It's Summer Time!

I'm a summer time kinda person!  It's my favorite time of year.  I love the sunshine, I love the beach, days at King's Dominion and I can't wait to get to camp this year!  Messiah 2010 is shaping up to be one of the most memorable ever.  It is definitely the highlight of my summer! 

I'm feeling a bit nostalgic as you can imagine.  There are emotions, memories of the amazing things that have taken place in the past four years of being here at Horizons Church.  There's a part of me that wishes it never had to end.  Yet, there is a part of me that can't wait to put my hand to a new project that God has for me.  One of Maggie's friends from school came over tonight and we were reminiscing about the first year she came to camp.  We were laughing about some things but also recognized that it was one of the most life changing weeks that any of us had ever experienced.  The presence of the Lord was there.  It was amazing and many people that had no interest in God, acknowledged Him and walked through the steps of salvation and surrendered their lives to Christ by the end of that week.  Every year has it's stories.  Every year has it's amazing testimonies of what the Lord did.  

Pray for our kids this year that they would have an expectation of what camp can be if they turn their gaze upon Jesus Christ.  Pray that their hearts will be open as the Lord speaks.

Ecclesiastical Thoughts

I have been going through Ecclesiastes in my daily Bible reading, and no I'm not contemplating the meaninglessness of life!  In the midst of this book, there's a lot of wisdom to be gleaned.  In Ecc. 6:10 it says that "Everything has already been decided.  It was known long ago what each person would be.  So there's no use arguing with God about your destiny".


I believe that!  I witnessed history yesterday when the U.S. National Team pulled out a last minute goal to get them to the next level of the World Cup.  Landon Donovan's goal was something that was amazing!  God reminded me as I was watching that he knows our destiny.  He spoke it before we were even born!  There is a promise that God has given each of us.  We were born for a purpose.  And that purpose is to glorify Him in everything we do.  You have destiny! 

Monday Morning Ramblings...

I looked at myself in the mirror last night.  I looked old and I looked very tired!  I had just come off of a 30 hour famine Friday and Saturday with some of my awesome H20 friends and then lead worship for two services on Sunday morning and then did H20 youth service Sunday evening! The whole weekend was such a blessing!  So many lives were touched and changed by God because a few people decided to go and be like Jesus. But man, am I tired! 

So, after all of the busyness of the weekend wears off, here I am at the Beautiful letdown of Monday.  After searching high and low for four months for new employment I have come up empty.  I am feeling like I am back to square one.  Several opportunities in which I had high expectations simply just didn't pan out.  The timing wasn't right.  I am trusting in God 100%, but so far I don't see what God can see.  My heart is still pumping.  My eyes are squinting to see past the horizon (no pun intended) but I can't.  I'm not supposed to. It is difficult but I am to trust Him explicitly!  Do I?  Do I really believe that God is going to provide all my needs according to His riches and glory or am I going to start carrying a burden that was not meant for me to carry.

A friend posted an update to pray for him to find a job a few months ago.  Some "not so friendly" friend replied back sarcastically that he needed to quit praying and get off his "behind" and find a job.  As I read the reply I felt angry and disappointed that the person didn't get it.  There is a balance.  I have to do all I know to do.  I have to bang on doors, make phone calls, email people I've never even met to let people know I'm looking for a job.  But, the rest is up to God!  Prayers work, and prayers get answered.  It may not be as quickly or exactly the way we envision things working out but God is faithful.

I'm waiting for my Father.  I am waiting...

1 I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
  and he turned to me and heard my cry.2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
  out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
  and steadied me as I walked along.3 He has given me a new song to sing,
  a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
  They will put their trust in the Lord 
Psalm 40:1-3 NLT

What Kind of Inheritance Are You Leaving?

Yesterday I was checking my facebook and I was noticing that there was a lot of profanity in a number of posts.  It really bothered me.  When I started thinking about it, I realized how many lives are touched in positive and negative ways on Facebook.   In Proverbs there is a great verse that says, "A good man leaves an inheritance for his children's children.  Some fathers may look at that verse and call up their investment broker and start a fund for college.  I want to challenge you to leave a legacy of eternal value.  What kind of inheritance are you leaving for your child?  Your grandchild? The words you speak, and the way you live your life is a legacy.  Everything that flows out of your mouth or typed on a Facebook page is a part of that Legacy.  What kind of legacy are you leaving today? One that is poisonous and hurtful or one that speaks life to other people.

Finding Your Voice

Everyone has something burning inside of them.  What is your passion?  God's given each of us a dream and a voice.  As a youth pastor I see a lot of Juniors and Seniors start to wonder "What am I going to do with my life"?  Here's five easy steps that we can do to find that thing that God wants you to do.


 How to find your voice:

• What is it that God wants you to do?  Eric Liddell in the movie "Chariots of Fire" was asked the question, "Why do you run?"  He answered, "I believe God made me for a purpose but he also made me fast.  And when I run I feel God's pleasure."  What is it that gives you that sense that when you do it you feel God's pleasure?
• You need to be talented at it.  We've all seen American Idol and people that thought they could sing.  Are others affirming that you are good at it?
• Start to find out everything about it.  When you are passionate about something it drives you to be the student of that thing and learn as much as you can about it. 
• It probably scares you a little bit.  If you think it's in you, go for it!  Why can't we as Christians be the best at it, fulfilling our purpose for this generation?
• You need to find people that believe in you.  At 16 God spoke to me about my purpose to work with Youth.  After that encounter with God I spent a lot of time with my youth pastor asking questions and wanting to know as much as possible about how to be an effective leader.

Let's not wait until tomorrow but identify that place that God wants me to be right now.  That is the place where I can start to hone the skills of what my call is going to be.

Dreams

Have you ever had a dream that is so big that it makes you shudder whenever you think about it?  Maybe it even makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up whenever you think about it?

In Genesis, Joseph is a guy that I admire. Early on in his life he was given a dream.  A dream that took years to see fulfilled.   He had to go through so much before He really understood the big picture, but he never gave up and believed, and ultimately, "Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” Joseph had to endure years of setbacks but all the while he trusted God, and eventually he saw the dream come to pass.

I have never been more confident that God is ordering our steps as we follow His lead.  Sometimes it's easy to question whether God is in something or not.  I believe that the best is yet to come!  If you are a child of God you can have every confidence that He is going to lead you and care for you and love you into that next big thing that He wants you to do.  So dream big!  Don't shy away from it!  Embrace God's will for you life today!

All Of God's Promises Are True

I'm reading through Bible in a year and I read Joshua 23:14 this morning.  http://read.ly/Josh23.14.NLT   14 "Soon I will die, going the way of everything on earth. Deep in your hearts you know that every promise of the Lord your God has come true. Not a single one has failed!"  God is faithful.  Period.  Not a single promise he makes has failed.  


Today, as I am waiting on Him, I hear Joshua's words echoing in my ears this afternoon.  Every promise that He has for me will come to pass.  It's been passed on from Moses to Joshua to the next generation. 


As we prepare to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ this Sunday, remember that He is a faithful God. He died and then rose from the dead just for you!  All of His promises won't let go of you!

What's Important

About a week ago, my dad encouraged me to start being more proactive in my kids spiritual life.  I was humbled by that.  I didn't say anything out loud but I was like, "Hey, I'm a pastor and I'm living a spiritual life as an example to my kids!"  I don't know if it was the Lord (Okay, yes it was!) or not but all of a sudden I started noticing little things about my kids.  Things that had been left unchecked and I had "put up with" as a parent.  It wasn't their fault.  I had gotten a little lax in my parenting.  Call it being tired at the end of the day and expecting Missy to "handle" some of those kinda things.  It happens to all of us. 

So, the Rogers' family is starting a new habit of reading a passage in God's Word and seeing how it applies to our lives.  I know, elementary, right?  But, how many of us have gotten out of the habit of being in His Word as a family?  I was kinda wondering whether or not whether my kids would see this as just a chore rather than a privilege.  I have to admit there was a rolling of the eyes at the beginning and at first they were just listening but then my High School daughter started observing literary devices that the author used in Proverbs. (yes!)  My middle school son sighted how Proverbs wisdom can be applied to everyday life.  My youngest son on finding out that we'd be reading the Bible at dinner brought his bright orange New Testament that a Gideon gave him at a Baccalaureate service last year and opened up to the passage I was reading.

So, I will check in a month when spring sports are in full swing to update how things are going! 

Seasons

There have been a lot of emails and questions about my departure from Horizons.  I just wanted to get this out so that there isn't any confusion.  After being given all the details of the direction change for staffing at Horizons, I agree that there needs to be changes.  There is no animosity between Pastors Rich, or Jay nor the leadership of the church.  We all recognized there needs to be a change.

Horizons is growing and with growth comes some decisions.  Decisions are never easy especially when it comes to church staffing.  We feel that the past four years have been amazing here at Horizons.  I know that God has used this experience here to help me grow as a leader.  I've watched two ministries grow and flourish and feel privileged to have been a part of it!  A wise pastor once told me that I always need to take into account that all things are seasonal.  My hope and trust is in Jesus and I know that when one season ends, another season begins. 

Currently God is already showing himself faithful.  Some opportunities are opening up and I'm excited to see where God plants us next.  Life is an adventure and the best is yet to come, for Horizons and the Rogers' family.

Thanks again for your prayers and support. Please continue to pray for my family as we seek God for what the next step is for us.

See you on Sunday!

-Andy

Is Anything Too Hard For The Lord?

 13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, `Can an old woman like me have a baby?'14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son." Genesis 18:13-14


Have you ever been in a situation that looks so big or so out of the ordinary that you didn't think that it was possible that it would come to pass?  Sarah was in that situation.  God spoke to her regarding his plans for her to have a baby and her immediate reaction was to laugh because it sounded so impossible.  I understand her situation.  There have been many times where I have had a crisis of belief and my first reaction is to laugh.



I love God's reply.  Before Abraham could even answer the question, "why", God said, "Is there anything too hard for the Lord?"  It all points back to how we view God.  Do we believe that God can do something that seems impossible?  Seek God for your life and trust him.  Is anything too hard for the Lord?

Dream Big, The Best Is Yet To Come

Here we are, almost a month into 2010 and God is at work.  As I have been praying I get the hairs on the back of my neck sticking up and a sense of anticipation that the best is yet to come.  Our days are numbered.  I know that's a little morbid thinking that we only have a certain amount of time on the earth to make an impact for Christ.  I feel that God is going to give us opportunities to be Jesus in 2010.  What are you doing to be  Jesus today?  Dream Big!  Don't let a day go by that you don't ask God to be used by Him!  And watch out, if you ask, He will answer!

It's All in How You Look At Things

Last night we went to a Department store to do a little Christmas shopping with the family.  Somehow we ended up taking a detour though.  There was a need for outfits for Christmas.  My son is having his first band concert of the year and he needed black pants, white shirt and a tie.  My daughter is taking a field trip to see a play with her school and is in desperate need of getting a dress.  She has grown significantly and literally has no dresses that fit.

We quickly found something for my son but my daughter and my wife were taking a looong time trying on clothes and trying to put together an outfit.  My job at the end of the night was to try and figure out how to keep a 9 and 11 year old boy occupied without tearing apart the store.  After they played hide and seek they got bored.  I suggested that we sit on the benches by the exit.  They were not excited about this at first.  They sat there and started counting the number of people exiting the store.  I had this bright idea to have them say Merry Christmas to each person that walked by.  Well, they counted every person that came by and told each and every one of them Merry Christmas. The count was 85 when we left and just about that many left the store with a smile on their face last night.  When plans change, don't get upset, (like I did!) look for a God moment.  Last night we found our God moment. 

Thanks Giving Thankfulness

After a wonderful day of eating turkey and my mom's special whipped potatoes I realized that we are so blessed to have the families that love one another. The more people I talk to, I realize our families are an anomaly. We had my folks and Missy's folks over, yes, at the same time! No two meals for us. Our families get along and love hanging out together. I'm so thankful for family that is easy going and can get along with practically anyone. All of us share the common bond of Jesus Christ and while we don't necessarily agree on everything, we all agree that God is the most important things in our lives. Thankful? Yes. Yes I am!!!

it was a good night

Tonight was a great night. We met with our H20 leaders and sat around eating sushi and Brazilian barbecue. We told funny stories and laughed til our sides hurt. We brainstormed some ideas for youth group as well. As I looked around the table I thought to myself that I really love these guys. In years past we've had some great leadership groups but this one by far is one of my favorites. They've come from all over world and God's brought them here to Stafford, VA to minister to this group of kids. It's truly amazing and I'm amazed at how God is truly using each of them to be an example and a friend to our kids. Come out to H20 this Sunday night to experience God through these amazing leaders!

Rethink came out with a great sermon series called GodView. It rocked my world and it really helped my kids think through their view of God and how they approach Him.

This week we talked about how our view of God can become distorted if we aren't careful. When we ask God for something and he says no, do we tend to doubt God is who he says he is? God is God and his purposes will prevail. He's our dad and He wants the best for us! We won't be disappointed if we see our lives in God's hands.

One of my favorite songs of all time is Blessed Be The Name. It talks about how we should call God blessed no matter what. In the good times and the bad. The bridge of the song says, You give and take away...blessed be your name. That line is coming from someone who's been through the ups and downs of life and recognizes their life is in God's hands.

My prayer today is that everyone of our students (and adults) get this and apply it to our life. What is your Godview?

The Butterfly Effect:

In my last post I shared with you how God moves when we worship. Two weekends ago we had 24 hours of worship and that was amazing. All over the planet there were cities and communities worshiping together asking God to move in this generation! As we worshiped and interceded throughout the night God moved on our hearts. God spoke words of encouragement to us and I believe His promises are being fulfilled in this generation.

After a massive event of historic significance, there is a cause and effect that is set in motion. We are seeing the after effects of our offering of Praise and Worship. Each team brought a fragrant offering to Lord. Now, two weeks after the event, we are seeing those effects. God is at work!

Last weekend we had 25 people moved by the Holy Spirit to get baptized. We preached a simple message about baptism and people responded. I believe this response has a direct connection to the 24 hours of worship and intercession that took place the week before. Do you desire to see the Lord work in your church, community and city?

"14 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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. 16 I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there" (2 Chronicles 7:14-16).

Let's humble ourselves today and ask the Father to show himself strong in the coming days.

This weekend we will be gathering together as a body of believers to worship for 24 hours. All over the planet there will be communities of believers that are gathering together at the same time. If this sounds like a long time to worship, it is. But the payoff is that we are connecting the body of Christ at large to come together to acomplish something no one team or church could accomplish on our own.

When we worship we see breakthrough. By design we are created to worship. Our desire is to see God lifted up in every town, every city and that they will know and see God. Habakuk 2:14 says "That the knowledge of the Glory of the Lord would cover the earth as the waters cover the seas." That image is so powerful.

Over the summer I had the chance to spend a week at the outer banks. I spent every morning praying and reading the word as the sun came up over the Atlantic. I thought about how that body of water is a connection point to Europe, Africa, Asia and beyond! My prayer is that each of these points of worship would be a light that shine in that community but would be bright enough to see to the horizon. People would be drawn to the light and know that God is good.

John 4:23 says "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks."

Horizons Church is a house of worship. My prayer is that it would be filled with true worshipers. God seeks those who worship in spirit and in truth. May God seek you today as you connect with Him!

The Rest Of The Story...

Since last Spring, Missy and I have been going through a rough time waiting on God. She was looking for a job for the '09-'10 school year. The beginning of school started and Missy was still without a job. She started substitute teaching and all the while still believing she was going to get hired. I'll be honest, I had my doubts. I felt like that she'd be subbing the rest of the year and maybe, maybe she'd get a job next year. Well, last week while she was subbing at a school she got not one interview but three interviews for three different schools. Out of the blue, there were three positions and she had the pick of the three! Once again, God was like, "Hey, I told you to trust me!" Are you trusting Him today?

Dash

The older I get the more I realize that yes, God cares about us finishing well but he also cares about the "in between". When you get to the end of your life most likely you'll have a tombstone. There will be a born date (first most significant date in everyone's life. birthdays are pretty sweet!) and the year that you passed, and in the middle is a simple little "dash". Although these two dates are pretty important, God cares about the dash in the middle. He cares about how you lived your life. He cares about the steps it took to get to the finish line of the race. So, today, you may be working for the weekend (I know I do, but I'm a pastor, I'm supposed to!) but what are you doing Monday through Friday to get there? God cares about the destination for sure, but he also cares about the every day stuff before we get there. How are you spending your dash today?

Big Picture: Never Stop Fighting for a Relationship With Your Child

We just completed an XP3 series called the "The Good Fight". I wanted to share with you highlights of what I shared with our parents last Sunday evening. I am committed to building teams of leaders to encourage your kids to have a good relationship with their Heavenly Father as well as have a good relationship with their parents. We are going for God and not leaving anyone behind.

As a parent of two teenagers myself, I am realizing that my kids are moving from dependence on me to independence. I am moving from being the authority to being the influence in my kids lives. I have learned that it's not an easy transition. I am constantly battling from holding onto the reigns and letting go and giving them opportunities under my umbrella of protection to make wise and sometimes unwise choices.

One of the things I shared with my parents on Sunday night was the fact that we need to spend priority time with our kids, but a lot of us are asking ourselves, "what does that look like?" Here's some rules for priority time with your children that will help you get started.
1. Find common ground
2. Make sure there is no agenda
3. Keep it outside of your home
4. Do it without friends
5. Put it on the calendar
6. Stay flexible
7. Remember your goal is not to CHANGE them.
8. Keep working on it (even when it doesn't seem to be going well)
9. Use it as an opportunity to give your teenager one thing...

What is that one thing? "the gift of approval" You as a parent are the only one that can give them this! You know your child better than anyone. You've seen them at their best and at their worst. If you believe in them after all that, they know "your approval" is REAL!

Decide today to: make the first move with your child. It may seem awkward, it may seem messy, but it's a process! Don't stop trying...make the first move over and over!

The final thing to remember is to realize that you are not alone! There are other parents that are dealing with the same issues that you are. Find out whats working and not working with other parents @ H20.

Never Give up! God doesn't give up on us! Don't give up on your kids!