Focus on the King -- A Letter from Pastor Todd

Dear Point of Change Family,

Wasn’t this past Sunday incredible?  God was all over the place.  I really had a lot of fun celebrating our 2nd year as PoC.  TGBTG!!!  Thank you to everyone who made that such a great day!!!!

As you know we started our new sermon series this past week, “PRIMEMINISTER:  When God is all you have, God is enough!”  Of course, this series follows the story of Joseph and his brothers as found in Genesis.  It’s going to be a wild ride for sure!  At the heart of this “overcoming” story is a God who gives his child (Joseph) the strength to overcome many many obstacles.  The thing I love about the story is that the obstacles don’t get the attention or the glory.  Instead, the emphasis is on God and His main man, Joseph.

Today my wife took our youngest dog, Elsa to the vet for a check-up.  Kim wondered if Elsa was maybe having some stomach discomfort, so the vet began to check.  Just before she started, she said, “Let me do a complete check-up first, before I check the abdomen.  If I check the abdomen first, I might forget that there’s a dog attached.”  When Kim told me this, my mind was already on this week’s sermon where Joseph is tempted by Potiphar’s wife.  Temptation is a big word, a big obstacle.  I have spoken to tons of struggling Christians, and I have experienced it myself, as they talk about this or that temptation that seems to hover over them constantly like their own personal cloud.  I’ve seen believers taken off guard when their own personal temptation  is all they can think about.  Every book they read is on the temptation.  Every conversation or accountability proposal is about THAT temptation.  Their spiritual life, in a lot of ways, seems to have TEMPTATION (of one form or another) written all over it.

If we are not careful, we will examine our own personal temptation so much that we forget that there is a whole Child of God attached.  If you struggle with your own pet temptation, I have to tell you that all of these obstacles are pretty common, no matter how personal they feel.  I Corinthians 10: 13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.  God is faithful and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability.  For with the temptation, He will also provide a way of escape that you may be able to endure it.”   So, the secret is to look to the faithful King, not the unfaithful temptation.  If I focus only on the temptation, I’ll forget that the problem may be in my heart or my mind or my confidence, etc.  What I really need to do is stay close...so close...so very close to my Lord so that He can examine and lead my whole self.    

This week we’re going to look to our King, reach for His power for the journey and ask Him in unison to “King Me!”  

Invite!  This is a message that needs hands and feet!  Can’t wait to see you.

Pastor Todd

P.S.  Every believer faces common obstacles that seem to paralyze us.  It halts our joy, effectiveness and witness.  These obstacles can make us question everything, even our faith.  We have a catalyst event that has been created to help us get the focus back on God rather than the obstacles.  It is my hope that every single PoCer could one day experience the joy that I felt when I first went through this powerful event.  It is “The Encounter @ PoC” on November 14-15.  You can sign-up for it online at www.pointofchange.org under the tab entitled “catalysts”.  Will you join me at this event?  I think there is great, Great, GREAT benefit for each of you.  I hope to see you there.