TLC’s “Service Weekend” starts this Friday, January 29th and goes through Sunday the 31st.
Service to our community is a command from Christ, but also shows that the church isn’t just concerned with itself. Our name, “The Living Church”, is derived from the idea that the church is people, the followers of Christ, and that we are to be more than just observers but rather soldiers enlisted for action!
On Friday, we’ll have a team working at the Hartsville Soup Mission feeding 50+ homeless/disadvantaged individuals and families. This is a great ministry to directly answer the issue of hunger, even if it’s just for a meal everyday.
From there, we’ll be working on a Habitat for Humanity project in Hartsville this Saturday. While Habitat is not a “ministry”, it is a great non-profit organization that wants to give the poor a “hand-up” than just a hand-out. The recipient/buyer of the house has to participate in the building process along with the volunteers (most come from local church groups!).
Then on Sunday, we’ll have Hartsville Mayor Mel Pennington in house at our worship service to speak for a bit on how the church community can be more involved with the local community and why it’s not just important, but a necessity!
All of these are “baby steps” in creating a culture of service-over-self within our church body. We have a vision for this area of ministry becoming bigger and bigger as we grow in number and in spirit! Hartsville will never be the same!
We sometimes hear from those that say “they do enough just by paying taxes”. However, I’ve always said that the church can do a better job than any government entity could ever hope for. Why is that?
- Because throwing money at a problem doesn’t make it go away. We see this not just in government social programs, but in all areas of life. Kind of like when you lend money to a friend or family member that you know to be irresponsible and will just probably "blow it" on something they didn’t need.
- Because work without a purpose is just running around in circles. This is similar to my example from the other week regarding practicing basketball. You can shoot around for two hours, but you won’t make any progress unless the practice is directed and has goals to meet.
- Because human-kind was created for community. Faceless charity is impersonal and these people need to see that someone does really care for them and their well-being. This is best done in person, rather than afar. They need to interact with good Christian believers to see that God’s love is real and is oftentimes shown through the enacted response of His children.
So join with us by: 1. Participating by volunteering (although spaces have become limited!) 2. Praying for us that people on both sides (those giving and those receiving) will be impacted and 3. Worshiping with us at the Center Theater this Sunday!
If you are interested in helping with either project or would like to get more information about TLC, e-mail us at: info@thelivingchurch.tv
Psalm 107:19-22
19 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and He saved them from their distress.
20 He sent out His word and healed them,
snatching them from the door of death.
21 Let them praise the Lord for His great love
and for the wonderful things He has done for them.
22 Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving
and sing joyfully about His glorious acts.
This verse may not directly apply to me, but it does represent God’s work of healing for His people, at just the right time! One thing it brings to light is in verse 21, dealing with praising God for all that He has done. Can we ever do enough of that?
I know in my heart of hearts I likely wasn’t fully appreciative of all He has given me and done for me. Certainly this recent episode with the dreaded “C word” has helped me realize the need for a heart of praise in my daily life, no matter what I’m having to face. It’s true, even us pastors aren’t always walking and talking with Jesus as much as we should! (guilty-as-charged)
I never intended this blog to be about my current treatment for cancer, but it seems to have been that way in the past month. Milking this for all that it’s worth just isn’t in my blood (and hopefully neither is any more cancer cells from now on!). However, it serves as a useful vehicle for getting the word out about how I’m doing and what the latest news is on my recovery.
In what I hope is my last update for quite some time, I visited the oncologist today and received the results from a series of tests they did last week: bloodwork, CT scan of the chest, MRI of the brain, and a bone scan.
As I mentioned in previous blogs, I could hardly contain the excitement in carrying out each one (okay, maybe I was able to after all), but I knew they was for a purpose to them: to ensure that the cancer cells were no longer sticking around in my body!
Well, the results are in: each came back negative or “normal”!
I will also, at this point, not ever need any chemotherapy! (And here I was looking forward to laying pathetically on a bathroom floor in anticipation of not holding down my breakfast!)
Much thanks and praise goes to:
1. My Lord God who has healed me!
2. The doctors and medical staff that treated me with urgent and thorough care
3. My family who surrounded me with support and love and never let up on me in their attempts at humor…
4. Friends, fellow pastors, and our church members who prayed for me intently
I look forward to seeing what God has in store for me, my marriage & family, The Living Church, and Hartsville in 2010! (If I have any say in the matter, it will be pretty awesome stuff!)
This is something I can never forget and therefore will be a lifetime reminder of this particular glorious act He has done! It’s so cool to know that this “great big almighty God” knows me, loves me, and cares for me so much! I know He wants to use me to impact an entire city!
I just wish more people could know what this feels like! (the-relationship-with-God part, not the-whole-cancer-ordeal, of course) But hey, me and plenty of concerned others are working on it…
Anyways, thanks again for your love, support, and prayers!
Please remember: God and His love for us is real and it shouldn’t have to take a “life or death” experience to make us realize that!
In Christ,
PC
As I talked about in my last post, I have three tests left to do today that my oncologist wanted me to endure: a CT scan of my chest, an MRI of my brain, and a bone scan. This means more needles, radioactive dye, and a couple rounds of that delightful cocktail they call barium. At least it’s “butterscotch” flavored! (notice the quotation marks)
These are all precautionary measures that he needs on record to ensure that I don’t have any more cancer cells swimming around inside of me. He’s just doing his job as an oncologist (responsible for the follow-up post-surgical cancer treatment) and part of me is thankful for his thoroughness. The other obviously wishes it didn’t have to happen!
I had never been a “patient” before this whole cancer thing, so I’m still anxious of any additional hospital visits involving me being hooked up to large, humming, moving, expensive machines.
Despite all of that, I received good news in the form of a phone call yesterday regarding my bloodwork from last week. The tumor markers came back negative! This is just another reason to praise God! (and I have many)
I am awed by His grace, mercy, and healing power! I’m also thankful for His blessing of placing me under the care of an experienced medical staff.
Prayers are appreciated (as always!) and I look forward to being able to say with pride that I’m completely, 100% healthy and cancer-free!
Just to give everyone an update on my progress…
Saw the onocologist today in Florence. One of the bloodworks from a couple weeks ago came back a little higher than it should be, but everything else indicated I have/had stage 1 testicular cancer. He said he’d be surprised if I would need chemo, but it all would depend on a few things: 1. The bloodwork from today comes back better than the previous sample and 2. The results from my upcoming MRI, bone scan, and CT scan, all are negative (in a good way).
So yeah, I have a fun day ahead of me next Wednesday: An MRI of my brain, a bone scan to check what else… my bones, and a CT scan for my chest (the last one I had was for my abdomen and pelvic areas). These tests are all to make sure it hasn’t spread to other places in my body, given the aggressive nature of the cancer that was in the tumor.
Needless to say, I share all of this for a reason: so that others can keep me in their prayers! I trust God for a complete healing, but it’s also good to see when His people are responding to a need… even when it’s dear-old-me.
Oftentimes the pastor has to be the “strong one” and give off the appearence of a “cool hand”. In my case, I’ve played that role well (because I have sincerely put God first and have the assurance God will lift this from me) but at the same time, it can be hard for me to express the sufficient gratitude for others’ support, as well as being open enough to share this with people “outside my circle”.
Like most folks, I don’t want to seem like a cancer victim (I’m not!) that will sport a yellow Livestrong bracelet. Instead I know I’m a victor because of the peace, healing, and strength that Almighty God grants this bag of flesh they call Chris Honeycutt.
I used Romans 8 in my sermon this past Sunday. I love this chapter because it so multi-layered, yet precise in describing the nature of the suffering of His children and the hope we should have in Him.
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.
I believe good will come from this ordeal, because no matter what, God will get the glory! Maybe my life experience will inspire others that have pain in their lives and don’t know the answer (or His name) that will help them through it.
Again, I covet your prayers and I thank each and everyone of you that have indeed prayed, read this blog, called by phone, or have sent messages via email, ePrayer Wall, Twitter, or Facebook. It means more to me than you may know.
Blessings!
PC
Just a quick update:
CT scan results came back today showing to be negative for any diseases in my abdomen and pelvic regions!
This is an awesome miracle of God and much praise and thanks goes to my Jehovah Rapha (God our healer)!
More thanks goes to all of my friends and family, and to my brothers and sisters in the faith who have prayed for me this past week!
Isn’t God awesome?!
Just a quick update to any blog readers out there that may not keep up with me on Facebook:
Found out last week that I may have testicular cancer. Went into surgery this past Thursday and they got the infected one out. The procedure itself went fine. I’ve been recovering the past 4 days with much thanks to my lovely wife Heather and my parents.
I was told yesterday at my follow-up that it was indeed cancer (4 types of it in the same growth, which is very rare/unusual), but it was contained, caught early, and wasn’t near any blood vessels or cords.
Praise God!
Just one CT scan to go (tomorrow afternoon) to check my lymph nodes. I should have an update from the doctor this Thursday with the results.
Continue to keep me in your prayers! The outpouring of encouragement and support has been wonderful!
And I will say this: God has strengthened me, given me a sense of calm and peace throughout this whole process.
Before the surgery, I was more scared of the I.V. needle than the cancer itself! (I HATE needles!)
What’s there to be afraid of, when I have Almighty God in my life?
I hope others are blessed by my circumstances and I can’t wait to get back on my feet, on stage at church “behind the pulpit” this Sunday to deliver God’s Word!
Walt Disney World – “The Happiest Place on Earth”
My wife and I decided to take a few days to ourselves down at Disney World during the week of Christmas. We rarely have gotten away with “just the two of us” the past few months, so we felt the need to take a trip when we could.
We’re excited about it, as we loved the time spent there last December. It was during that vacation where I actually got the vision for the The Living Church! Sometimes “getting away” is spiritually beneficial too!
Yet, after we booked the trip for this month, I was hesitant about “tweeting” about it (posting on the social networking websites Twitter and Facebook, for the uninformed) because of the reactions people have to it. Isn’t that sad? More than once recently I have felt apprehensive with writing about the other cool things I’m up to as well.
Unfortunately, it has been my experience when I update my Facebook status from a golf course, or from a restaurant with my wife, that others seem to have a “must be nice” attitude. Such things are in reality, rare treats (my golf habit just isn’t worth feeding more than once every two weeks) but to observers/acquaintances/friends, they only seem to pay attention to these “good times” rather than my usual day-to-day stuff (which isn’t nearly as fun to post about).
The bottom line here is this is an old fashioned, Biblical definition of envy. “Jealousy” is another word for it. The slang translation might be called “hatin’ “, but I could be wrong.
Now I consider myself to be a pretty modest guy, all-in-all. I don’t have a complete wardrobe full of the nicest clothes. I drive a beat-up Honda Civic with 140,000 miles on it. I have simple pleasures (coffee, food and football). I get $10 haircuts every few weeks (and it’s only $10 because I like to tip a little extra at the local barbershop). On top of all of that, being a church planter doesn’t pay a whole lot!
So yeah, when I’m doing something I enjoy… I like to share it for all the internet world to see and rejoice with me! I take pride in knowing I can live my life without regrets, fear, or condemnation, because I am truly blessed! I know that I serve a great God above who knows me personally and loves me more than I’ll ever be able to comprehend!
But despite this, I’ve been disappointed time-after-time by comments made by others (who are mostly supposed happy-and-healthy Christians). Comments that may seem to be in jest, but at the heart of it carries the feeling of something worse.
One time when I got to golf for the first time in months and posted about it, I had a Facebook “friend” make the remarks “Do you ever work?!” (which is what us ministers hear more often than we deserve) and “Must be nice to just take an afternoon off anytime you want!” Of course, he isn’t a close friend and wouldn’t have a clue about my schedule if you asked him.
Some have commented on how I “sure like to eat out a lot”, when in reality it’s a few times a week at most, and that’s due in part to: 1. Being on the road a good bit and 2. My wife’s work schedule. And trust me, we’re not eating out at 4-star steakhouses!
Aside from my shallow attempt at justification, what I’m trying to get at is this: People see the good in other’s lives and because their lives are so boring, tied-up with stress, and without joy, they have to make you feel like some spoiled jerk. What they might not know, is that I’m not “bragging” about these things in and of themselves, so much as I am expressing how awesome God has richly blessed my life, not to mention how much I enjoy living it!
Now, I don’t intend on taking this any deeper because it can become a novel on our flawed human nature. This attitude we often carry about us certainly is not of God, but of the enemy! Take notice that what is listed at #10 in the Ten Commandments:
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus 20:17)
It wasn’t just about marital infidelity (which is also covered in the seventh commandment), but the wanting of other’s possessions and blessings for yourself. Let’s compare that to the fruits of the Spirit:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)
Big difference in both meaning and practice between the two! Just as big is the gap separating these opposite ends of the spiritual spectrum where the two feelings come from.
Simply put: When we let the Holy Spirit direct our lives, we aren’t jealous of others, but rejoicing with them in their “good times”! But when we let our flesh (our “bad side”) direct us, we are annoyed, put off, even angry at their “happy lives”!
This is such an important lesson to remember especially during this Christmas season! The Christmas Story and it’s main character, Ebeneezer Scrooge, gives us the perfect example of someone being disturbed at the sight of other’s “Christmas spirit”. It was only when he was shown the mistakes he made by being selfish and glum for all those many years did he turn his life around, essentially becoming a new person entirely!
- Be thankful for what you have, but also for what your Christian brothers and sisters receive… for it is the same God that blesses them that blesses you!
- Enjoy your life! Make no apologies for being happy! And be sure to point up to God to show the “haters” where your joy comes from!
- Are you glad for others when good stuff happens to them? Or are you upset about it? Check your heart constantly!
Oh and by the way, I can’t wait for my trip to Disney World in less than two weeks with my lovely wife Heather! We’re going to have a fun time! Going to eat out at some nice places too! Don’t think I’ll be able to get some golf in though. (Can’t have everything, I guess!)
Have a problem with any of that? Deal with it… 
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day. For many of us this means we get to travel, spend time with family and friends, eat plenty of food (always a little too much!), watch some lousy football (never a good game on Thanksgiving though), and but best of all… most of us get the day off from work!
But the purpose of the Thanksgiving holiday has never meant to include any of that stuff. The meaning is pretty obvious as it’s embedded in the actual word: the giving of thanks (to God).
If you grew up in America and passed 2nd grade, I’m sure you know the whole story behind the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving feast. I could easily bore you with troubling tales of how they barely survived disease and starvation. Despite all of that, they still established a yearly occasion to thank God for what He had done for them. Comparing ourselves to what they went through, we have a lot more to be thankful for!
Sometimes when we have it so good, we get upset at the little things that bother us. These little things turn into big things because they take us from what should be an attitude of thankfulness, to an attitude of loathing and worry.
In Philippians 4:4-9, Paul writes:
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
You see, what is on our mind, often controls our heart. God knows this about us! It’s just how we as human beings operate. Which is why Paul writes to dwell on the “good things” and not the bad. Such words echo far into today’s perspective with everything that’s going on (or perhaps, “going wrong”).
Many people are out of work, struggling financially, in poor health, have lost loved ones, having relationship problems, you name it. Of course many of these are connected as work & finances can cause stress, leading to worsened health (mentally and physically), and strife between spouses/family members/friends. It can turn us ugly,selfish, and cold… which is what the enemy wants us to be like!
So, when we dwell (which means in loose terms, “it’s on our minds”, or to “think good and hard”) on something, it can weigh on us… or it can lift us up. If we were to reflect upon everything that God has done for us, rather than what hasn’t worked out, then thanksgiving comes much more naturally!
Therefore, if you think about the things of God and “good”, your attitude changes and you suddenly have a different perspective and approach towards everyday life. Your heart is more open to offering the proper thanks towards Almighty God who has blessed you in more ways than you’ll ever know in this life!
So take the time to thank God and make it a daily habit! Let praise be on your lips… not fear or doubt! Be sure to thank Him in all of your prayers! Make “thanksgiving” more than just a single day of the year! Let it be an attitude you carry with you so that others can see it!
This past month, it seems that I’ve gotten more “prayer requests” than ever before. Health, finances, stress, family issues, you name it!
But while I have been keeping up with them all, compiling quite a long list mind you, I recalled something me and Greg Dampier ran last year, the ePrayer Wall.
It was a message board for our friends and family at the time to share prayer requests, praise reports, testimonies, devotionals, etc. It’s such a great blessing to know that we could help others simply by keeping them in our prayers! It’s also such a blessing when the requests are fulfilled in some way and we get to rejoice with the person! The Christian world needs to be doing more of this!
Seeing the need for it today with our church, we have decided to bring back the forum as a simple way for our members (and believers everywhere) to share their requests in an open, friendly setting so others can know what they’re going through and what to pray for!
We read in James chapter 5 the power & importance of earnest prayer and for the act of praying for one another!
13 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.
14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.
15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
17 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
So don’t be bashful! Present your requests, praise reports, and your thoughts without fear of condemnation or embarrassment! Register at eprayerwall.heavenforum.com
However, if you ever feel the need to make a private request, you can email me at: chris@thelivingchurch.tv
Be blessed!
There was a reason why beaches along the east coast were empty of development for so long. Just 40 years ago, my dad lived around the outer banks of North Carolina. He told me that no one wanted the beachfront property and could’ve gone in with ten thousand dollars at the time, acquiring a few lots. Such land now is highly desired and fetches millions of dollars.
Part of the reason why it was so cheap at the time and no one had built on them, is that there was no way to predict a hurricane coming. When it did it came with very little warning and it could wipe everything out with ease.
Life’s disasters are a lot like that… they often come at you without notice and can potentially be devastating! Other times you may see the storm coming, but you feel there’s little you can do. In reality, we make the choice on how we deal with disasters.
Back when Hurricane Hugo hit, we had some family friends of ours that had a stilt house in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina right on the water. The week before the storm came through, they had just outfitted the place with brand new furniture.
Later, the storm swept the area and lifted the house off the ground, throwing it down the street in pieces. Nothing was salvageable!
Now they could have thrown their arms in the air and said “why bother”, taken the insurance money and build somewhere “safer” (much like we do as believers), knowing full well the dangers of living on the coast. Instead, they built the house back even better than it was before on the same lot.
You see, fear of more danger, hardships, and troubles often prevents us from being rebuilt! Adversity is a time for us to become stronger and better in God’s eyes!
No, God is not our “insurance” that comes through, bails us out when we’ve lost it all. Even better, He’s the contractor in waiting, that’s already been paid to rebuild! It’s just a matter of if we’ll let Him do the job He knows how to do, or are we going to pack up, head elsewhere, and try to do it ourselves? (which is shoddy work!)
We know that through this life, storms will come at us… especially as Christian believers. That’s like having beachfront property! Beachfront property is nice, beautiful, and is something to brag about. Yet, it also comes with it’s dangers. Most typically this involves facing the storms that can potentially wreck everything! More important than any of this, is that it’s where God wants us to be!
When you become a believer in Jesus Christ, some may hold the idea that their troubles are now gone and life is going to be all “peachy-keen”. Truth is, as a Christian you are not escaping trouble… you often have to face it!
Why? The enemy does not want us “happy and healthy and prospering” and he’ll throw all the storms he’s got at us to discourage us. Discouragement then leads to doubt and the dilution of our faith in God.
If we were to simply chicken out and run from danger, it’s just like running away from God! The troubles that come at us are opportunities to grow, not to mention be used by the Lord to bless others and ourselves!
The problem is, our carnal eyes simply don’t always view it this way. Instead we only see what’s in front of us and that might look a lot like impending doom with no end to it (which is what the enemy wants us to think!).
Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:34,
“Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
When we possess fear for what might happen, we are unknowingly putting a hold on the rebuilding process God can start at anytime. During tough times such as these, know that no matter what happens in your life, it won’t demolish you for good unless you let it!
You can be renewed and built stronger than before… and God can still get the glory, honor, and praise for it!
Amen!
