Tuesday, December 15, 2009
C-Lite - "No Tombstone" Featuring Sheena Lee
Hey guys! Check out this music video directed by my good friend David Ham. We will be having the artists featured in the video at Planet Impact in the coming months, so look forward to it! - PK
Monday, December 14, 2009
World AIDS Day Speech
After my message at Planet Impact last week, many of you have asked for a copy of the World AIDS Day speech that I delivered on December 4th which I made reference to. I need to mention that I am indebted to World Vision for many of the statistics given in the opening. The description of God is adapted from an e-mail forward I received many years ago (no original source was given). OK, here it is ...
World AIDS Day was started in 1988 in order to bring attention to the global AIDS epidemic. Tonight we gather to celebrate 21 years of raising awareness and focusing attention on AIDS and its affect on our world.
Over 33 million people worldwide are living with HIV and AIDS.
Last year 2.7 million people were newly infected with HIV.
Every day more than 5,700 people die because of AIDS – that’s more than 2 million people a year.
Those hardest hit are often children. More than 2 million children worldwide are living with HIV.
More than 15 million children have lost one or both parents because of AIDS.
By next year the global number of children orphaned by AIDS is expected to surpass 20 million.
Rising mortality rates and falling life expectancies due to AIDS mean that much of the progress that has been made fighting poverty in recent decades is being lost.
For example, in the hardest hit areas – particularly in Africa, an emerging middle class is being pushed below the poverty line by the loss of income and exorbitant medical bills. Few can afford to see a doctor, and even fewer can afford AIDS medications.
When children lose parents to AIDS, grandparents often become guardians. If the grandparents are gone, the older children must drop out of school to look after their younger siblings.
While AIDS has devastated millions of people – some of whom were friends of those of you gathered here tonight – I come this evening with a message of hope. I believe there is One Person who can give us hope in the fight against AIDS. It is not President Obama. It is not Bill Gates. It is not even Bono. The Person I am referring to is ...
The First and Last, the Beginning and the End
He is the keeper of all creation and the Creator of all
He is the Architect of the universe, and the Overseer of all times.
He always was, always is, and He always will be …
Unmoved, unchanged, undefeated, and never undone
He was bruised and offers healing
He was pierced and eases pain
He was persecuted and offers freedom
He was dead and offers life
He is risen and offers hope
He reigns and offers peace
The world can’t understand him
Armies can’t defeat Him
Schools can’t explain Him
Leaders can’t ignore Him
Herod couldn’t kill Him
Scholars couldn’t confuse Him
People couldn’t hold Him
Nero couldn’t crush Him
Hitler couldn’t silence Him
Oprah can’t explain Him away, and
AIDS does not intimidate Him
He is light, love, liberty, and Lord
He is goodness, kindness, gentleness, and God
He is Holy, Righteous, mighty, powerful, and pure
His ways are right
His Word is eternal
His will is unchanging, and
His mind is on you and me
He is my Savior
He is my Redeemer
He is my best Friend
He is my Guide
He is my Peace
He is my Joy
He is my Comfort
He is my Lord
He rules my life!
I serve Him because His bond is love
His burden is light
His destiny for me is abundant life
I follow Him because He is the wisdom of the wise
The power of the powerful
The Ancient of Days
The ruler of rulers
The leader of leaders
The overseer of overseers
The Sovereign Lord of all that was, that is, and that is to come
His goal is a relationship with you and me
He will never leave me nor forsake me
He will never mislead me or forget me
He will never overlook me, and
When I fall, He lifts me up
When I fail, He forgives me
When I am weak, He is strong
When I am lost, He is the way
When I am afraid, He is my courage
When I stumble, He steadies me
When I am hurt, He heals me
When I am broken, He mends me
When I am blind, He leads me
When I am hungry, He feeds me
When I face trials, He is with me
When I face persecution, He shields me
When I face problems, He provides for me
When I face loss, He comforts me
When I face death, He carries me home.
He is everything, for everybody, everywhere, every time, in every way, for all time
He is God
He is faithful
I am His, and He is mine
God is in control, and I am His child
That means I will do not fear, I am not afraid
I trust my Father, and all is well with my soul
I love the Lord, and I thank Him for Who He is and all that He does in my life
Therefore I am here to tell you tonight that God is the Source of all Life
Whoever you are, wherever you are from, whatever you are going through, God IS!
He is the reason you are here, alive, and breathing at this very moment
Without Him we are nothing and can do nothing
But with Him we can do all things ...
Including not just slowing AIDS down, but putting a stop to AIDS once and for all!
So I ask you tonight, who or what is the leader of your life? Who or what is your confidence in for solving the AIDS crisis? If your answer – and I mean actually, not just verbally – is anything other than God Himself, then I want you to know tonight that your hope is on shifting sands.
I believe with all my heart tonight that the peace and fulfillment that you long for in your life, and the hope for ending AIDS is not to be found in programs or prescriptions – it is to be found in the Person of Jesus Christ who is the hope of the world! Tonight I challenge you to commit your life to His care and His lordship, and discover for yourself the joy and purpose that you were created to live with.
Let us pray.
God of healing and compassion touch those who are suffering from HIV/AIDS. Through your Holy Spirit comfort those who are grieving the loss of loved ones who have died from AIDS. Guide them into your truth and help them find hope and strength and purpose in you alone. God of mercy, help those who have sinned against you to repent and receive your free gift of grace, forgiveness, and eternal life through Jesus Christ. God of wisdom, help us to find a cure for this disease. God of love, help us to do our part to build a world of care and compassion. Help us to seek first Your kingdom – to love you with all of our hearts, souls, minds, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Amen.
World AIDS Day was started in 1988 in order to bring attention to the global AIDS epidemic. Tonight we gather to celebrate 21 years of raising awareness and focusing attention on AIDS and its affect on our world.
Over 33 million people worldwide are living with HIV and AIDS.
Last year 2.7 million people were newly infected with HIV.
Every day more than 5,700 people die because of AIDS – that’s more than 2 million people a year.
Those hardest hit are often children. More than 2 million children worldwide are living with HIV.
More than 15 million children have lost one or both parents because of AIDS.
By next year the global number of children orphaned by AIDS is expected to surpass 20 million.
Rising mortality rates and falling life expectancies due to AIDS mean that much of the progress that has been made fighting poverty in recent decades is being lost.
For example, in the hardest hit areas – particularly in Africa, an emerging middle class is being pushed below the poverty line by the loss of income and exorbitant medical bills. Few can afford to see a doctor, and even fewer can afford AIDS medications.
When children lose parents to AIDS, grandparents often become guardians. If the grandparents are gone, the older children must drop out of school to look after their younger siblings.
While AIDS has devastated millions of people – some of whom were friends of those of you gathered here tonight – I come this evening with a message of hope. I believe there is One Person who can give us hope in the fight against AIDS. It is not President Obama. It is not Bill Gates. It is not even Bono. The Person I am referring to is ...
The First and Last, the Beginning and the End
He is the keeper of all creation and the Creator of all
He is the Architect of the universe, and the Overseer of all times.
He always was, always is, and He always will be …
Unmoved, unchanged, undefeated, and never undone
He was bruised and offers healing
He was pierced and eases pain
He was persecuted and offers freedom
He was dead and offers life
He is risen and offers hope
He reigns and offers peace
The world can’t understand him
Armies can’t defeat Him
Schools can’t explain Him
Leaders can’t ignore Him
Herod couldn’t kill Him
Scholars couldn’t confuse Him
People couldn’t hold Him
Nero couldn’t crush Him
Hitler couldn’t silence Him
Oprah can’t explain Him away, and
AIDS does not intimidate Him
He is light, love, liberty, and Lord
He is goodness, kindness, gentleness, and God
He is Holy, Righteous, mighty, powerful, and pure
His ways are right
His Word is eternal
His will is unchanging, and
His mind is on you and me
He is my Savior
He is my Redeemer
He is my best Friend
He is my Guide
He is my Peace
He is my Joy
He is my Comfort
He is my Lord
He rules my life!
I serve Him because His bond is love
His burden is light
His destiny for me is abundant life
I follow Him because He is the wisdom of the wise
The power of the powerful
The Ancient of Days
The ruler of rulers
The leader of leaders
The overseer of overseers
The Sovereign Lord of all that was, that is, and that is to come
His goal is a relationship with you and me
He will never leave me nor forsake me
He will never mislead me or forget me
He will never overlook me, and
When I fall, He lifts me up
When I fail, He forgives me
When I am weak, He is strong
When I am lost, He is the way
When I am afraid, He is my courage
When I stumble, He steadies me
When I am hurt, He heals me
When I am broken, He mends me
When I am blind, He leads me
When I am hungry, He feeds me
When I face trials, He is with me
When I face persecution, He shields me
When I face problems, He provides for me
When I face loss, He comforts me
When I face death, He carries me home.
He is everything, for everybody, everywhere, every time, in every way, for all time
He is God
He is faithful
I am His, and He is mine
God is in control, and I am His child
That means I will do not fear, I am not afraid
I trust my Father, and all is well with my soul
I love the Lord, and I thank Him for Who He is and all that He does in my life
Therefore I am here to tell you tonight that God is the Source of all Life
Whoever you are, wherever you are from, whatever you are going through, God IS!
He is the reason you are here, alive, and breathing at this very moment
Without Him we are nothing and can do nothing
But with Him we can do all things ...
Including not just slowing AIDS down, but putting a stop to AIDS once and for all!
So I ask you tonight, who or what is the leader of your life? Who or what is your confidence in for solving the AIDS crisis? If your answer – and I mean actually, not just verbally – is anything other than God Himself, then I want you to know tonight that your hope is on shifting sands.
I believe with all my heart tonight that the peace and fulfillment that you long for in your life, and the hope for ending AIDS is not to be found in programs or prescriptions – it is to be found in the Person of Jesus Christ who is the hope of the world! Tonight I challenge you to commit your life to His care and His lordship, and discover for yourself the joy and purpose that you were created to live with.
Let us pray.
God of healing and compassion touch those who are suffering from HIV/AIDS. Through your Holy Spirit comfort those who are grieving the loss of loved ones who have died from AIDS. Guide them into your truth and help them find hope and strength and purpose in you alone. God of mercy, help those who have sinned against you to repent and receive your free gift of grace, forgiveness, and eternal life through Jesus Christ. God of wisdom, help us to find a cure for this disease. God of love, help us to do our part to build a world of care and compassion. Help us to seek first Your kingdom – to love you with all of our hearts, souls, minds, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Amen.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Serving Granny Frannie
Yesterday a group of 15 of us from Planet Impact went to the home of our favorite adult youth leader, Granny Frannie, and completely cleaned her yard, removing leaves and debris. We also presented her with a check for $150 which students from our youth ministry collected in a special offering for her. Granny loves our students and it was a joy to be a blessing to her during this holiday season. Many thanks to Tim Mee for heading up our efforts, and to all who came out to assist us. We had a great time working together, serving Jesus.
Granny was recently inducted into the Suffolk County Women's Hall of Fame for her lifetime efforts for civil rights.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
A Leadership Liturgy of Praise 2009
I was reading in Judges the other day in my Holman Christian Standard Bible, and something struck me because of the way it was worded in this particular version. In Judges 5 we find the record of what is known as The Song of Deborah. Deborah was a married woman, prophetess and judge in Israel (4:4). It was customary for songs to be written to celebrate victories, and in this passage, Deborah describes the Israelite victory over Sisera and the Canaanites. What I found particularly interesting was that the first words out of Deborah’s mouth had to do with leadership and volunteerism: “When the leaders lead in Israel, when the people volunteer, praise the Lord” (5:2). A few verses later she says, “My heart is with the leaders of Israel, with the volunteers of the people. Praise the Lord” (5:9)!
I really resonate with Deborah’s words. I love when I look out over the landscape of Planet Impact and I see leaders leading and people volunteering. I have said it before, and I’ll say it again: Without caring, committed adult leaders we could not have a successful youth ministry. You are the ones who make great youth ministry possible. I want you to know afresh that my heart is with you. I am constantly thinking of you, praying for you, trying to come up with ways to bless you, encourage you, and equip you to be even more effective in loving and leading students to Jesus.
As I look back over this past year, I can say that we have battled and it has been a victorious year for us. Since I can’t sing to celebrate our victory, I have decided to write something of a poem or even a liturgy of praise to God for your faithful service unto the Lord. Enjoy!
Julianne takes girls to Starbucks and talks to them about life and hair.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Don runs wires all day for Verizon, then races to the church on Wednesday afternoons so he can mold young musicians into true worshippers of God.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Janis has a passion for seeing young people discover freedom and healing in Christ and pours herself into them by serving as a teacher for Life Hurts, God Heals.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
David desires to see students worshipping God with reckless abandon and works hard to create environments wherein they can experience God’s presence in a powerful way.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Joey sets up his DJ equipment and entertains students at our Serve and Swim parties and Invite Nights.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Teresa is an encourager and gets up early to go and support students attending See Ya At The Pole at Connetquot High School.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Ines brings her entire family to church on a Saturday to serve lunch to the elderly at the Senior Saints’ Luncheon.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Jean engages with students in lively discussions in small group.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Ren starts Planet Impact TV and gets the Internet buzzing about our youth ministry.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Bob Kogut loads up his truck with tools and materials and works hard to make our Winter Retreat vision come to life.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Stan works alongside our friends from London at Hobbs Farm, pulling weeds so food can be grown to feed the poor.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Tommy Labarbera sets up cones and directs traffic on Sunday mornings and plays sports with students on Monday nights.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Carlo builds relationships with students in his small group and facilitates discussions that cause students to grow in Christ.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Kim meets with girls in small group to talk about godliness and purity.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Lily goes to the city with a group of students to attend a concert. Along the way she laughs with them and talks with them about their lives.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
John Long goes on his 80th missions trip, cooking for the team so they can minister in health and strength.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Patrice oversees registration and serves as a liaison with Tuscarora, ensuring that everyone is taken care of at the Winter Retreat.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Adriana talks to girls on the phone and has them over to her house for conversations about the things of God and to help them discover their identities in Christ.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Frank and Diane sit with students to discuss life and faith on Sunday mornings. They also give friendly smiles and answer questions for people on Wednesday nights.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Josh works with students on the Tech Team on Wednesday nights, helping them develop their talents for God’s glory.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Tommy and Naomi show up to Lauren’s Sweet 16 to encourage her and speak blessing into her life.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Tim gets a group of students together and spends a Saturday blessing Granny Frannie by cleaning her yard.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Carmen loves on students during Life Development, patiently interacting with them about important topics.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Mama Muller sees students in the hallways and makes them feel loved and cared for with her contagious smile and warm hugs.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Nico serves as a small group leader, letting students know he cares about them by being a good listener, asking questions, and offering life perspective.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Bradley has an eye for students on the fringe. He greets them and makes them feel welcome on Sunday mornings.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Rolf welcomes students to youth service and ensures that they are kept safe by helping with security.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Richard serves pizza with a smile and makes it possible for James to be a part of our youth ministry by driving him home each and every Wednesday night.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Mike becomes a staple of the youth ministry announcement videos, keeping students informed about what’s happening.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Amarisa is a willing servant and gladly helps people at the Resource table on Wednesday nights.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Granny Frannie lets students know that she cares about them and wants to see them live well and make right choices, and she inspires all of us to invest our lives in the next generation.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Giovanni shows confidence in Justin who now leads a group of his peers on Wednesday nights, handing out goodies to everyone for Cuz We Feel Like It.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Bob Zuber identifies, encourages, and gives students with technical abilities the opportunity to grow in their giftings as He serves the Lord with gladness, faithfully modeling servant leadership.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
I really resonate with Deborah’s words. I love when I look out over the landscape of Planet Impact and I see leaders leading and people volunteering. I have said it before, and I’ll say it again: Without caring, committed adult leaders we could not have a successful youth ministry. You are the ones who make great youth ministry possible. I want you to know afresh that my heart is with you. I am constantly thinking of you, praying for you, trying to come up with ways to bless you, encourage you, and equip you to be even more effective in loving and leading students to Jesus.
As I look back over this past year, I can say that we have battled and it has been a victorious year for us. Since I can’t sing to celebrate our victory, I have decided to write something of a poem or even a liturgy of praise to God for your faithful service unto the Lord. Enjoy!
Julianne takes girls to Starbucks and talks to them about life and hair.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Don runs wires all day for Verizon, then races to the church on Wednesday afternoons so he can mold young musicians into true worshippers of God.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Janis has a passion for seeing young people discover freedom and healing in Christ and pours herself into them by serving as a teacher for Life Hurts, God Heals.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
David desires to see students worshipping God with reckless abandon and works hard to create environments wherein they can experience God’s presence in a powerful way.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Joey sets up his DJ equipment and entertains students at our Serve and Swim parties and Invite Nights.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Teresa is an encourager and gets up early to go and support students attending See Ya At The Pole at Connetquot High School.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Ines brings her entire family to church on a Saturday to serve lunch to the elderly at the Senior Saints’ Luncheon.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Jean engages with students in lively discussions in small group.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Ren starts Planet Impact TV and gets the Internet buzzing about our youth ministry.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Bob Kogut loads up his truck with tools and materials and works hard to make our Winter Retreat vision come to life.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Stan works alongside our friends from London at Hobbs Farm, pulling weeds so food can be grown to feed the poor.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Tommy Labarbera sets up cones and directs traffic on Sunday mornings and plays sports with students on Monday nights.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Carlo builds relationships with students in his small group and facilitates discussions that cause students to grow in Christ.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Kim meets with girls in small group to talk about godliness and purity.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Lily goes to the city with a group of students to attend a concert. Along the way she laughs with them and talks with them about their lives.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
John Long goes on his 80th missions trip, cooking for the team so they can minister in health and strength.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Patrice oversees registration and serves as a liaison with Tuscarora, ensuring that everyone is taken care of at the Winter Retreat.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Adriana talks to girls on the phone and has them over to her house for conversations about the things of God and to help them discover their identities in Christ.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Frank and Diane sit with students to discuss life and faith on Sunday mornings. They also give friendly smiles and answer questions for people on Wednesday nights.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Josh works with students on the Tech Team on Wednesday nights, helping them develop their talents for God’s glory.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Tommy and Naomi show up to Lauren’s Sweet 16 to encourage her and speak blessing into her life.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Tim gets a group of students together and spends a Saturday blessing Granny Frannie by cleaning her yard.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Carmen loves on students during Life Development, patiently interacting with them about important topics.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Mama Muller sees students in the hallways and makes them feel loved and cared for with her contagious smile and warm hugs.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Nico serves as a small group leader, letting students know he cares about them by being a good listener, asking questions, and offering life perspective.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Bradley has an eye for students on the fringe. He greets them and makes them feel welcome on Sunday mornings.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Rolf welcomes students to youth service and ensures that they are kept safe by helping with security.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Richard serves pizza with a smile and makes it possible for James to be a part of our youth ministry by driving him home each and every Wednesday night.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Mike becomes a staple of the youth ministry announcement videos, keeping students informed about what’s happening.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Amarisa is a willing servant and gladly helps people at the Resource table on Wednesday nights.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Granny Frannie lets students know that she cares about them and wants to see them live well and make right choices, and she inspires all of us to invest our lives in the next generation.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Giovanni shows confidence in Justin who now leads a group of his peers on Wednesday nights, handing out goodies to everyone for Cuz We Feel Like It.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Bob Zuber identifies, encourages, and gives students with technical abilities the opportunity to grow in their giftings as He serves the Lord with gladness, faithfully modeling servant leadership.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)