Tim Harlow

Thanksgiving

No, I don't know the totals yet for Cannonball, but the stories I'm hearing from people's hearts are amazing. Thank you for being ALL IN.

Here is a VIDEO I sent out to the congregation about the weekend, and here is a link if you missed this weekend and want to add your commitment online. (ONLINE CANNONBALL PLEDGE FORM)

I am thankful for so many things this week - my amazing kids (including a new son ☺), my family, my church, my friends, and of course my smokin hot wife, boogity, boogity, boogity, Amen.

But mostly I’m thankful to God for His amazing providence and grace and mercy and bounty He has provided in my life. If the Pilgrims were thankful, I ought to have a bigger word!

We can all be thankful, it’s mostly about taking the time.

In Luke 17 – “ Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?”

I’m sure that the other nine were grateful. They were just too excited about their newfound healing and they wanted to share it with those they hadn’t been able to see in a long time. I can’t blame them. I just hope they went back and said “thanks” at some point.

But it’s a great reminder for us to take a moment and stop and say thank you to the one who healed us from a greater problem than leprosy.

My daughter Lauren wrote a great blog this week about the work of God. it reminds me to be thankful, and reminds me of the blessings I sometimes take for granted.

“She’s singing and dancing by herself downstairs. It’s her job to make dinner, and tonight we just eat bread and have tea, so while she’s waiting for the water to boil, she hears her favorite song come on and runs outside by the speaker.

Eres todo, poderoso (You are all powerful)
Eres grande, majestoso (You are great, majestic)
Eres fuerte, invincible, (You are strong, invincible)
no hay nadie como tu, (There is no one like you)

She’s dancing to it and yelling the words, and I am upstairs laughing.

She trusts now, in spite of the 8 years of abuse. And I bet her dancing is better than David’s.

Then there’s the other she. She tells me God is her best friend, that he always was. I asked her who told her about God.

No one, she said. God would talk to her when she was alone and crying… after bad things happened to her. Since then, she’s always trusted him.

Yet another she says that God, well, she never wanted to know him. And I assure her that he already knows and loves her, but she doesn’t care.

And I am weighed down by the last she. Until I remember that not too long ago the first she I mentioned, well, she told me God was bad.

And now she’s practically yelling the opposite.

And so I remember to keep praying, because he is todo, poderoso, he is grande, majestoso, he is fuerte, invincible, and there is no one like our God.

Psalm 107:8-9 says, "Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things."

LET US GIVE THANKS!

Happy Thanksgiving,

Tim

A Cannonball of Biblical Proportions

This weekend at Parkview! Don’t’ miss it. This is going to be one of those weekends we look back on someday and remember what it was like to be in the middle of a miracle. And it includes an awesome closing number that will bring you to your feet. Don’t miss it.

I’ve got some exciting news to share from the Advance Commitment night and then we’re going to go all in and make some waves. I’m praying that you will be there.

Message from Tim

If you are still wondering whether God wants you in on this – ask him.

If you are wondering how to come up with a number, here is a helpful link…. Cannonball Commitment

This is my prayer; I want to lead like Moses.  When he was constructing the Sanctuary of God, he asked the people to Cannonball…

Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work.  They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. So all the skilled craftsmen who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left their work and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done.”

Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” And so the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work. Exodus 36:2-7

STOP GIVING! I love that. Wouldn’t it be great if we had more resources than we could possibly use for the Kingdom of God?  And these kids would know the love of God.

Listen, I know these are hard times for many.  I know that the future of the economy is scary.  But I know that when we lay up treasures in heaven – they stick.  And I know that it’s our job to be the hands and feet of Jesus.  It’s our job to make room for the prodigal and rescue the oppressed.  It’s our job to bring Heaven to Earth and Earth to Heaven.

Cannonball!

Tim

PS – NBC News did a spot on Sex Trade last night – watch it here.  

Early Thanksgiving

I thank my God every time I remember you. Philippians 1:3

The Cannonball has begun.  235 people made the first Cannonball splash in baptism this weekend at both campuses!

What a joy to see so many people clothing themselves with Christ.

For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. Galatians 3:27

I left the last service early (on quite a spiritual high!) and grabbed a plane to Cochabamba, Bolivia (I know, it’s fun to say), where my daughter Lauren is working with a home for girls.

These are girls who have been molested or abused in some way.  Many of them have babies already even though they are 14-16 years old.  You can see some of Lauren’s stories on her blog. Cochabamba

There are so many sad stories.  Probably the hardest thing for me to see was a Barbie doll on one of the girl’s beds.  It’s not that they are still so young that they play with Barbie’s.  It’s that this girl had never had a Barbie before.  She really didn’t have a childhood.  Now she’s caught somewhere in between.

So we went to the market and bought a very expensive turkey, because they don’t eat turkey here, and some sweet potatoes, and all the stuff to make a Thanksgiving meal for these girls.

So tomorrow we will celebrate Thanksgiving early.  I will be celebrating 235 baptisms; the spiritual growth I’m seeing already as people are praying about their Cannonball generosity splash; and the fact that as a result of what we’re doing – we will be able to help a lot more people find Jesus and a lot of little girls get a childhood back.

Please pray for a smooth flight home so I can be there to preach on Saturday night!

Cannonball!!!

Tim

PS – Cannonball Commitment weekend is November 19-20. I would really love to see every single person and family at Parkview make a radically generous commitment.

Our staff, elders, and many of our leaders will be making an early commitment this Sunday, November 13 at 4 pm on the Orland campus. Feel free to join us – register at Advance Commitment Night

Cannonball Baptisms

Here is the link to the famous one.  Baptism Cannonball

But maybe it’s your turn. This weekend I’ll be jumping in and I hope that you will think about it, too. If you haven’t ever been baptized by immersion, I can tell you without reservation that God wants that to happen.

How do I know? He just mentions it over and over. In the Great Commission Jesus gave us he told us:

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20

I’m supposed to baptize you. It’s right there.

Everyone in the Bible who accepted Christ was baptized. Jesus was baptized “to fulfill all righteousness.” Matthew 3:15

If you have more questions, here is a link to a paper it put together on it. Download WHY IMMERSION Tim Harlow

Dive in this weekend.

Tim