Who wants a New Car?

Have you ever prayed for something or even commented about praying for something and yet really was not too hopeful about it happening? My car situation has not been that great since going into ministry. Now don't get me wrong – we always have a means of getting around and we always get things fixed in ways that constantly amaze me. Recently, when my teens asked me "Dad, when are we getting a different car?" while we were driving in a vehicle that was overheating and had no air conditioning, I did not really know what to say so I just said, "Kids, we don't have anything saved up for a different car and I really do not have hope to get one anytime soon so why don't you just start praying and let's see what God can do?"

Honestly, that was just to get them to not ask anymore. Really, these kinds of things do not happen to me. So what happened? About three weeks later, a couple from church said they wanted to get together with us for dinner. They were real insistent about it and we were slammed with volleyball games and football games and Wednesday night church and whatever else you do with teens. So, they kept trying to "help us" find a date that week – I finally said, "OK, come to Jenna's volleyball game and then afterward we can go eat for a late quick dinner." Again, me being a bit of a jerk and not listening more to the Spirit in my heart. We left the game and went toward the parking lot and the guy steers us toward this blue Ford Taurus station wagon and hands me the keys. I asked politely about his new vehicle and thought "why did he get another car?" I asked a few questions and kept getting evasive answers so I finally quit. I figured he was letting me drive his new car so I could tell him what a great car he had picked up. Again, me = jerk.

We get to the restaurant, park and start to get out of the car. I hand him back the keys and compliment the great buy he got. He says "wait, there's one more thing before we go in to eat. Here are the keys to your car." He hands me back the keys and then hands me two more sets of spares. Pause – review my amazing ability to be a major jerk – get choked up and realize what God just showed me. Thank this couple profusely as my wife and I tear up at this amazing event of how God used two people who really could not afford it to meet a need that we could not afford to meet.

And all because I challenged two of my teens to pray about how God would meet the need of transportation for me, even though the challenge was from a wrong motive. How good is my God?

Why Two Service Styles?

Over the last several years the leadership here at Osceola Grace has puzzled over, discussed, prayed about and planned for the occasion when we would need to go to two services and change the twenty year old paradigm of “how we do church”. This spring, it became evident that we were close to that point but the surprising twist was that the catalyst was not what we anticipated. We thought that we would reach a point where we would have a capacity crowd that would force us to change. Instead, we spent some time listening to the needs of some of our extended church family that were feeling like they were not able to connect to God in a meaningful way during the services. Part of it was due to the style of music (of course, that is always a reason for dissension), part of it was that we use illustrations that involve some fun yet crazy activities, part of it was the videos clips that we use and part of it was the dramas. Any one of those things is of little consequence to some (especially in today’s culture) and in and of themselves – there isn’t anything wrong with them. However, due to the broad age span and worship experience of our families, we were causing some to struggle with the ability to have their heart in a right place when it came time for the message.
I know, you say – this is absurd – you cannot let people gripe and complain and force you to change because of their heart condition. True, but also, I want to do ALL that I can to become whatever I need to be so that some may come to Jesus Christ. If they are part of the body of Christ and simpy adding a second traditional service with more traditional songs is a means of helping them to connect with our God and move a step closer to Jesus then isn't that worth doing? Therefore, we prayed a lot more and planned a lot more and decided to go ahead and start a second service – a traditional one! It starts at 8:00 AM and will end by 9:15 AM. It will not have childcare or children’s programs available nor will it be permanent if it does not grow and accomplish its’ purpose. This service will be more formal and will not use the lighting, power point, dramas, videos or activities that the contemporary service will have. However, it will have meaningful hymns and an identical message and challenge to its audience to live out our core values.
We want all of our families to move people closer to Jesus Christ through intentional relationships and friendships, we want to see each family expanded as they seek to meet and include new people in their families and we want to continue to do activities that will show our community that we care. Those are the core values that we live by at Osceola Grace.
Plus - I work hard on planning and presenting what God leads me to and through - why not have two shots to get it right! :)

i Live by Faith - but Faith in Whom?

The latest verse that I have been working on memorizing is below – Galatians 2:20…
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
However, I just had a conversation with someone last night who said that while they are memorizing verses in their head, it is taking time for them to sink in to their life. Well, ME TOO! I can say this verse and I KNOW the first part is true…Christ lives in me. But I so often question the second part of this verse in my life. Can I really say that I live by faith in the Son of God? I sometimes sit and reflect on where my faith is placed and I am usually discouraged to find that I place a lot of faith in myself and my abilities. I think pretty highly of myself (contrary to Romans 12:3) and thus many times I should say, “…the life I live in the body, I live by faith in Greg Serafino, who loves himself and would not give himself up for another.” Wow. I actually wrote that out. It is there for the world to see. I struggle with living by faith in Jesus Christ, my Savior. I shouldn't be there, I am a pastor, after all, and we should be above all of that. Right?
Another passage I have also been working on is Colossians 3:1-3 – Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set you minds on the things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
If I died then I should not be living either FOR myself or IN my own strength. Hidden in Christ…am I willing to hide behind my Savior? To let Him get the glory? To point people toward Him and not ask them to follow me?
So…do I live by faith – Yes!
Do I live by faith in Christ Jesus, my Savior, who died and gave himself for me? Sometimes – more now than last week, last month and last year but not ALWAYS! I need to make it present tense – every day.