Wednesday Memo

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Hi Five Oakers,

There are several things I want to share with you today.

#1 – Get a recap of the service with highlights of our prayers, readings and songs here.

#2 – A half million meals for Feed My Starving Children means we need you to sign up if you haven't already! And it means we need to fill up our slots on Thursday and Friday. Those are tough times to fill, and there are still many openings, so can you bring a group from work to one of those days?

#3 – Here are your comments from the Communication Cards:

  • The new “guest” music leader today was great! Bring him back for more sometime! [I’m sure we will.]
  • Henry, thanks. some of the best messages from Luke have been when you (and Tim) have tackled the “familiar” stories. You’ve passed along truths from a new perspective or drive home again the old story unapologetically.
  • Worshipful worship, genuine. Nice to have some ‘older, familiar’ songs. 
  • In the midst of my alcoholism I sat down to do a Bible study as I lost my battle again and was drinking a glass of wine, the first verse I read was Luke 22:31-32. I wept to know it wasn’t’ “if” I turned back, but “when”. Really spoke to me again today as I haven’t been here in a while.
  • Worship was great! 
  • Henry, thank you for your encouraging words. Jeremy, you did a wonderful job, thank you.
  • Really like the worship leader. [I really enjoyed Jeremy too.]
  • New worship/music director??  [Nope. A friend of Dan Lukas and has led here one other time.]
  • Loved the music today, especially “Let God Arise”. Thanks! 
  • Loved the worship leader this morning! 
  • Great sermon Henry.
  • I really like the worship leader today.
  • Amazing worship today! Thanks!
  • Jeremy was fantastic! Lots of energy, great voice! Would be a great replacement for Justin. 
  • The worship leader was tremendous. Thanks for leading.
  • Loved the message! I needed this today. Had been feeling guilty about my own weakness and vulnerability! (I thought it was funny Peter argued w/Jesus – then realized I am absolutely the same.) 
  • Henry, your message was sent by God to me tonight. Every word that you spoke pierced my heart and was exactly what I needed to mend my relationship with [a relative of mine].
  • This Jeremy guy who filled in for worship, he’s awesome! Keep him if it’s possible.
  • Great overall sound in the music. 
  • Thank you for the great worship set! Nice job. Great message again Henry. Great worship!!
  • I so appreciate Jeni and how composed she is in all situations! She is such a joy to me and I love seeing her each week. Consider you spoke directly to me -  and I heard you.  Well, a very relevant message today!! I leave with hope again. 
  • Awesome lead vocals!
  • Beautiful worship today! 
  • Music was great tonight!
  • Really enjoyed the worship leader today! Great energy – good volume.
  • Worship leader – nice voice, seems at home; plays well. We like him! Would Peter have had to tell or the Holy Spirit could have inspired the writer, possibly?? [Yes, it’s possible, but given the fact that the gospel writers all depended on sources (as Luke tells us explicitly in Luke 1), more likely Peter reported it, not that the Spirit “ratted” on him. Haha.]
  • Every once in awhile you show financials on the worship program – would love to see this – once a month maybe – to see if we are + or – each week. Thanks. Great message and rocking worship. Thanks. [I’m sure Brian read this and will consider it.]

#4 – The worship leader search team is working away and doing some preliminary interviews. Keep praying for God to make the match! 

#5 - Several projects are making great progress:

  • Redesign of the look of our children's areas and children's Sunday school in the CLC. We received the first draft from the designer this week.
  • Total redesign of our web site. Working on content.
  • The development of a new weekly Worship Guide.
  • New Street sign: After a delay of more than two years because of possible expansion of Radio Drive in front of our building, we are moving much closer to getting approval to put it in this spring of fall.

#6 – Here’s a comment from the first-time guest cards:

  • 2/3 - Not sure about ‘casual’ attitude with coffee in sanctuary.  Liked stations, but enjoy communion given to me by pastor.  Really enjoyed music/band.

#7 –You might notice a videographer here this weekend. He's shooting footage for a new feature for our website that will give a quick view of Five Oaks in one minute.

#8 - Here’s the sermon in 10 tweets, Luke 22:31-34, 54-62, “Your Failures & Your Future”:

  1. How you face your failures will determine how your failures will shape your future.
  2. Peter disagrees with Jesus. He seems to have made a habit of disagreeing with Jesus.
  3. There’s a direct correlation between the possibility of failure and the awareness of our propensity to fail.
  4. What if Peter had admitted his own weakness and vulnerability instead of confidently vowing to stick by Jesus no matter what?
  5. Paul Tripp prayer: I am a man in desperate need of help. Send help today. Help me accept it.
  6. True repentance begins when you say, “Yes, I was mistreated or duped or disadvantaged, but I own my own reaction.”
  7.  “Worldly grief” is self-defeating, devalues God’s sacrifice and is self-centered.
  8. Jn 21, Jesus never refers to his denial, lies or breaking his vow. He lifts the lid of the sin. He asks, “Do you love me more than these?”
  9. Story: “I can’t forgive because my career is more important to me than Jesus.”
  10. Peter didn’t lick his tendency to cave under pressure (see Gal 2; but also 2 Pet 3:15-17). Repentance is a way of life for those in Christ.

#9 – Powerful passage this coming weekend: Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. Hope to see you this weekend.

God bless you, Pastor Henry