Some Highlights from Exponential East 2016

You can see a full set of highlights here.

Ultimately, this is what recharges me to get through these summer months of an intense ministry and work schedule. I would encourage any church leader to give Exponential a visit.

"Exponential East 2016 came to a close with hundreds of attendees making the commitment to plant new churches all over the world. As they were anointed with oil, prayers poured out over these new decisions- tears of both joy and surrender."

10 Reasons I Need You to Pray for Me Regularly

I read this from Chuck Lawless and it resonated with me and I thought I would share in asking for the same kind of prayer. I believe strongly in prayer, knowing that God works through the prayers of His people. I don't always live life like this is true though because of worry/doubt. I don’t always ask for prayer support, though, and I’m sure that fact hurts my ministry.

Here are some of the reasons I need your prayer today (and every day):

1. I’m weak.
Temptations may change as you get older, but they never go away. The enemy always lurks, and I’m not nearly as strong as I think I am.

2. I need to love my wife better.
I’m still learning how to love Pam as Christ loves the church.

3. I’m not as broken over lostness as I need to be.
I need to share Christ more.

4. I need to take better care of myself.
I make way too many excuses for why I can't or won't take care of myself.

5. I want to fulfill my calling.
And I want to do it with the excellence that Christ deserves yet only with and through His power.

6. I have a tendency to operate in my own power.
I live this tendency even while I speak against it. I lose this battle far too often.

7. I’m impatient and impulsive.
I want things fixed yesterday. I don’t stand in lines very well. I get aggravated with slowness – but God works according to His timetable rather than mine. I need prayer to remember that.

8. I carry burdens far too long.
I let worries consume me sometimes, forgetting that between God and me, I’m the only one worried. 

9. I don’t know how to rest well.
I don't sleep well. I care about many things. I struggle to leave them in God's hands. I can make ministry work an idol. As a Sabbath-keeper, I should know how to do this better but I struggle.

10. I want to finish well.
I trust the Lord has many more years of ministry for me. At the same time, I know that finishing well begins with today.

So, I need your prayers. Would you pray for me today? Would you add me to your list to pray for regularly? Maybe you need to be vulnerable with others today, too, and invite them to intercede for you.

Music Monday: "Jimmy Olsen's Blues"

Leadership: A Morning Person

I am not a morning person but I have learned the value of taking better advantage of the time that God has given me.

You CAN learn how to be a morning person.

Michael Hyatt's podcast addresses that here. Enjoy and I will see you early in the morning! :)

Love: Avengers

grew up loving comics (and the Avengers in particular). If you enjoyed the most recent movies, I thought you might want to learn more through a printed medium (it's how I loved learning to read growing up). Here is an article that might help guide you:

So You Liked The Avengers Movie... Which Comic Books Should You Read Now?

Wisdom Wednesday: Family Systems Theory

Studying Bowen Theory and Systems Theory this week in class. Realizing that some of the responsibility for what goes on with my family begins with me.

Life: New Year, New Adventures

The new year has begun.

I have transitioned from being the Lead Pastor at my church to "a" pastor so that I can concentrate on my ministry with the SDB General Conference.

Tabatha has reduced her hours at work so that she could spend more times with the kids and so we don't have to enlist so much help during the week picking up and dropping off kids.

We have purchased a new car so that we have a reliable vehicle to travel with and to help re-establish credit.

I have increased my course load in my doctoral program at Denver Seminary so that I might graduate sooner.

I am traveling to Ethiopia (my first mission trip and time outside of North America) at the end of the month.

All in all this may be one of the most adventurous Pethtel years yet.

Music Monday: Late Night Star Wars Theme

Leadership: All Glory Be to Christ

The first rule of leadership is to know that you own nothing and do nothing for your own gain. As those who follow a Christian worldview, ALL glory goes to Christ!

Love: My Church

Outside of being a husband and a father, being a pastor of my church is one of the things that I love the most about the roles that God has given me. Today is my last day of being "the" pastor at SpringsLife Church. I look forward to my new role as "a" pastor and my expanded role with SDBs becoming a pastor of pastors.

Wisdom Wednesday: New Year vs Old Year

Life: Time with the Kids during Holiday Break

I have to start to admit that this has become one of my favorite times of year. It is not because I am a Christmas fan (after working years of retail; I am NOT). It is because my wife and kids and I have the opportunity to spend time together. Some things that we have done (or will do) over this break:

-Christmas Party at our house with friends
-Went to a Nuggets game with my son.
-Electric Safari at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.
-Star Wars Episode VII (we introduced the kids to Episodes I-VI during Thanksgiving break)
-Annual Christmas Light outing complete with donuts and hot chocolate
-Christmas Day Hibachi dinner at Fuji Mountain
-Watched Crocodile Dundee 1 and 2
-Dollar Theater movies: Pan
-Museums and Casa Bonita
-Swimming at the YMCA
-Many other activities.

There is no job I like more than being a dad.

Music Monday: Can't Keep Johnny Down

Because you can't keep Johnny P down!

A Review: Staying is the New Going by Alan Briggs

This is not a theological treatise on why you should live incarnationally or why cities matter. This is just a raw truth-telling book written by a practitioner who lives out what the Gospel commands him to do the best way that he can. The premise is that we may be living our lives in too safe a way and need to intentionally plant ourselves with deep roots in a community (with its goods and bads) to see the gospel grow. Stories from Alan's family's adventures to those of his friends around the city and the country who are making impacts in their neighborhoods one new friend at a time are what litters this book. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to be inspired to make the Great Commission "GO" happen in their own neighborhood.

Music Monday: Barenaked Ladies "You Could Be My Yoko Ono"

Do you have a Yoko in your life?

Addressing the Topic of Heresy

False teachers and prophets are talked about harshly in the Bible so I thought I would bring some attention to the topic of heresy that was mentioned by Christianity Today.

Knowing several Christians who refuse to call sin a sin and refuse to call heresy heresy, I plan to share some articles that address the topic of heresy.

Here is an article by Justin Holcomb that helps us to realize that there are heresies that need to be treated as such.

Here are some questions determining your understanding of basic orthodoxy.

Here is a list of some of the bigger heresies in history. Sad to say that some are still well and alive today.

Below is a message from one of my favorite (and one of the most theologically deep) rappers concerning false teachers where he calls them out by name. For the record, I agree with him.

 

And here is a video of him talking about writing the song.

Music Monday: 10/05/15 - Two Princes

One of my favorite bands with a little diddy.

Wisdom Wednesday: 09/30/15

Music Monday: 09/28/15 - Country Roads

Here is Brad Paisley singing Country Roads with about 60,000 of his closest friends:

We Love the Conference So Much....

 The SDB General Council meets this Valentine's Day weekend at the SDB Center in Janesville, WI. We LOVE serving SDBs and the Kingdom this way.

Most of this meeting will be spent evaluating the programs of our boards and Allied Societies. 

If you have been praying for us, please continue. If you haven't been praying for us, it is never to late to start. We covet your prayers. 

 This weekend we will be:

-Planning for uninterrupted service through 2014 of the major services provided by our Director of Communications.

-Continuing to strive towards a longer term vision of SDBs, with a focus on church development.

-Ensuring transition between our boards and Allied Societies goes smoothly.

-Following up on action items from the 2013 General Conference sessions.

-Gauging the next steps in church development with the help of two task forces: one for church planting and one for church revitalization

-Starting a NEW budget process for the 2015 Denominational Budget

-Conducting the annual evaluation of the performance of our Executive Director, Rob Appel

-Praying for our churches, boards/allied societies, executives, and staff

-Discussing many more topics

I am reminded this weekend of love (by every commercial I see). May we always be reminded of God's everlasting love for us. 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 ESV)

Please lift our travels and meetings in your prayers, especially with bad storms in the east affecting travel. We will be praying for those impacted by the storm.

If you have anything that you would like the General Council to discuss, pray about, or hear about or if your church would be interested in hosting one of our meetings, please feel free to contact me at john.j.pethtel AT gmail DOT com.