripture, because it offers hope, even in desperate times.It’s powerful in that it is honest about our feelings and our circumstances.Specifically, the book of Lamentations has a lot to say about pain and suffering. This is a book about pain as the author vividly addresses the extremes of human pain and suffering as few other authors have done in history. It expresses the hard questions that arise during our times of pain.

Lamentations gives no easy answers to the difficult questions, but it helps us meet God in the midst of our suffering and teaches us the language of prayer. Instead of offering a set of techniques, easy answers, or inspiring slogans for facing pain and grief. Lamentations supplies us with a voice for working through grief and instruction on how and what to pray. It also provides for us a focal point on the faithfulness of God and the affirmation that He alone is our portion.

Before reading it, I would encourage you to examine its context. Read why this book was written. Understand the historical setting. When you do, you will see that the writer clearly understands what we are going through as it pertains to pain.

Lamentations 3:21-26 says, “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’S great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.” (NIV)

The Process of Restoring Hope:

Being a follower of Jesus, I have learned that no matter what we are going through, we are people of hope. Sin has robbed this world of hope, but Jesus has restored it.

Here are four things that I trust will help:

1. Remember:

“Yet this I call to mind.”  Literally says, “Make return to my heart.”

Even though everything around me lies in a heap, and countless lives have been lost … Even though everything I knew and loved has come crashing down, I have a hope.

Hebrew prayers had two consistent inclusions. The first is that they referred to God as the Creator of Heaven and Earth. The second consistent theme is a reminder that God delivered them from Egypt.

They were constantly reminded of who God is.

Fill in the blank, “God is my _______________”

2. Repent

Lamentations 3:39–42, “Why should any living man complain when punished for his sins? Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord. Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven, and say: “We have sinned and rebelled and you have not forgiven.”

To repent is to face your failure and allow God to cleanse you. This is the only path to forgiveness and freedom. The consequences of not repenting is continual struggle and guilt without the hope of healing.

3. Refocus

Psalms 42:5, “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and My God.”

The battle is in the mind. You have to intentionally fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith. Don’t play for second place. Fix your eyes on what is most important.

4. Rejoice

Philippians 4:4-7, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Psalms 30:5, “For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”

There is no greater need than hope and no greater opportunity than now. Some men see only a hopeless end, but the Christian rejoices in an endless hope. Our hope is not built on frivolous sayings and shallow experiences. It is built on the fact that Jesus died and rose again.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13 NIV)

Reflecting the Heart of God

Sunday was wonderful day at Centerpointe. The atmosphere of expectation and gratitude filled the building as we talked about reflecting the heart of God. It is a privilege, and also a great responsibility, to be chosen by God to reflect the image of His Son to the world. We, The Church, are the first glimpse the world has of Jesus. 

Ephesians 3:10 says, “God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” 

The only way to be a true reflection of Jesus is by getting to know his heartbeat. The way we get a taste of His great heart is by reading Jesus’ prayers and studying his mission, message, motivation and actions. Let’s walk through them one at a time:

Kristi's Missions Trip to Costa Rica

Dear Friends and Family, 
March 29, 2010 

I hope you are all doing well. I know for me, this year has been a great journey with God. He has blessed me abundantly with an amazing youth group and church. I have grown so much and have been given so many opportunities to share God’s amazing love everywhere I go. 

This summer, I will be going to Costa Rica with my youth group (Remix Student Ministries) from July 16-23. I am excited to spread God’s love through games, drama, music, teaching, and more. We will be going into the local schools daily. 

There are two ways you could partner with me. The first of course is prayer. Please pray for safety and unity for our team. Also pray that God would use us in a powerful way. Secondly is finances. This trip is going to cost about $1,400. This will cover food, transportation, housing and project money. Any amount would be a great blessing and much appreciated.

Thank you for your consideration. 

His Servant,

                                                 

~Kristi Edwards

You can donate online through the following link:

HTTPS://www.easytithe.com/f/?k=9TEJX2VKJ6IPOKWO

It’s Great to Be Loved

Sunday I introduced the message by talking about Esther’s and my first kiss together. What made that kiss so special was the three words that preceded it – “I love you.” You see, I fell in love with this blond hair, blue-eyed girl in the registration line at Valley Forge Christian College however we did not begin dating until six years later. So when I said those words to her at a beach in New Jersey, I was overwhelmed to hear them coming back to me. To be loved is an incredible thing.

If you think that human love is great, then you have not even begun to scratch the surface of God’s incredible love. You see, I was not pursuing God when he displayed his love for me. He pursued me. In fact, while I was an enemy with God, He loved me (Romans 5:6-11).

I invite you to read Ephesians 3:14-19 and meditate once again on God’s love. As you do, here are some thoughts from the message: 

First Sermon Series at Centerpointe Church @ Fair Oaks

 

Tomorrow I begin a series called "The Unstoppable Force." It will be my first message as Lead Pastor of Centerpointe Church @ Fair Oaks.

This series is about The Church, The Body of Christ - Big "C". Jesus said he would build his church and the gates of Hell will not be able to overcome it. I liken it to a locomotive. Like most young boys, I was fascinated with trains. They were big and powerful. What was most impressive was the locomotive, pulling up to a hundred railroad cars up steep hills across the country. I used to count them as they would go by. The sound of the whistle signaled to the world that it was coming our way. 

"Locomotive" comes from two Latin words: Loco meaning "from a place" and Motivus meaning "causing motion". That's a great picture of The Church, "A Place Causing Motion."

When the church is working right, things happen. People are changed and communities are transformed.

I am excited about what God is doing in The Church and particularly what God wants to do at Centerpointe Church. This local expression of The Church is going to be a place where Faith Comes Alive.

Thanks Kris Celeste for putting our first message bumper together.

Enjoy the Journey,
Keith

My Last Day At Trinity

Sunday, March 13th, I said goodbye to some great friends and family. I know that many people leave churches for many reasons...ministers also leave – some for good reasons and some for not-so-good reasons. I happened to be blessed in that my reason for leaving Trinity was to become the lead pastor at Centerpointe Church at Fair Oaks in Fairfax, VA. I am doubly blessed because I had the opportunity to work with Pastor George Raduano and the incredible staff of Trinity for 4 ½ years. The leadership lessons I learned will be applied to the rest of life, personally and in ministry.

If there ever was a prescribed way of honoring someone when they leave, Trinity could write the manual. I feel very humbled by the church's love and encouragement. I was sent off with a gift certificate for a two-day retreat at the Antrim House for Esther and myself (Esther says we need to wait for six months when I am completely exhausted). I also received a cappuccino maker, which I am enjoying immensely. It was the perfect gift for me. I guess Pastor George did not want to see me drive 65 miles to get a cup of coffee from his office. Esther received a gift certificate to the Coach store where she, for sure, will purchase a new purse. The service ended in prayer for our family and a time of fellowship – many hugs, handshakes and encouragement. Many wrote cards with expressions of love, which Esther and I read together – with a few tears falling.

It was a great day. 

To Trinity – Although I was the discipleship and teaching pastor, I received more from you than you can ever imagine. You laughed with me when I made some blunders, and you let me lead and try new things. I will miss you. You have imbedded yourself into my heart. Centerpointe Church is going to look a lot like you over the next several years – worshipping…growing…serving.

To the Pastoral Staff – Thanks for receiving me as a team member quickly and helping me excel in my giftings as well as challenging my growth areas. You are all very gifted in your role and serve the church well.

To the Support Staff Q3 (you know who you are) – I can’t imagine what life would have been like at Trinity without your help. I will never forget our 8:30 breakfast times at Stone Mill, the missions weeks, and all the events and ministries we worked on. You are a great team. Thanks, Pam, for your leadership and passion for excellence.

To Pastor George – I came as a good friend and left with a best friend. Thanks for sharing your life and heart with me. You are truly a generous man of God. Your consistent leadership at Trinity has led the way to health and vibrancy.

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May His face shine upon you. May He give you strength for today and hope for tomorrow.

With Love,

Keith

Following His Call

On Sunday, I announced to Trinity, that I accepted an invitation to be the lead pastor of Centerpointe Church at Fair Oaks in Fairfax, Virginia. This was a bitter/sweet experience for me. It was bitter in that I am leaving a church and pastor that I love. Pastor George Raduano and the leadership of Trinity have been so generous to me with support and encouragement over the last four and a half years. It is sweet because I am following the calling of the Lord in my life – and there is nothing like that feeling.

This is part of the message when I spoke to the Trinity congregation:

As pastors, we give our lives to the Bride of Christ: the Church. Yes, we are flawed. We have egos and temptations like everyone else because we are people. But for the most part, people go into ministry because there is something inside that draws them to it. It’s called the “call of God” which is not to be taken lightly.

We are responsible to steward the calling of God on our life like we must steward everything else. We are to be good stewards of our families, our finances, our facilities, our time, our education, our health, our life, etc.  Nothing should be wasted in our life.

A Leader's Heart

A Leader’s Heart

Tomorrow, I will speak to the leaders of Remix (the youth ministry at Trinity, Baltimore). I was asked to speak on two topics: "A Leader's Heart" and "Self-Leadership". Here is my outline for "A Leader's Heart."

A Leader has:

A Seeking Heart: Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need (Matthew 6:33 NLT-SE)

A Hungry Heart: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied (Matthew 5:6 NAS95)

A Pure Heart: God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God (Matthew 5:8 NLT-SE)

A Healthy Heart: This represents a holistic lifestyle

A Unified Heart: Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace (Ephesians 4:1–3 NLT-SE)

A Brave Heart: How could I leave this out?

A Cheerful Heart: A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength (Proverbs 17:22 NLT-SE)

A Wise Heart: Proverbs 2

A Servant’s Heart: So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen (2 Timothy 2:10 NLT-SE).

 

Celebrating the Word

This is an amazing testimony to the power of the Word of God. As I saw this I was reminded of the many Bibles that are on my shelf and the variety of translations. I never want to take it for granite.
Watch... Celebrate... Consider... Commit 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =w9dpmp_-TY0&sns=tw

An Adventure or a Quest?

This is one paragraph that I can't help but quote. Kevin Ford, in his book, Transforming Church, writes about helping a church change to become outward focused:

"I believe most churches fail in the journey of change because they start off offering people an adventure rather than a quest. As I state in chapter 1, Tolkien writes that an adventurer seeks treasure without the necessity of transformation, while someone on a quest is forever changed, often in the very process of losing a treasure. Church leaders often promise that being a Christian will yield great treasure, but they fail to understand Christ's central paradox concerning purpose: 'If you give up your life for me, you will find it' (Matthew 10:39). Reaching out involves loss - a loss of comfort, a loss of self-focus, and perhaps a loss of some personal enjoyment."
(pg. 125)

Thanks Kevin for this insight.


Enjoy the journey, it will change your life.

The Incredible Team I Work With

This is the incredible pastoral team I had the privilege to serve with at Trinity Assembly of God. I'm a lucky guy!

Pray for Sudan

We have dear friends in Sudan that really need our prayers. From January 9th through the 15th, the people of Sudan will vote on a referendum that will determine the future of the nation. If the South secedes, the current president of Sudan promised to rewrite the constitution to insure Islam is the only religion and form of law in the North. This, of course, has significant implications for our friends.

Please pray for the following things:

• Peace and safety for the Sudanese people 
• Fair and free voting and counting 
• God’s peace to be in the hearts of the believers of Sudan 
• God’s grace and protection for our friends who continue working in the face of potentially tighter laws in the North 
• Wisdom, compassion, and integrity to be exercised by the leadership of Sudan (North and South)

2011 Prayer List

I have been thinking a lot about 2011 and what it holds for those who are followers of Jesus. To that end, I am developing my prayer list. Of course my prayers always include my family, God's favor, wisdom, The Church and missions. But maybe there is something more - something that God is specifically pointing at that I need to pay attention to. Here is what I have so far:

1. That I will have a heightened sense of God's presence in my life. I know He is with me always, but I would like to be even more aware of his presence and activity in and around my life. I pray this also for our church. When we meet together, I pray we remember the reason why.

2. That my life will bring glory to God - every part. That means some things will have to change. Reading the biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer has caused me to think about who I am really living for.

3. Pastor George Raduano confirmed this one in his sermon yesterday. That I will live a generous life. This includes relationships, finances and service.

I am sure my list will expand as the year progresses, but for now, this should keep my occupied.

How about you? What is on your prayer list?

A Shelter in the Time of Storm

One of my daughters took this picture of the bird house Melanie and I made together last year. I love it.

Psalm 91:1 "Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty."

Four Tons of Canaries

Years ago, I attended a men’s convention listening to Jeff Brawner, a pastor in Southern California at the time.  He used a funny illustration that I now pass on to you. It may be dated, but still relevant. 

Once there was a man driving down the road following a large truck. At a stop light the truck driver got out and pulled out a baseball bat from behind the seat and went all around the truck banging on the sides. He jumped back in the truck and drove off. This was obviously puzzling to the man following the truck. At the next light the truck driver stopped the truck did the same thing. He jumped out of the truck, pulled out the bat and ran around the truck banging on the side, got back in and drove off. At the next light it happened again. This was too much for the man following to handle. At the gas station the truck driver pulled in and the man following had to stop and ask. “What in the world are you doing?” “Why are you beating on your truck at every stop light?” The man responded, “That’s easy, you see, I have a two ton truck and four tons of canaries. I have to keep half of them in the air at all times.”

I feel this way sometimes with church, family, commitments, job, ministry (my job), etc, etc... It sometimes seems like it's impossible to keep the canaries flying. When this happens, it's very important that we create space to get alone with God, collect our thoughts and allow God to speak to us.   

Jesus was very intentional about carving out time for his Father. It seems in scripture that the more hectic his schedule the more time he deliberately, intentionally, set aside time to pray. We, on the other hand, feel like we do not have any more time for God because life is too busy. This is a guarantee for powerless living. If we are going to successfully navigate through this rat race we are going to have to make time to spend with our Heavenly Father.

Mark 1:35 says "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place where he prayed." Quite simply, Jesus lived a very disciplined life and he knew what he had to do to stay effective in his ministry: He had to create space for his Father.  It consistently connected him with his purpose and mission: to redeem the world through love.

Don't let the canaries weigh you down. 

Gramaw's House - Just Stopping By

One of my favorite places in memory is on York Road, Sparks, Maryland - Gramaw’s house. I lived there for several years growing up. It was ground zero for my extended family. Every day someone stopped by to check up on Gramaw. When my family moved out of her house, we also stopped by at least once a week.

As I grew, I continued to stop by Gramaw’s. When I was able to drive, I drove by her house almost daily. Even when I did not stop in, I wanted to just see it again. It was a secure, safe, and warm place. Her house was always open (If it wasn’t, I knew where she hid the key. Of course, everyone else did too.). I would go in and she would fill me in on the rest of the family. By the time I left I knew which one of my uncles had stopped by and for how long. I knew where the other grandchildren were, and I would also catch up on the latest church news. She never talked negative about the church although she would occasionally throw in, “I don’t know what these young people are thinking nowadays.” (Boy, even writing this I can hear her voice saying it.)

"A Living Stream in the Desert" by Philip Yancey

Philip Yancey writes an intriguing article in Christianity Today entitled, "A Living Stream in the Desert. How the Christian faith will be a subversive - and liberating - influence in the Middle East."

In it he writes:

"Some in the U.S. judge our nation's success by such measures as gross national product, military might, and global dominance. The Kingdom of God measures such things as care for the downtrodden and love for enemies. In the final reckoning described in Matthew 25, God will judge nations by how they treat the poor, the sick, the hungry, the alien, and the prisoner. How differently would the world view my country if it associated the U.S. with the 'Jesus syndrome' rather than with weapons, wealth, and the Baywatch syndrome?"

It makes me wonder not only about my country, but my life.