Eight Things I Want To Share

1. The number one reason people come to church for the first time is because someone personally took the time to invite them.  We met a couple last night for the first time who came because a member of our church had been inviting them. They were so excited to be here! I love seeing people get ENERGIZED about His Kindgom!

2. Shook hands with a young couple last night who were married this past Saturday! They've been attending our Marriage On The Rock class and even went to the Marriage Conference on Sunday (the day after their wedding!)  Hats off to this young couple!


3. Church in REVERSE...seemed to go exceptionally well...minus a few glitches.  We've gotten so much positive feedback.  WOW!  It's fun to see how people get excited when we mix things up.  I remember 13 years ago...we started with 22 people and didn't have any ruts to avoid.  In fact, it was refreshing to say, "we're going to just mix things up and see what works."  We're still mixing things up! 

4. Punctuality is the courtesy of princes!  Suppose you're the big cheese - King, CEO or guest of honor.  If someone else comes late to dinner, his dinner is cold.  But the dinner can't start without you, so if you come late to dinner, everyone else's dinner is cold too.  Lack of punctuality by the prince imposes a cost on everyone else.  Showing up on time is courteous to others...and it actually is a way of showing that the welfare of other people...matters to you. 


5. The spirit of truth and the spirit of error.  Believers in Jesus have learned to overcome seducers of the flesh, because greater is the Spirit of Christ that is in us than the spirit of antichrist that is in the world.  Anyone that attempts to convince you to live your life according to the flesh...is definitely not the voice you should be listening to.  In fact, all you have to do is watch their life and listen to what they're saying and you'll hear the language of the world resonating out of them.  1 John 4:5-6 "They are of the world; therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.  We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us.  Hereby know we the spirit of TRUTH, and the spirit of ERROR."


6. The story in John 4 messes me up!  Jesus goes through Samaria and stops at a well.  His disciples go into town to get some food.  He winds up having a conversation with a Samaritan woman.

• That's huge!  Not only did Jews not associate with Samaritans...but men didn't associate (publicly) with women either...so right off the bat Jesus breaks two man made rules in even striking up a conversation with her.
• We also find out that this lady...well...let's just say....she has a colorful past. (She's had five husbands...and is living with another man)
• What gets me about this story is the way the disciples acted when they came back from town and saw Jesus talking with this woman.  They were SHOCKED (John 4:27)
• Jesus didn't just SHOCK the religious leaders by demolishing their ridiculous man made rules...but He shocked those who thought they knew Him best by...
• #1 Going to where no one else was willing to go!  Everyone ignored Samaria...Jesus went right into the middle of it!  If we are going to honor God with our lives we've GOT to be willing to go where others are not willing to go!  AND we KNOW we are becoming more like Jesus when even those closest to us say, "Whoa, hold up...I didn't see that coming!"
• #2 Loving those no one else loved!  Jesus went to Samaria to reach this lady that society had pretty much written off as trash.  They looked at her and saw a prostitute...Jesus looked at her and saw POTENTIAL...and the Scripture says in John 4:28-30 that because of her testimony that people came out to see Jesus!
• If we are going to get out of a safe mode as a church we HAVE to begin to reach out to people who are different than us... meaning...
• A different color
• A different political background
• A different view on life
• Christians, for far too long, have retreated to their holy cocoon and loved those who were just like them...which is the most blatant form of idolatry there has ever been.  We've GOT to reach this world for Christ!
• #3 Having an "I don't care" attitude about what others thought.  Seriously...the Scriptures are full of illustration where Jesus INTENTIONALLY healed someone on the Sabbath!  He didn't HAVE to do it then...He could have don it on a Tuesday or something.  But NO...He wanted to clearly communicate to the religious professionals, "I am not here to win your approval!"
• Not only were the religious leaders...but even the disciples were shocked!

7. The more time a leader spends with Jesus...and the more of His fire that gets in their  belly...from time to time, he or she will cast a vision that is so bold that everyone in the room becomes UNCOMFORTABLY EXCITED!

8. I don't want to live an INACTIVE life - I want to live an AUDACIOUS one!  I want my generation and those coming behind me to say, "I can't believe Russell had the audacity to do that on our watch!"  Nothing is far more risky than being audacious.  What I have found out over the years is that my desire to accomplish something great will always be left wanting if it is not exceeded by a desire to PREPARE to do something great.

I Couldn't Sleep Last Night

I could hardly sleep last night.  I was up at 3:00 am this morning thinking on the GOODNESS of the Lord.  It's as if I had an overwhelming sense of WARMTH in my soul.

God has been so good...and He is doing SO MUCH in our church.  I always want to be TRANSPARENT with you...so in that transparency I'd have to say...sometimes I let the critics get to me...but when I began to think about the things God is doing...I just melted in my heart.

• Last Wednesday night I talked with a couple that began coming to our church within the past few months - and as a result they're STILL TOGETHER and NOT DIVORCED!
• A young couple that started comng to BFWC because a person in our church bought their meal at McDonalds - as a result...they came...RECEIVED CHRIST...went through pre-marriage counseling with our marriage ministry...and I had the privilege to marry them!
• I talked with a family last week that told me that they have GROWN more at BFWC in the last year than their entire Christian life!
• A student told me this past week that they couldn't imagine life without BFWC...they had GAINED THE FAMILY they had always longed for!
• A pastor called me last week and said that BFWC had provided him so much inspiration and encouragement!  He has been watching our services LIVE over the internet before his service begins!  He said, "whenever I'm dry...I tune in and get REFRESHED!"
• Beverly and I met with a lady a couple of weeks ago that needed a job...like yesterday!  She emailed us today and LANDED a GREAT JOB!
• Our TRANSPORTATION MINISTRY is busting the SEAMS!  An entire family got saved this past weekend!  I can't wait till we BAPTIZE THEM!
• STREETLIGHTS led 38 people to CHRIST on Saturday!
• UPWARD Basketball & Cheerleading evaluations begin next month! Still thanking God for the families that have joined BFWC as a result of this incredible outreach!

It just hit me this morning that LIVES ARE BEING CHANGED AND IMPACTED FOR JESUS CHRIST - and that's what it's ALL ABOUT to me!

At breakfast this morning, I nearly burst into tears...as I was still overwhelmed with the GOODNESS of GOD!  Sure...there are down days...who doesn't have them?  BUT there are more UP than DOWN! 

You must not lose your joy in the down times.  You just have to keep going forward with the VISION God gave you.

I want to see SOULS SAVED!
I want to make a GENERATIONAL IMPACT!
I want to birth SONS into the Kingdom!
I want to see people RESTORED and EQUIPPED!

This morning I thought about what God has done...but then later today I began to reflect on what HE IS ABOUT TO DO!

• Our CARE Pastors - Leeroy & Maxine Hill, moved to Indianapolis over the weekend and are READY TO ROLL!
• I'm bubbling up inside cause we've got more news to announce VERY SOON!

BFWC - there are some awesome things about to happen ... it makes me want to JUMP, RUN and SPIN! lol

I love serving with you! 

We are FAR from perfect - but we're making great strides to become the church God has called us to be!  We are on a JOURNEY...and I am so glad that He is allowing me to be a part of this!

I love to see what God is doing!  IT PUMPS ME UP!  Shoot me an e-mail and let me know what you're seeing the Lord do in your life!  DON'T KEEP IT TO YOURSELF! (pastorhylton@bfwc.net)

Thoughts about Sunday & BFWC

Hello BFWC Family! 

On Sunday we were blessed to meet more new families.  It's great to see how the Lord is adding to the church.  It's even more exciting to see our church GROWING SPIRITUALLY! 

We have some incredible people!  It's my heart to see our people ACHIEVING success in their lives!  It's excites me to see that happening!  Watching someone FIND the love of GOD and leave a life of sin is INCREDIBLE! 

I LOVE BFWC!  Nothing would thrill my heart more than to see our people:

1. Grasp GRACE and understand what being a Christian truly is.
2. Know who they are IN Christ.
3. Embrace God's love and then SHARE that love with others in authentic relationships.
4. Realize the importance of the CHURCH and be fully committed to it's success through active involvement.

Yes...I love BFWC!

Know what else I think?  I think every person at BFWC is called to be a LEADER! 

If you're going to be a DIE HARD...UNSTOPPABLE...NEVER GIVE UP...ALWAYS FAITHFUL...ALWAYS FRUITFUL...EXAMPLE of leadership...here's some things to consider:

1. Submit to those over you in the Lord. 
• If you can't follow orders...you're going to have a difficult time leading in the Kingdom. 
• A good soldier will take orders from any commander - even if they have a personality conflict with that leader. 
• Above all...you must respect the OFFICE of the leader over you.
2. Own up to your frailties. 
• Don't get jealous of other leaders and their gifts/talents/skills. 
• Be true to your IDENTITY in Christ and you'll not fall into the mousetrap of insecurity.
3. Cling to HOLINESS. 
• Are you involved in secret sin? 
• Do you have any addictions or habits that could cause others to stumble if they were found out? 
• Paul said in Romans 12 to present your body a LIVING SACRIFICE - holy, acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service. 
• If you are a sacrifice you can't CRAWL back off the altar!
4. Realize that it's about Him and not about you! 
• If you are more concerned about your rights, gifts, talents and abilities...you'll become easily offended when you don't receive the credit or recognition. 
• When it's about JESUS...you will use your gifts to PROMOTE HIS CHURCH not your particular "field of expertise" or personal preferences.
5. Be willing to receive CORRECTION. 
• Can you be corrected? 
• Are you willing to allow others to speak into your life and point out areas that need to be corrected? 
• If not, you won't last long in the ministry and you'll disintegrate before you ever reach your destiny.
6. Quit complaining! 
• No one wants to hear you constantly complain about how much you "do" for the Lord or how exhausted you are. 
• GROW UP! 
• We all work hard and we all knew the cost before we picked up the cross. 
• Get with the program and quit blaming others for your shortcomings.
• ("I can't believe Pastor said that...man...that's rude!  Did he just say that...?" YEP I SAID IT.) 
• You think you're the only one working hard? 
• Do what you're called to do and draw strength from the one who called you.
• WELCOME TO THE MINISTRY.
7. He's God and I'm not! 
• Remember who this is really about.
8. Do your best 24/7. 
• The ministry requires 100% - 100% of the time! 
• When did you become Mr. Big Britches and no longer have to keep your word, follow through on your commitments or become sloppy with the gospel? 
• Is God pleased with half-heartedness and clammy commitment? 
• NO. 
• Give your best! :-)
9. Take inventory. 
• Would your family & friends say you're a good example of what a leader should be?

I LOVE BFWC!
Let's be a MATURE CHURCH!
Let's WIN AT ANY COST!
Let's SUBMIT to the PROCESS of DISCIPLESHIP!

Who's ready?

Pastor Hylton

9 Things I Want To Share

If God is your #1 priority then your actions & time management will reflect it. He wants more than your tithes...He wants YOU!

If you don't deal with your mess at home...you'll bring that mess into the church. Strong men build strong homes. Strong homes build strong churches.  Strong churches build strong communities.  Strong communities build strong cities, etc.

When you are submitted to the Holy Ghost it's not hard to submit to others...including your spouse, boss, pastor, parents & more.

What are you struggling with? Deal with it or you'll carry that mess into everything you touch. Don't be known as Dr. Dysfunction!

 

Loving Jesus with my HEART, SOUL & MIGHT leaves little room for apathy. You'll sit, soak & sour if you SULK much longer.

 

Some people spend more energy THINKING up an excuse than they would have if they had just showed up and did what was expected

 

Don't die in the wilderness! Wherever your enemy is attacking...that's the place where GOD has targeted your BLESSING!

 

The wilderness is a place of TRANSITION down on the INSIDE! Nothing may be different outside...but CHANGE on the inside will CATAPULT you!

 

To get out of the wilderness I must EAT the bread (Word of God) and DRINK the water (the Holy Spirit) so that I can break the devil's neck!