How Do I Improve my Spiritual Pulse?

Last Sunday we started a new series called Vital Signs. The sermon has already sparked some important conversations. People were challenged to evaluate their spiritual pulse. In other words, has your life been transformed? Transformation is not just a one time emotional experience. True transformation is both initial and ongoing. To listen to the message click here.

The cool thing is that people are asking great questions. For example, one young lady emailed me and said that she felt convicted about some areas in her life. She was tempted to come up with some things to do (religious activities). She then realized she had missed the point. So it begs the obvious question . . . What can I do about this uncomfortable feeling? Below are highlights of an article written by our Interim Small Groups Pastor Dino Senesi. However, if you want to read a full version of the article then click here and download the .pdf version.

What Can I Do About This Uncomfortable Feeling?

God, through His Holy Spirit, makes us uncomfortable because He wants to change us. How can you tell what He is saying? How can you discover what to do about it? At times the answers are unclear. Finding what God is saying and how to resolve your discomfort is a journey. What the journey looks like varies, depending on the person and the issue.

As you begin this important journey remember three things:

1. Finding ‘easy answer’ is not likely.

2. Discomfort is God’s way of leading you to better places with Him and for Him.

3. Ignore the discomfort is not an option.

Before you consider a commitment make sure that you don’t see the new commitment as a solution. Often, if we have been around church for any length of time, we have been conditioned to make our life with God about series of commitments. Speakers and leaders constantly ask for them. We soon figure out that commitments are normal expectations of life with God and church.

Usually a “commitment” of some sort gives us temporary relief from discomfort. Most of these “church “commitments are seldom kept and resolve nothing. Usually they only disappoint us in ourselves, further alienate us from God, and alienate us other people.

The commitment I am asking for is not a solution. The commitment I am asking for is in order to find a solution. The journey to resolve this discomfort is a commitment to find God’s purpose and to experience true transformation.
True transformation is only something God can do in our lives. Our commitment, however, is to place ourselves in the position to let God transform us. So resolving the situation is a partnership with a transformation specialist, God Himself! You are committing to show up!

What are your next steps?

1. Communicate with your church staff and your Small Group leader that you are on the journey to discover what God is doing. You are committed to go forward.

2. Put together a prayer team of three people you trust. Update them each week by e-mail about your progress and your next steps.

3. Schedule a personal retreat for prayer, scripture, reading and journaling. That may present a challenge but remember, you are committed to the journey, right? Find a way.

4. Find a Christian book that might address growth and even specifics to your journey. Click here for some recommended readings that relate to this subject.

5. Find for a spiritual coach or mentor. Remember, ultimately, you are responsible to discover what God is saying and doing. However, doing life with God is doing life with other people who are doing life with God! Who can help you one-on-one? Schedule a conversation with them soon.

6. When you make the discovery, tell your story! You are not alone here. When God does something significant in your life we will all learn from it. You are responsible to tell the story. That is one reason why God will give you the story. You can inspire and encourage all of us on the journey with your story.

Finally, post this verse somewhere where you will see it, every day. Have confidence that God is at work in your to take you new places with Him!

“I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).

Books to Help You Improve Your Spiritual Vital Signs

Purpose Driven Life – Rick Warren
Are you new to the Christian Faith? Do you have questions about initial steps toward Christ? Then Rick Warren’s top selling book is the perfect book for this step in your journey.

Divine Mentor – Wayne Cordero
Are struggling with your time with God? Is your time meaningful or another task on your to do list? Then this book will help.

The Life You’ve Always Wanted – John Ortberg
Are you are feeling like you are just going through the motions? Does your spiritual life seem empty? Are you asking is there more to the Christian Life? Then Check out this book. (Highly Recommended!)

Crazy Love – Francis Chan
Are you are looking for a book to challenge you and push you to new heights in your spiritual journey? You can’t go wrong with Francis Chan!

How Good is Good Enough – Andy Stanley
Are you looking for a better understanding who you are in Christ and what you can do for Christ? Andy's book is short, sweet, and well worth your attention

The Cuba Experiment

Our church has formed a partnership with a church in Santiago De Cuba that has lasted for several years. Their desire to worship and share their faith has been limited because of the communist leadership in that country. Churches are not able to be built and if there is to be any additional churches it must exist in the form of house churches. Several years ago we partnered with them to begin a process of planting these house churches around the city to make sure that every person would have access to a church. Since that time we have planted 9 churches and 2 Grand babies have been birthed. Yes 11 churches. However, we have not been able to go back and check on the progress of the churches until now.

I am going to Cuba with two other people and the following is a list of our goals.

1. “Survey the Land” – It has been a few years since our partnership began and the new churches have started and we are going to visit and check on the progress.
2. We are going to help train and be trained. We have the opportunity to share knowledge with one another. I will have the opportunity to preach and encourage the Christians who are there to keep fighting the good fight.
3. Document the work. We plan on capturing the work that is going on through video and photography. We are developing a new website which will highlight the work that is going on in Cuba. One of the team members sole responsibility is to document the work that is going on so we can share that with people here in the states.
4. Strategize our next steps in the partnership. We plan to determine how to move forward in our relationship with our partners to be more effective in reaching even more people in the region.

This is where you come in. In Cuba the greatest need is resources. The average Cuban makes between 7 and 10 dollars a week. Therefore, it creates a challenge for them to help plant churches. However, this opens the door for us to help plant churches. Why? Because it does not cost us much money and we can have a significant impact. With just roughly $350 a church can be fully funded. This includes a Salary for a missionary, housing, and supplies. $350 A YEAR!

My goal is to try and raise $1200 to help pay for my way down to Cuba. However, I am hoping to raise more than that to help invest in churches in Cuba.

I wanted to try a weird experiment and see if a lot of my friends would send a little money with little sacrifice... (biggest challenge would be using envelopes and snail mail.) Do you think we could we raise enough money to not only get me down to Cuba but maybe even help fund one of the church plants? Would you consider sending a gift? If you can do even more… Great!

Remember that all gifts are tax deductible and can be sent to North Rock Hill Church PO Box 2477 Rock Hill, SC 29732. Simply put in the memo line… “Chris Ruppe Cuba Trip.”

Let me say in advance… Thank You! I would be even more honored if you would consider praying for us while we are in Cuba. We will be there July 31st – August 7th.

On the Journey,

Chris Ruppe

Are you Walking the Financial Tightwire? Part 3

It has been a while since I have updated blog... sorry. However, I do want to answer the couple of questions that came in. Here is Dr. Pantusco's Response...

I will begin by paraphasing the question.. If we don't spend then the economy will get worse, which hurts us through lost jobs. But if we spend too much then the our personal finances will suffer. What should we do?

good question. If people decide to save their money, in the short run the demand for some retail items (mainly durable goods, cars, boats, electronincs) will decrease. Then the production of these goods will fall. And, of course workers will be laid off. But, what will eventually happen. First, the increase in savings allows banks to have more reserves. As reserves increase, interest rates fall and banks available credit increases. The lower interest rates will inspire spending on items that people typically borrow money to purchase (cars, houses, boats). Also, as people save more, they will be more likely to invest in whatever they think will earn them the greatest rate of return, this could be stocks (which could be undervalued), real estate, gold, corporate bonds etc.. The saved money finds its way back into the economy. The person who saves is not only going to help the economy in the long run but also help their household.

It is not the chicken or the egg, it is the short run versus the long run. Do you want to help the economy and your household in the long run by getting your personal spending under control, or do you want to spend what you have now in hopes of giving a short term stimulus to your neighbor.

The second question is loaded. but, I will try to answer as concise and clear as possible. Yes, the stimulus package is inflationary in two ways, (1) the additional spending will put upward pressure on the goods and services purchased by the government and (2) the spending has to be paid for. If money comes from foreign sources then more money enters the US economy, and more money enters the US banking system. More money leads to more inflation.

It is doubtful that the government will pay off a significant portion of the deficit/debt with newly printed money. As long as investors line up to lend money to the government, there is no need for the government to print money. Therefore, it is likely the deficit will be paid for by borrowed funds (shichis not as inflationary as printing). In the latest auction of US treasury bonds, about 28 percent of the lenders were foreign. China does not own our country. China has businesses that invest in US government securities, but so does Great Britain, Japan, etc. I believe China holds about 6 or 7 percent of our debt.

The problem will occur when countries no longer want to purchase our Treasury Bonds. Right now this is not the case. The US dollar is pretty strong relative to other currencies, and still a very safe haven for foreignors to put their funds. When other investment opportunites improve, money will flow out of the US. This could be bad. How can the US pay its debt and fund its deficit then? Will they increase taxes? if they do, then consumer spending will fall (or be crowded out). Obviously, that is bad for growth. The goods new is that inflation will fall.

The amazing things is that foreign companies are willing to lend us so much money at so low an interest rate. As the world economy improves, I doubt that will last; then it will get interesting.

Are you Walking the Financial Tightwire? Part 2

Last week we started a discussion on the financial market and how it is impacting you. We have got Dr. Louis Pantusco, Professor of Economics at Winthrop University answering some questions. He is helping us get some of the insider information on what is going on in the economy. Today we are looking at two issues. Job Market and when will this economy recover. Here is Dr. Pantuscos input on the struggling jobs and when we can expect the economy to begin to improve.

The job market is the last to feel the hit of an economic downturn, and the last to recover. Usually, employers wait to see if business is simply declining for a season or if the decrease is permanent before they lay-off workers. The same is true at the other end of the cycle, businesses want to see strong signs that demand for their product is returning before they rehire. Nationally, the unemployment rate has been rising for a year, but in the last two months over one million jobs were lost. More losses are on the way. It will take a while for new jobs to be added. While, the stimulus package will help, it may simply serve to keep government employees busy. For example, Charlotte received money to widen route 51 from Pineville to SC. Will the city of Charlotte hire more people with this money, or use their current workforce? Since government agencies are slow to lay-off workers, the city may just use their existing workers and keep them employed and funded for longer. This approach eliminates the future financial strain of wages and benefits when the job is complete. In this example, the stimulus money enters the area but no new jobs are created.

Since the stock market is a lead indicator, the first signs of recovery should be witnessed there. The problem with the stock market is uncertainty and, of course, confidence. Consumers are saving because they are unsure of their jobs, and banks are tight because they are uncertain about the profitability of investment projects. Wall Street is in a reaction mode; their heads are spinning trying to decipher the latest bailout from Washington. All of this uncertainty bothers the stock market.

In summary, the market adjusts when wages and prices adjust. Businesses failing and being bought out are part of the adjustment process. Workers being laid off is part of the adjustment process, and prices falling on homes and other items, is part of the adjustment process. While there is a lot of agreement among economists that something should be done, it is clear that government intervention distorts the picture. It is harder to determine where the bottom is and when the recovery will begin because the government artificially is maintaining the economy.

Are you Walking the Financial Tightwire? Special Guest Blogger Dr. Pantusco

I know that many of you are like me and very frustrated. Frustrated at yourself and others who have made some really unwise financial decisions. The current economic crisis in our country is the direct result of people who have made some poor decisions over the last 20 + years. I want us to learn from our current economic "crisis" and make new decisions moving forward into the future to put us in the best possible shape financially. I asked Dr. Lou Pantusco, Professor of Economics at Winthrop University if he would mind answering some tough questions about the current economic situation and to give us some practical tips that might help us moving forward.

For the next several days I will post some of his answers and feel free to chime in and ask your own questions.

The first Question: Should we listen to the government and other "experts" and spend more or save more during this economic crisis?

As an observer of Sunday’s service on the economy, I was amazed and impressed with the clarity and simplicity of Chris’ message. There were a few points that he made that I thought were perfect! Specifically, his critique of the economist who claimed that “this is not the time for American’s to start saving” was right on. I agree with Chris. If Americans had been saving over the past decade, we would not be in the mess we are in. The number of foreclosures would be much less, consumer spending would be more consistent, and subsequently, there would be less employment fluctuations. In the fourth quarter of 2008, US spending (consumption) decreased by 3.8 percent, and savings actually increased by 3.6 percent. The starting points for these numbers are completely different, so one cannot say the reduction in spending equals the increase in savings. However, there is a trend toward savings and away from consumer spending. More specifically, the numbers suggest that consumer spending has decreased on “food, clothing, and automobiles”. In South Carolina retail sales fell by 23 percent. All this simply means people are being more frugal with their money, they are not going out to restaurants to eat, they are not spending as much in malls, they are not buying new automobiles.
While the health of the US economy is dependent on consumer spending, the welfare of your family depends on personal savings. Should you focus on the economy or your household?

Thanks Dr. Pantusco. Great post! What do you think? What are your questions for Dr. Pantusco?

11 Year Anniversary of NRHC

It seems hard to believe 11 years ago a handful of people were meeting in my little house with a common vision to do "church" different. A group of people who were tired of people saying they were Christian and acting Religious. (We saw that before... Pharisees!) A dream that maybe "church" could be done different. Maybe the "church" could make a difference in its city. Wow! Who would have thought how far we would have come.

Yes, we have grown in numbers meeting each week. We have met in 5 locations and have outgrown all 5 locations including our brand new building. We have went from a house, to a temporary facility, to a school, to the "domes," and now on a 34 acre campus. When it comes to buildings... we never have enough room! Wow!

But let me share with you what our greatest success is... a growing vision. We have never settled for where we have been. Over the years we were just happy if people showed up. Then we decided we needed a clearer purpose and began to focus on making disciples. Over the last several years we have moved from small groups and classes to now instituting a new system... one on one mentoring. However, our vision grew! Over the last several years we have been convicted that it is not about our church... but rather God's Kingdom. We have begun the process of reaching our city by partnering with local school, construction, and Movies in the Park for families. We have begun to plant churches. Currently we have supported 6 churches in US, 9 in Cuba, and 3 in Costa Rica. We have begun a Church planting center not only for Anglo Churches but also Hispanic. Wow!!!! The vision has grown!

Let me close with this thought. Our greatest days are not behind us... they are ahead of us. If this is what God can do with a few people... just imagine what He can do with a army of people who are committed to a big vision! What if not only our church had a big vision but what if we partnered with other churches who had big visions. We worked together to make our cities a better place to be. In 2009 we will ramp up our efforts to help people follow Christ in their personal lives, we will up our commitment to plant churches, and we will begin the process of collaborating with other churches to make our city a better place to live. Let us dream big... and ask God to allow us to be a part of something so great that no one person could take credit. Let us be a part of something God sized!

Happy Birthday North Rock Hill Church!