Tim Harlow

A Great Investment

Dear Parkview,

A great investment is something everyone is looking for these days, but where should we look? The stock market? The real estate market? Futures? Precious metals? No one is really feeling confident in any of those. Personally, I am confident that there is only one market that is 100% guaranteed, and that is the eternal market.

I Timothy 6:17-19 says: “17Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”

This is the great investment that we have embarked upon at Parkview. Sure…we are building some buildings and buying some land and doing some temporal things. But all of them are for the purpose of the eternal, and all of them are about laying up treasure in heaven.

Let me just remind you of how important you are to this process; I encourage you to pray and talk to God about how He wants you to be involved in this investment. Here are some important dates to note:

• Day of Fasting and Concert of Prayer: Wednesday, March 5th

If you are physically able, we invite you to refrain from eating on the 5th, and to spend that time and energy in prayer. Then we will meet together that evening from 7:00 to 8:00 for an inspiring time of prayer, worship, and communion, followed by a light meal to break the fast. (Please register online Registration or call Stella at 708-478-7477, Ext. 247 so we can plan for food and childcare.) Here is some information on fasting: Download Fasting.doc

• Commitment Weekend: March 8th-9th

Following the Concert of Prayer, we are asking you to decide what commitment you and God can make together; not just what you think you can do! You’ll be making a pledge that God has three years to fulfill through you, over and above your regular tithes and offerings. Then on Commitment Weekend, we will all bring our completed commitment cards and celebrate together! (Commitment cards have been sent in the mail, and are also available at Parkview.)

• “First Fruits” Offering: Begins March 15th-16th

“First Fruits” is a concept from the Bible about bringing the best to God…up front. If you have cash or assets as part of your pledge that you can give up front, please use the Great Investment Offering Envelope and turn it in starting March 15th. Let’s see what we can all do to get the project started!

Just remember…this investment is going to change lives for eternity because “The fields are already ripe for harvest…and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life.” John 4:35-36

Thank you in advance for listening to God.

Partnering with You,

Tim

Living in Faith

I know I talked about the Unseen in my midweek blog. But it’s a recurring theme in our Prayer guide. Again, if you haven’t joined us, today’s scripture from I John is very enlightening.

But the one that struck me this week was reading from Hebrews 11.

1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Then it goes on to talk about Noah being warned of “things not seen,” and Abraham obeying even though “he didn’t know where he was going.”

9By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country;he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 13All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

I wonder what God will say about Parkview some day. May it be said that he is not ashamed to be called our God!

How is that possible? If we live in faith. Faith in the Unseen God who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. We may not know where, we may not know how, but we follow God where he leads us.

My prayer today, is for all of us to live in Hebrews 11. The problem is that these people didn’t always see the end of the project. They only “welcomed them from a distance.” They obeyed God and followed him to a place of sacrifice and surrender. And they didn’t get to see the end of their project.

I hope that is true for us. I hope that the church we build is something that we don’t see the full fruit of in this lifetime. I pray that we can live as “aliens and strangers” here on this earth and hold to treasures lightly so that God is never ashamed to be called our God.

Because the real city he is preparing for us is amazing.

Extra-terrestrially Yours,

Tim

It's About the Unseen

I hope you are praying along with us during the next 21 days with our “Great Investment” guide. Prayer Guide

This is going to be one of the greatest times of spiritual growth in our congregation as we spend time in the Word and in Prayer and ask God what he wants to do through us and through PCC.

This is the key verse from yesterday,

I Corinthians 2:9-10 "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"— but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.

This is the beauty of stepping out in faith like we are as a church. Until we do it, we can never know the extent of God’s faithfulness. Ten years ago, if you were to tell me that in 2008, Parkview was going to look like this, I never would have imagined it. I know we aren’t perfect, but the people, the baptisms, the small groups, the missions we support, the local ministry that is happening – is all past what “my mind could have conceived.”

I can’t help but wonder what the next ten years will be like. I am so excited to see that God has prepared for those of us who love him. It’s going to be amazing. But we have to have the faith to step out and trust him.

What I do know is that as we roll out these plans for the future, (See Great Investment Website) it’s hard to see past the buildings and land and Lockport location – and the temporary stuff. Listen – this is all just a bunch of ministry tools. That’s all. It will all burn up someday. These things are not the focus.

Knee Deep in Grain

Well, here we go, Parkview – another spiritual journey is underway. We’ve come up to the banks of yet another promised land and God is telling us to go on in. And we have to decide if we are going to believe that He is God and really wants to “enlarge our territory” - or if we are just done and we’re going to sit around and decide that this church is good enough and no one else around us needs Jesus.

I was at a gathering of pastors from large churches this past week. Most of them are seeing growth and more people coming to Christ, some of them are not, and all of them were facing challenges.

You are either facing the challenge of finding more ways and resources to help more people find God. Or you are challenged because it’s not happening. One way or another, Satan does not like people swinging over to the “light.”

So the spiritual warfare is huge. I can’t tell you how much it’s going on. I know I say this from time to time, but we need everyone to join us in prayer. It’s so hard to fight, when you can’t see it. And the fact that we have spiritual warfare is so cool! Because I’ve been a part of a lot of churches where the evil one did not give a rip about what they were doing.

Jesus' food

I’m very thankful to the great weekend that I’ve heard about, thankful for Dave leaving his church and coming to ours (in the subzero weather) so that we could get away.

24 years ago today Denise Vernon said she’d take me for better or for worse. She had no idea…

I would have to say that looking back on our lives together, the greatest joy has obviously been our daughters. (If you haven’t kept up with Rachel in England lately – check out her blog...she writes about Parkview today.) Lauren and Becca are both serving God now and will follow him wherever he leads, too. This is such a blessing.

But marriage is more than the kids. They will be gone soon and our calling has always and will always be ministry together. Interestingly enough, a full three fourths of our married life has been working here at Parkview together. We’ve been raising this church almost as long as we’ve been raising children.
And I don’t say that lightly; “raising” is a good expression. So is Parkview a teenager now? YES, TURN DOWN THE MUSIC AND GET OFF THE PHONE.

(Actually Parkview is 57 years old, we just don’t act like it.)

But there is so much more to do.

I was reading from John yesterday about how Jesus had a great time in some solitude and scripture (which was something I promised some guys I would do.)

Relying On His Peace and His Power

As the events of last weekend unfold, let me just say how much we are in prayer for the families of the victims of the shootings last weekend. It has been such a “close to home” tragedy. We have connections to many Homewood Flossmoor High school people who lost a social worker, Carrie Hudek Chiuso, and we have people who were related to her. I know we will find other connections to our own family. It was practically in our own back yard. Please continue to pray that they catch the person who did it and pray for the families. Please pray for the Tinley Park Mayor who is a part of Parkview, Ed Zabrocki, and the many police and officials who’ve had to deal with this tragedy.

It is always hard to understand when something like this occurs, and especially when it was SO senseless.

It is yet again another reminder of the fact that our lives and our treasures and our relationships should all be grounded in eternity. At some future point, to which we have no degree of knowledge, we will be leaving this world and heading to our perfect eternal home.

Click on the TRAIN – Bible Study for the day and let Philippians 4 speak into it.

I do know that God can use this situation for good. There will be a lot more openness in the hearts of those around you to having eternity discussions. A tragedy like this helps everyone understand their own finality. I hope you will listen with Holy Spirit’s ears to the conversations around you.

Let’s join together in lifting up the families of Jennifer Bishop, Carrie Hudek Chiuso, Rhoda McFarland, Sarah Szafranski, and Connie Woolfolk.

Praying,
Tim

Download train_day_32.doc

Download train_day_32.pdf

Download TRAIN-Feb-3-16.pdf

God's Provisions and Majesty

My blog about Kenya and Churches in general has only been up for a couple of days and I want to make sure you read that. So this will be brief – take the time to read my last post.

I’m getting ready for tonight and a couple of other things I need to do and looking out at the snow and how beautiful it is. Don’t get me wrong, I’m SO sick of shoveling it and I think someone ought to shoot the stupid groundhog! Six more weeks of winter is one thing, six more weeks of this will be crazy.

But right now I’m looking at the beauty around. At my birdhouses covered in 8 inches of snow. I just filled them up again, it’s been a while. It’s been a while and I don’t love birds enough to go out there in this weather and fill them up. I wonder if they will find their way back.

I’ve had some crazy things going on this week with God and needing his provision. Nothing major, just a lot of stuff that needed to get handled, or changed, or whatever.

And God has shown up when I needed him too. Case in point – I spent less than 30 minutes at the Sec. of State office. MIRACLE. I got frequent flyer miles to work for a window seat for a family member – MIRACLE!

Not everything this week worked out for my gang like I hoped it would. There are some disappointing and discouraging days. It’s not like there is a little sun that follows my family around and shines on us all the time.

But I do – honestly believe that God has watched over our lives yet another week and all will be well. I’ve seen it happen today. I trust him. The snow is such a beautiful reminder of the majesty of God.

I don’t know where the birds went, when I stopped taking care of them? I don’t know what they did without me.

Me...

Pretty sure they’re okay.

Tim