As I sit here at my table this morning- drinking a helpful cup of Starbucks Coffee- I am frustrated to the core. To be honest I’m really ticked off. Last night I saw three of my struggling friends cuffed and taken away for public drunkenness. This morning I listened as another struggled with lying voices and mental confusion. And I just finished talking with another friend who believes that suicide would be “easier” and who does not see nor want to break the generational curse that looms over his head.

I’m frustrated because I feel like I can do nothing. I share the love of Jesus, I love through action the best I can, and as I am able I try to help financially with their needs.

Love is tough, to say the least!

I want transformation now! I don’t want to wait- and right now feel like it is taking all I can to not explode.

God did not promise that it would be easy. In fact he said that we would have to pick up and carry our cross daily. I honestly thought that it was a figure of speech, not the burden that it actually is!

But in the midst of my tantrum I hear the still small voice of God saying “Ryan, I am with you. I see their hurt too. I love them even more than you do. And while you don’t understand it- I do. Continue to walk with me, stay close to me and I will restore your heart and renew your joy. Persevere in prayer and the breakthroughs will come.”

I say- THANKS GOD.

Ryan

So we’re one week in to our 21 days of lunch time prayer and fasting. So far we’ve been averaging at least 5 prayers at the Theatre— and I know that there are a bunch of people praying during their lunch hour at work. I am sensing more now than ever that God is calling his people to “DESPERATION PRAYER.” Being desperate is counter-cultural in a big way! No one wants to be desperate. I remember growing up people being made fun of for being desperate for love, relationship and popularity.

Desperation for the believer is what life is all about. If God doesn’t show up, if He doesn’t intervene we’re in big trouble. I am desperate for him. I need him and so do you. Our community doesn’t know it—but they desperately need him if hope and healing are to be had. So that’s why we’re praying— because we are desperate! Sometimes my desperate meter is running low- other times its hitting red. My hearts desire is that it is always in the red. I pray that yours is too.

I also want to let you in on some of the things that we’ve been agreeing on over the lunch hour as we are praying….

1. The Spirit to come among us and stir up the church.
2. Hunger pangs for prayer. Let me explain…. just like we experience hunger pangs when we are hungry I want to experience physical hunger pains for prayer!
3. God would renew hearts of gratitude, compassion, love, and joy in his churchy.
4. Strongholds of: alcohol, drugs, prescription drugs, smoking, pornography, homosexuality, racism would be broken.
5. Generational curse of poverty.
6. Yoke of slavery to sin would be broken in the church.
7. Unity and oneness in the church.
8. SALVATION and opportunities to share the gospel.

Pretty awesome stuff!!

Ryan

Prayer-The Place Where God Speaks As I Listen
Pastor Ryan Brown

Listen to Sermon: Prayer- The Place Where God Speaks As I Listen

I’ve been at the Leadership Summit in Lancaster the past two days. Willow Creek hosts this event each year and has locations all across the Nation and around the world.

I am so blessed this year… well I’m always blessed by this conference, but for what I believe is the first time in many years I am coming away being affirmed and re-affirmed in the direction we’re going.

Rather than me writing a bunch of thoughts today let me ask of you one thing…. PRAY! Pray that God will continue to download into each of us his calling, vision, passion, love, acceptance…. that He would establish his kingdom in our lives and that as we live in out in relationship with one another and the folks around us deeper healing will happen.

Wrecked….

Ryan

So like I said yesterday- I’m hanging out in the book of Joel. One of the things I love about Joel- he’s only mentioned one other time in the bible (Acts 2), his father is unknown and the date of his writing is difficult to figure out. He’s an ordinary person just like the rest of us. He listens really well though. God used him to speak to His people at a time when they were being invaded and had lost all hope. His prophetic words brought life to a people who were “living dead”.

I want God to use me like that. I want to be a good listener. If the people in our community need to be challenged or warned I pray that I am able to listen well enough to be used by God to share His message. I want to be a prophetic voice in a time of great confusion and lostness. I want to clearly articulate and demonstrate the deep love of God to the people that God places in my path each and every day. Where are you at in this?

My problem is that I have a fear of looking foolish. I believe that we’ve been given everything we need in order to see victory and triumph, but I don’t want to look foolish. I believe that it will be as we pursue holiness, prayer, cultivate lives that produce the fruit of the Spirit, and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit that we will see community wide transformation.

I think that the destruction that was happening because of the locusts and drought stirred in Joel a desperation to do something about it. The enemy is invading and the more I see of the destruction in my community the more desperate I become, and the less fearful of looking foolish I am. I pray that God gives me (us) clear vision of what is really happening around us in these last days. I pray that it will stir in us such a desperation for God that nothing would prevent us from seeking after Him with all our hearts!

Digging my heels in,

Ryan

I’ve been sitting in and reading the Book of Joel the past couple weeks. Can you imagine having all of the crops, plants, fields completely destroyed by insects? Imagine having a drought so bad that rivers and creeks dry up and wild fires destroy whatever the locusts didn’t? I’ve never experienced anything like it. We’ve had some dry times, but nothing that has affected all areas of my life.

Joel makes it clear that their was no food, no water, no more wine, nothing for the temple sacrifice…. things were pretty bad- desperate actually. Joel sees it, but the people around him don’t! He has to remind the drunks that once the last drop of wine is gone- it’s really all gone! There are no new grapes- the vines are gone. People were not seeing the extend of the invasion. Even if they were seeing it and feeling it- they weren’t doing what was needed to deal with it.

I wonder sometimes if I’ve got it too good. Do I see the extent of the invasion of the kingdom of darkness in the community around me? Do I see the damage that is being inflicted by the swarms of demons and followers of Satan in the lives of my neighbors and friends?

Joel’s prophetic call for you and for me is to FAST and CRY OUT to the Lord. God is the only one who could intervene and bring restoration and healing. All of the joy of mankind had withered away…

I’ve been in the church long enough that I’ve exhausted all of the ways of man. I’ve tried it my way, tried relying on my strengths and the strengths of others to bring about change and transformation- it isn’t working. We’ve got to fast and pray and seek his face.

I certainly don’t claim to have it all figured out- I don’t think Joel did either. He was desperate for God and for healing- that is where I am too. So I’ll wage war on the invaders through prayer and fasting and see what happens. The excitement is in knowing that the journey will most definitely take me closer to Jesus, and into seeing the power of the Holy Spirit released in our community.

Waging war,

Ryan

Guest Speaker
Pastor Jesse Owens

Listen to Sermon: Guest Speaker- Jesse Owens

This morning a small group of us went back to Project Share to put the exterior drywall on the shell that we built last week. Today (August 1) is my birthday. My 36th and final birthday to be exact. I will be 36 for the rest of my life.

I could have slept in this morning, had Maureen make me breakfast in bed and just relaxed, but I did something much better with my birthday morning. I served! I don’t say this to brag at all. I am actually processing this myself as I type.

I was talking to my dad this morning and as we were talking he said “each birthday is a bonus- actually each new day is a bonus.” He’s right! God has not guarenteed any of us more than the moment we are in right now. So for me to be able to serve Him this morning by helping my community is an absolutely perfect gift. He’s given me the strength, ability, know how and passion for doing this kind of stuff- and I love Him for it. I love seeing him at work in the lives of those who are marginalized and forgotten. I love seeing provision come to those who do not have. I love seeing people who once were lost found. I love the gift that he gave me this morning.

Thanks Jesus for the opportunity to walk and work with you this morning,

Ryan