Tim Harlow

Mawaige

And they’re off…

The wedding was amazing and I appreciate all the prayers from everyone, and the work of our friends and staff friends who did so much to make it happen.

I thought I’d share some early photos and a few thoughts in my blog today.

In my message – that I almost make it all the way through this time – I quoted I Corinthians 13.

If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

I told Tommy and Lauren that as much as they love the world and want to serve the world, the number one place to show love is to the most vulnerable person in their life.

If the world sees us speaking, or prophesying, or giving or even surrendering – but we don’t have love – we are nothing.

And if we aren’t loving the person we stood in a church and committed ourselves to loving – then what good is it?

Paul says

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.” Ephesians 5:3-32

It’s a testimony to Jesus and his body, a demonstration to the world, of what the power of Christ can do in us together. 

As two learn to live and work and serve together – the world gets to see the power of unity in Christ.

Jesus said, “Whatever you’ve done for the least of these my brothers, you’ve done it to me.” Matthew 25:40

The Deal is – most think of the least as the homeless, slaves, street people, the abused - and to the World – yes that’s true.

But least is about vulnerability – who you do have the ability to hurt or to heal - that is the person you live your life with.

PAUL FINISHES his speech at the end of Ephesians interestingly by talking about slaves and masters (which is really just a continuation of the marriage talk – if you know what I mean) by saying,

“Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men.” Ephesians 6:7

because you are.

So our prayer for your marriage is from Romans 15:5-7.

“May God who gives his patience and encouragement help you to live in complete harmony with each other each with the attitude of Christ Jesus towards the other. [What’s that attitude?] So accept each other just as Christ accepted you and then God will be glorified.”

Then the world will not see you and your spouse – they will see Jesus and his church.

That is my prayer for all of you reading this today. Understand that the most vulnerable people in the world are the people in your own home. Treat them like Jesus.

Tim

God the Father

Father's Day is this weekend.  We make it big around here, because we really want to capture the hearts of the fathers.  I believe they are the key to the next generation.  

We do extremely goofy things on Father's Day.  I will make an entrance in some crazy way, and this year is one of the best.  It all started when I rode in on a Harley one year and then every year after that we’ve tried to do something creative.  I actually rode a horse one year – bad idea – so thankful no one got trampled.

We do it because of the testimonies of people who seem to think that church sucks until they find one that does things out of the ordinary.  Ask the couple who walked into the church to go to the bathroom during the car show one Father’s Day weekend and ended up finding Jesus.  Or I got this letter this week from a guy who had found God while incarcerated, but was out and looking for a church and said,

“I passed Parkview Church and there was a sign saying come as you are. The Lord spoke to me - this is the one. I had a pair of shorts on and a muscle t-shirt with tattoos on my body. I stopped before going in and was going to turn back, but as I turned I saw everyone coming in with jeans, t-shirts and no suits.  I said okay Lord this is the church.”

Exactly.

And because we are supposed to pray to God as “Our Father,” Father’s Day is special in that regard.  I know that some people have a hard time with that because their fathers weren’t very good – or just weren’t.

But as a father, I can tell you that I have learned a few things about how God loves us as a father.

I looked at some old Father’s Day sermons this week as I was preparing for this weekend.  I found this part of a sermon I wrote 10 years ago…

“I love my kids enough to die for them.  I would do anything for them.

I have three girls and they have me wrapped around their fingers.  

One day, for example, I was manning the home front as my wife was away.  The youngest, Becca, decided that she would get sick since I was in charge.  She was feeling queasy and I decided it would be a good idea to get a trashcan to lay by her, just in case (been there, done that, got it on my t-shirt…).  

So I go to the good bathroom and get the nice trashcan and set it by her.  Becca takes one look at it and with a very serious look on her face, says, “Dad, this is a nice trash can.  Are you sure I can throw up in it?”  You see her mother only gets them the nasty, old trashcans to throw up in.  

Not me, I’m such a loving dad.  

Nothing but the nicest receptacle for my children.  

That is just a drop in the bucket (no pun intended) when it comes to my love for them.  

I spoil them in so many ways; I pity the fool that marries one of them.  (LOL) As much as I love my kids and feel like I would do anything for them,

God is a million times better.

“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11)

Take a look around you and see all the good things God has given you.  He really does love us more than we can possibly love or be loved.”

Well, as I gladly give my second daughter (in 13 months) away to a (lucky) “fool” named Tommy in marriage next weekend (Sunday at 2 – please come) – I can only look back and laugh.

God is a way better father than me and he’s Lauren’s real father so it’s time to let her go and get a little more out of the way so she and he can be even closer.  God has no grandchildren as they say.

Happy Father’s Day to all you dads.  Happy Father’s Day to my dad (who will be joining us this weekend) – the greatest dad ever!

Try to come on Saturday if you can.  That’s when the car show is, and I’m afraid that a bunch of people are going to want to come back on Sunday with friends when they see the service on Saturday.:)

Tim 

You're Invited to the Wedding of Lauren Harlow and Tommy Carreras

Seriously, the whole church...anyone who wants to come.  It's just going to be fun and we'd love to have you there.  It's in two weeks!  Sunday, June 24, 2 pm.

Download Tommy & Lauren's Wedding Invitation!

We'd love to have our church family there and we’ve got room for plenty of you.

Marriage was instituted by God in the beginning of time. It was the first relationship he ordained.

Genesis 2:18 and 21 read, “The LORD God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone.  I will make a helper suitable for him’…So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh.”

God could have made woman from the dust but He chose to begin with a rib to show the unique closeness of the marriage relationship. No other being in nature was created this way.  

Verses 22-23 reads, “Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.  The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called “woman,” for she was taken out of man.’”

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” 

I’m not excited about the “leaving” part. But I’m incredibly excited about their new life together. Rachel and Ash are thriving in their new marriage and I can’t wait to see the blessing of God on the union of Tommy and Lauren.

It’s something we’ve watched bloom for almost 5 years now (and their older sisters were scheming about it long before that.:)

It’s time for us to let them go and watch what God does with this most sacred vow. I hope you’ll join us.

Tim