Archive for July, 2007
July 29, 2007 at 11:38 pm · Filed under Uncategorized, David
Isaac. Taryn and I stole away for an afternoon on Saturday to see the famous home of our nation’s first president (For the historically challenged - George Washington…) Mount Vernon is quite an amazing site to behold and we got an annual pass just in case our wonderful family wants to go back (OK - we got suckered into buying the annual pass, but that is another story.)
The trip was great as we learned many things about GW as well as the state of Viriginia. and there was one quote by Washington that stuck out more than the others.
“Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth.”
That reminded me of Galations 5 which begins by stating: “It is for Freedom that Christ has set us free!”
Isnt it amazing how when a heart/life gets free, it is released to obtain Rapid Growth! We have seen several people so far on our launch team that have been slowed down in life for whatever reason, who are now getting set free in life and who are now expereincing Rapid Growth!
It is always good to ask ourselves what area of our lives needs a little freedom (This is usually the area that also needs rapid growth…) What area of your life needs freedom?
How about releasing it over to God and allow His freedom to take root in your life today?,
Growing Free,
David
July 21, 2007 at 11:14 am · Filed under DC
Luke 1:37 states that “with God all things are possible”
I can agree to that in a bigger way than ever this morning as so many things have come together for the Church, the Launch Team, and the Stine Family this week. It could only be the hand of God that has made the impossible - possible…
Speaking of, we had our first ever “Vision Night/Party” last night at our new home. It was a great success as we had around 45 people come over to hear about the “Vision” of DC Metro Church (“To build a God-First Culture in the DC Metro Area”) as well as hang-out, eat (alot), and just basically have a great time together…
It was not all roses this week though - We had an extended battle with two things that made our move in and set up quite extensive. Those two things were “mold” and “boxes.” Yes that is right, mold and boxes… Mold, because we are having to keep out of our new basement until there is some mold remediation done to it, (we are safe…) and boxes because we have drastically downsized our home (Just not our STUFF (See blogpost below for more on this…)
All in all our friends and fellow launch team members pitched in and helped us to make it the best ever first week in our new home (despite circumstances.) Our whole week we have been quoting:
1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Thanks to all of the DC Metro Launch Team - guys and gals - who helped us to make last night’s party so nice for all the “new” team members, it was truly a great night for Taryn and I.
Bless you guys,
David
July 18, 2007 at 8:55 am · Filed under David
Have you ever noticed how the value of your things always decreases greatly when you are moving? I have, and this week I have been moving all of my devalued stuff into our new home in Alexandria, Va.
Side Tracked: That is right, if you have read this blog for any amount of time you are celebrating with me about this monumental moment in our church launch and especially in our lil family. After two months of no where to call the “stine Home” (Don’t worry we did have the “Stine Car” for shelter (kidding…)) we now have a great little place about two minutes away from the theater that the church will be in…
Now back to my thought, my stuff, I don’t want it! It has very low value to me after the last two days of moving it all around: out of our house, into the moving truck, into storage, into our home, and at this point out of my ears!!! I Do Not Want It, it has an ever increasing low value to me! It has occupied too much of my time… Help! Garage Sale - forget it, lets just Give it Away!
Spiritual Stuff? - Spiritual Application?
Ok, here is what I am saying… Don’t we all have some “stuff” that we are carrying around that is dragging us down, wasting our time, making us anxious, and keeping us back from the fullness of God’s plan for our lives?
Help from above…
Jesus told us not to carry these “heavy burdens,” rather to give Him our heavy burdens (stuff) exchanging our heavy burdens for His yoke (stuff) which is light and easy and designed for us to carry. He even goes as far as to tell us to “cast all of our anxiety upon Him for He cares for us” (1 Peter 5:7.) Thank God for that… This stuff is heavy…
So if this applies to you, then ask God right now to take your heavy burden (Our “stuff” again…) and ask Him to replace it with His yoke which is easy and light enough even for You to carry…
Be encouraged this week, and Give Him All of you “stuff!”
David
July 9, 2007 at 12:40 pm · Filed under DC
In the photo above: Derrick Scott and Matthew Storia ”Man-ing” the dc metro church booth this weekend!
Well, I have to say, God has exceeded our expectations as we had a very successful first event in the community of Alexandria…
We took a great team with us and here is a quick recap from my perspective:
- We handed out just under 1500 water bottles to some very hot and (after the water) very happy people!
- We also handed out around 1000 “Announcement Cards” (announcing our first Sunday September 9th)
- We found great favor with the sponsors of the event and the city…
- We were able to talk to hundreds of people about our faith and the new church!
- We invited around 35 interested individuals to our first “Vision Night Party” (July 20th at our house!)
- We had at least 15 additional people interested in becoming a part of our launch team!
- We handed out 500 Ring Pops (Huge Hit!) to many children and adults as well… (really, how cool, ring pops!)
- Last but certainly not the least, we had a Great Time as a Team! (Special thanks to the whole launch team for pulling this off - so glad to be doing life with you guys, gals, and kids!)
Keep Praying for our Team and our Launch!
David Stine
July 6, 2007 at 10:17 am · Filed under DC
Hey Guys,
I hope you have all had a great week as things in DC have been moving very rapidly. I had the chance yesterday to have meetings all over town with some great people who truly love Jesus! It is so refreshing to see that God is sending us to DC for such a time as this…
We have mainly been asking God to put people in our paths who need to know God, or who ”Love God” but for whatever reason “Don’t Like Church.” Already we have encountered many of both and look forward to meeting many more…
Also, Please Pray as we will have our first outreach tomorrow Saturday July 7th in Alexandria Viringia. We will be participating in The USA & Alexandria’s Birthday Celebration (They do theirs on July 7th…)
We will be handing out free: water, glow braclets, and (my personal favorite) ring pops! We should have a great time as we will have several of our new launch team members at the event (wearing their cool new tees.) We will also be handing out information about the church and finding individuals who are interested in helping to launch DC Metro!
Specific Prayer Needs:
- Pray that we meet several people who either want to get more information on the Church - (We are inviting these folks to a DCMetro Vision Party on July 20th (at my house.)
- Pray that we will also meet several people who will want to be a part of the launch team while talking to us tomorrow - (We are inviting these folks to our next launch team meeting on July 15th (also at my house (pray for us.)
On a final note, we have a new (short) video on our website, if you would like to check it out, click here… Enjoy!
Bless You,
David
July 3, 2007 at 12:13 am · Filed under Isaac
OK, So my son does not get the classic carousel ride…
Here is how it went. We were having a fun family day at a Smithsonian Sponsored American Folk Festival (Sounds lame, but actually very non-folksy…) when dad (Me) sees a carousel (horses and all) going round and around in the distance and thinks, “Man, I bet Isaac would love to ride on that!”
I stand in line with my happy baby boy only to find that when we get on the ride, Isaac is not as thrilled as dad was to be on this quite confusing activity.
I get him strapped in on his very own stallion of a horse (sweet one), and notice where there is normally a very happy little smirk, I see a very inquisitive little look across his mug… He is of course wondering what Dad has gotten him into this time.
As the corousel begins to turn around and the stallion he is riding begins to bob up and down, I notice that he is not thrilled at all (Not sad or in pain…) yet instead there is a look of total confusion of why we would have waited so long in order to sit on a fake hourse and bob up and down while going in a circle over and over and over to music that, well lets face it, is very much to be desired?
At first I thought, “what gives, this is the carousel?” But then I got it, “Who wants to be stuck going round and round in a circle when there is so many other things to see and do???”
Ever feel like you are going in circles in life? Working as hard as you can, and still you are stuck… or better yet, we get going in a certain direction, get comfortable, and then as if we have been caught off guard and all of the sudden we find ourselves stuck going round and around in a circle, stuck, in some area of our life, or even worse our whole life. The carousel of life… Going around and around, listening to the same old tune, bobbing up and down…
It is no way to spend our precious days that God has given us, and I am convinced that He does not want us to live life like this for any length of time…
Even though the enemy wants us to stay on the carousel, God wants us to be moving forward towards His perfect and fulfilling plan for our lives…
John 10:10 states it best, “thief (enemy) does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I (Jesus) have come that they (us) may have life, and that they (us) may have it more abundantly!
With that said, Isaac and I got off the carousel… and on with our lives…
Keep moving forward,
David & Isaac…
