Tim Harlow

GroupLife Connection

Hey everybody! I hacked into PT's blog to make sure you know about this weekend's GroupLife Connection. Whether you're at Orland Park or Lockport...if you're not in a small group, be sure and take this opportunity to jump into a six week test-drive!

 

After years on the staff in great churches around the country, there's no doubt in my mind that you can't get everything God has for you unless you're in a small group. In fact, I tell people all the time that as important as the weekend service is, it's closest in kind to a defibrillator. You know, those paddle shaped things that jolt your heart back to regularity. A great message and great music can jump start your heart...but it's not permanent. As soon as you try to pull out of the parking lot and realize you'll never beat the crowd...well, you know where I'm going.

 

If you want permanent change you need life-on-life. That's where surgery or therapy happens. If you want to grow spiritually, if you want the warmth that only authentic relationships can bring...you've got to be in a group. A group can encourage you when you're struggling, celebrate with you when you're winning, and challenge you when you really need to take a next step.

 

One of my life verses is Hebrews 10:24-25. Writing to 1st century believers the author encouraged everyone to "think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works" and "not neglect meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near."

 

In my early years of ministry I thought this verse was talking about "meeting together" for worship. Not so much anymore. I really believe this writer was kind of begging everybody to be committed to the power of life-on-life; to be committed to group life.

 

Do you have the power of life-on-life working for you? If not, I want to encourage you to jump in a group at Parkview. Don't put it off! You can take your first step at a GroupLife Connection this weekend!

 

Easy to do. It takes ONE hour! Here are the times.  Choose the time that works best:

 

Orland Park

 

Saturday, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in LL1 and Sunday, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

 

Lockport

 

Sunday, 12:30 p.m. (right after the 11)

 

Mark Howell

Community Life Pastor

 

American Idols

We’re not the first ones to have to decide who to put on the throne.

 

The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.  And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” Luke 4:5-8

 

Do you think Satan really thought he could get Jesus to fall for this one? Seriously. Can you imagine a scene playing out in Jesus mind – “Yeah, maybe I’ll just do this and serve Satan and become the RULER OF THE WORLD.”

 

It doesn’t make any sense; I don’t care how hungry he was.

 

It makes sense when Satan does it to me. Because I’m stupid.

 

When Satan comes to me I believe him.  Actually he usually doesn’t come to me that directly. If he did, I would say “no” also.

 

It’s the indirect stuff that gets me.

 

That’s what's interesting about the topic for this week – Money. 

 

Jesus said to them, 'Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed. Luke 12:15

 

That’s interesting, because Jesus never says, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of murder or all kinds of adultery" because they're so clear-cut.

 

Nobody gets halfway into adultery and says, "Hey, this might count as adultery; maybe I shouldn't do it." Murder, adultery, stealing, lying are really clear cut.

 

But how do you know when you have put Money on the pedestal? How do you know when you are filling up your tank with the right stuff?

 

Nancy Ortberg says,

 

The truth is the Bible talks about the inevitability of idols in our lives. And knocking down idols, I don't think, is so much a one-time event in our lives, as it is like bowling. And you throw the ball down the alley and you knock the pins down, but the darn reset arm keeps coming back and putting them back up.

 

And maybe spiritual maturity means over time, we deepen our ability to recognize idols for what they are in our lives and once again, deepen our ability to give them up.”

 

Pray for this weekend.  If any idol has a stranglehold on us – it’s this one this week.

 

Tim

 

 

Happy Anniversary Lonnie and Dawn

Denise and I are still flying high from all of the beautiful things you did to celebrate our anniversary with the church.  It’s been overwhelming to read the stories.  But like I said in church this weekend, so many of the comments are about the love and acceptance of this place we call Parkview.

That is why it’s so important for us to realize how much this is a team effort here.  The love and acceptance that many people feel here is because they ran into an amazing man whose legs don’t work anymore, and never lets it bother him.  To be in his presence is to be in the presence of love and grace and gratitude.  It’s to be in the presence of Jesus.

And he couldn’t do any of it without his life partner, Dawn, who is an angel in every way.  

I really liked the thought from Don Piper that when we get to heaven we’ll be greeted by the people who helped us get there.  So we’ll be greeting the people whom we’ve helped get to heaven too.

I have this image in my mind of being in heaven and having a line.  I want to have a line.  My life’s purpose is to help people get into heaven.  “I STAND BY THE DOOR.” So if I don’t have a line – I’ve wasted my life!

But I have this image in my mind of my line.  And I think I’ll see my line and be so excited to hear the stories, like we did with the cards for our anniversary.  And it will be incredible. It’s everything I live for now; it will be remarkable.

And then I’ll look over at Lonnie’s line – in awe.  For one, Lonnie will be standing, and long after I’ve greeted all the people I know – Lonnie’s line will keep going and going and going.

That’s my picture.

We love you Lonnie, thanks for 15 years.  We’re praying you have a whole lot more with us here!

Tim

 

20 Years

I have to try to say thank you to you all for the wonderful celebration of our 20th anniversary. I can’t tell you how touched we were, and still are (we’re still reading cards as I write this). The elders and staff really out did themselves giving us a surprise party on Friday night. Bringing in so many of our family. It was unbelievable. I can’t tell you how meaningful it’s all been.  And the video and love shown us in the services was amazing. I wept every service – and a bunch of you did tooJ.  
 
I can’t tell you how much it meant.

 
In many ways I can’t believe it’s already been 20 years. And in other ways I can’t believe it’s only been 20 years. You know how that goes, right? It’s been a lifetime for my family. And I wouldn’t have traded a bit of it. There were some very difficult times. But they were there for a reason. And I’m having so much fun now; it’s not ever a job to me. Denise and I always wanted an Acts 2 church, and now we have one. For awhile there it was more like a church from RevelationJ, but we love it now. I don’t care if Forbes magazine just rated Chicago as the 10th most miserable place to live in the U.S. – they don’t go to Parkview!
 
The thank you cards have been amazing.  Most of you thanking us for sticking it out and letting God make Parkview happen. Well, I want to thank you for the same thing. All of you make this what it is. Whether I know you or not, you make this happen.
 
My prayer is that of Paul in 2 Thessalonians.
 
We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.

2 Thessalonians 1:2-3

Your faith is growing and your love is growing.  We’re changing our corner of the world with love and faith! I love that.
 
Honestly, the only analogy I can think of is farming. A faithful farmer plows the field every year. He does what he can to make the field ready for God. I think that’s what we did here for many years. And now the harvest is amazing.
 
I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.  I Corinthians 3:6-7

It’s very important to me that you all understand that God did all this. Not Tim and Denise. We don’t want any of God’s glory. We want you and God to be good. That’s all.
 
And it’s important that I recognize that there are lots of team members in this deal. Lonnie is celebrating 15 years soon, and we have a lot of great, long term, staff here. Vickie has been here longer than me! And Bill, Wayne, and our management team are the ones that really keep the rows straight on our farm. Our entire staff is amazing.  I love them all.
 
I also want to say thanks to the group of elders who have served alongside of me over the last 20 years. They have been amazingly patient with me and amazingly full of faith in our God.  

 
I really can’t ask for any more. Like I said this weekend, I’m the most blessed guy on the planet. And I know that my blessing is not for me, it’s for you.
 
I can’t wait to see what God has in store for the next 20 years.
  
Paul told my namesake, Timothy:
 
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. 1Timothy 1:12

I couldn’t have said it better myself.
 
Thank you for loving me and my family the way you do. I’m still flying high!
 
PT