A FAN is an enthusiastic admirer, but a true FOLLOWER is totally devoted to imitate a person. What sets the two apart? Both may know a lot about the person they are following. Both have decided to passionately pursue that person, but when difficult, unforeseen circumstances arise, the fan finds himself distracted, discouraged, or disillusioned while the follower stays determined and devoted. Let’s resolve to truly be followers of Christ today, then again, tomorrow and every day after. Choosing to follow Him is a daily exercise.

Taking a peek forward into 2012 stirs an excitement within me. We have experienced some “Jericho walls” in trying to develop the land and enter the building process on our seven acres. But through prayer and by God’s power and provision, we believe those “walls” have come down.

Polly and I (and possibly two other KCF’ers) will travel to India the middle of January to be part of India Gospel Outreach’s pastors conference where we are in hopes to partner with another congregation in India to help them build a facility while we are building ours. Our group will spend two weeks visiting the four IGO Bible colleges throughout the country and see what God is doing through this wonderful ministry, which Katy Community Fellowship has supported since we began in January of 2000. Please pray for this trip to be anointed by God’s Spirit to make a difference in India and our lives as well.

The word for 2012 is right where we need to be for the time and place God has us. Let’s start the new year off with a renewed excitement and commitment to go and sow and grow! We need everyone (say, “Everyone!”) to come prepared for the best year in Katy Fellowship’s history. I hope to see you there for the first or second service on January 8, 2012!

Praying for You,
Tim

Dear Katy Community Fellowship Family,

I pray God’s abundant grace will flow in and through you daily.

This is a great time of year to reflect on the blessings we have. I have so many. Among them are my beautiful and precious wife, Polly, and our two wonderful children. Then there are the Followers who are Katy Fellowship. I give thanks for you daily as I mention your names in my prayer. We continually remember your work produced by faith and your labors prompted by love for God and for each other.

I love you so much. Being able to share the gospel with you has become a source of great joy. Being able to watch how God’s word has begun to transform and mature you is another of the wonderful blessings I am so thankful for. Thank you for the love you have shown me.

I am concerned about you in a couple of ways. First, we are daily fighting a spiritual battle that is one we cannot fight on our own. Temptations to become discouraged and give up or to become complacent are all around. The tempter does not fight fair so stand firm in your faith. Put on faith and love as your breastplate and the hope of salvation as a helmet. Second, no matter what happens, don’t lose sight of the goal. That is eternal life. Don’t get caught up in chasing after things that have no eternal value.

We have instructed you to live your lives in order to please God as you are doing. But I urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. God has called us to be holy and to live a life separate from sin. Learn to be self-controlled in a way that pleases and honors God. Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, work hard, and win the respect of those who are not believers. Time is short; the signs of Christ’s coming are all around. Keep watching and waiting, because just when everyone is thinking things are all right and we can kick back and take it easy, Jesus will come like a thief in the night and will catch many off guard and not prepared. Finally my brothers and sisters, I encourage you, choose everyday to do the right thing. Practice patience with everyone. Don’t pay back wrong with wrong, but be kind to each other and everyone else. Always be joyful; let it be contagious! Please don’t stop praying. Give thanks in every circumstance. That’s what God wants for you. Don’t let the enemy quench the fire inside you for Christ and his church. Hold onto the truth no matter what.

Please pray for me, I need it. I am praying for you. You are so precious to me. I smile each time I think of you and what you’ve done to encourage and support me. Keep up the good work of loving people. I continue to hear how that love is shown throughout this community. Let’s commit to keep at it. Don’t forget to give someone a holy hug, handshake, or high five. Let’s work together to be God’s HELPERS. Receive God’s grace and then be a grace dispenser.

Praying for You,
Tim

Perhaps there are others who can identify with me and think back to a year ago when we first met on the property to dedicate it to the Lord. We gave thanks for the gift and promised to pray for God’s plan, provision, and fulfillment to His promise. This letter to our KCF family will serve as an invitation to a time of praise and prayer over the property. We are in the process of developing building plans, which should be ready soon, but there are a couple of hurdles that must be crossed before we can proceed. On Saturday, November 5th, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., we will gather to pray specifically for these hurdles. Then, for the next six Saturdays following, we will return to pray around the property (totaling seven times—see Joshua 6:15). We will pray favor and a clear path to allow us to proceed.

November is a time to pause, reflect, and give praise for ALL the Lord has done. Let’s take time to praise Him and pray for His favor on KCF.

Praying for You,
Tim

Over the past few weeks, we have been sharing the challenge on Sunday mornings to practice “Contagious Christianity.” The apostle Paul wrote a letter to the church in Thessalonica, who were known for their contagious joy and spirit from their new found faith. He encouraged them to spread what they had contracted from the Gospel and from others who had received this powerful force. One of the “germs” being spread was courage. Releasing Christ’s infectious presence in a person’s daily life takes the courage to:

Smile at life rather than dread it.
Listen to God’s, “You can do it!” rather than others’, “Watch out!”
Be enthusiastic rather than pessimistic about what the day holds.

Contagious Christians inspire, challenge, and sometimes reprove us by examples of courage. They literally “en-courage” us—put courage into our lives so we can be contagious also.

In 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, Paul identifies other contagious qualities including living in peace with everyone, being patient and kind, and refusing to retaliate. Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances rounded out his list. The Holy Spirit’s work in us has the power to spread the good news to hundreds and do it faster than an outbreak of small pox or measles.

Taking important steps to prevent the spread of infectious diseases is needed for keeping family and friends physically healthy. Taking important steps to promote the spread of contagious joy and courage is so necessary to ensure that family, friends, and the whole world experience spiritual health. Let’s be contagious!

Praying for You,
Tim

It’s so easy in our world to catch serious spiritual disease from the moral decay, hatred, and purposelessness seen everywhere we turn. People so desperately need real health and life—the life that Christ is and gives us.

1 Thessalonians was the first letter of the apostle Paul to find its way into the collection of New Testament books. It is one of the most positive and insightful statements that portrays a first-century congregation. The Thessalonians were contagious folks!

Today, as the church is all too often viewed with jaded, cynical eyes, this affirming letter needs to be declared. Just as Paul encouraged and challenged the followers of Christ in that place, so too, can we work our way through this study. Perhaps some reading this have been drifting dangerously close to mediocrity in their Christianity. A good dose of 1 Thessalonians on a daily basis may be just what’s needed to halt this disease.

We are getting ready to embark on a sermon series on 1 Thessalonians. Some of the message titles include: Germs That Make Us Contagious, When Your Comfort Zone Gets Squeezed, Straight Talk about Moral Purity, Behaving Properly toward Outsiders, Like a Thief in the Night, and Gifts to Give the Family. The first message is titled, A Church with the Right Stuff. I invite all Katy Fellowshippers to join me on September 11th as the apostle Paul challenges us to be one of those churches.

Let’s be known as contagious Christians.

Praying For You,
Tim

I remember my elementary school days and getting to finger paint. It was fun and did not require much artistic ability (which I did not possess at all). And although we might enjoy pulling out the paints and trying our hand (finger) at it again, finger painting is for children and not adults. The writer of Hebrews was making a point to his listeners that it was time for them to grow up in their faith and not continue in the elementary teachings of the Word.

Soon our kids will head back to school, and as parents we wouldn’t want our children to show no sign of intellectual growth semester after semester, year after year. We trust that they will be challenged to learn and be systematically taught the information that they will need to know to grow into successful adults. Even though our kids would enjoy finger painting, they know that much more is expected of them.

Learning in life should never stop, especially in our spiritual journey. We can never be satisfied with just elementary teaching of the Word. God has greater understanding and revelation for us, and finger painting is not acceptable. The second “E” in HELPERS is Equip. The church’s job is to equip each of us to grow in our relationship with Christ. If we’re to be completely committed FOLLOWERS, we need to be doing everything possible to become students of God’s Word.

Our LIFE (Love, Intercession, Fellowship, Equip) Groups will kick–off a new semester soon. Let me encourage you to do more than just consider attending one. Commit to being part of one. You will learn to love God and others in a greater way, to pray (intercede) for one another, to encourage each other while fellowshipping around a table and sharing life experiences, and to spiritually equip one another.

Rather than looking at learning as a chore or as too time consuming, consider LIFE Groups as an exciting exercise in “followership,” and let us apply ourselves to “get on with a grand work of art” and not just “finger painting.”

Let’s do some painting together,
Tim

Jesus taught that money is a test from God to see how faithful we are with the “little” this world can offer, so that He can determine how many of heaven’s “true riches” to place under our management (Luke 16:10-13).

Money is a temporal trust from God to help us prepare for the eternal trust of heaven-rewards and wealth beyond our ability to measure or comprehend. And, as is obvious in the pages of Scripture, a key indicator of good stewardship is giving.

Giving is more than an exercise in obedience, and its purpose transcends even the recipient or cause of the donation itself. Giving is an extension of our lives; rather than an isolated event, it is really a way of life. It’s more than just a line item on a budget, it’s an expression of who we are, what we care about, and how deeply we believe the promises of God.

Here’s the best part: Giving money and possessions away is one of the greatest joys a believer can experience. Jesus said it well: “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). There are many ways to receive this blessing:
-Giving to family in need (1Tim 5:8)
-Giving to support your church and spiritual leaders (1Cor 9:7-12 )
-Giving to assist other believers in need (1Cor 16:1-2; 2Cor 8:13)
-Giving to spread the gospel across the world (Rom 10:13-15)
-Giving to help orphans, widows, the poor, victims of disaster, etc. (James 1:27; Luke 6:30-31)

Before I give my possessions to God, He first wants me to give myself(2Cor 8:5). Second Corinthians 8 is one of those chapters you read and ask, “How can this be?” Paul is commending the churches of Macedonia for their generosity, yet he says that they were in a “severe trial” and “overflowing joy” and “ rich generosity” in their giving. (v. 2) How can all of this go together? To go further, Paul said that they begged him to allow them to give more, to support other needy saints. (v. 4) The fifth verse gives us the answer, “hey gave themselves first to the Lord.” Until we give Him every part of our lives, we will not know what it is like to give the way the Macedonians gave! Has there ever been a point in my life when I fully gave myself to God?

For the next few weeks we will be studying what the Word says about following Jesus with our giving.

Praying for You,
Tim

I do know that our KCF family prays for me and our staff and I thank the Lord daily for that. But for this epistle to the church, I would offer you an opportunity to pray for seven specific requests for me.

Request #1 – Pray that I would be a committed follower of Jesus.

Request #2 – Pray that I would lovingly and effectively lead my wife and family at home as well as the staff and our Katy Fellowship family.

Request #3 – Pray that my teaching and equipping at KCF be anointed by the Holy Spirit to produce true HELPERS who will follow Jesus in prayer, worship, giving, serving and sharing the Gospel.

Request #4 – Pray that I would faithfully commit to call pastors and ministry leaders in Katy/West Houston to pray for transformation.

Request #5 – Pray for our search for a part-time children’s ministry pastor who will continue to provide excellence in our Promiseland ministry. Pray for finances to make that position full-time.

Request #6 – Pray for me and our church leadership to lead us biblically through the journey of building on our seven acres.

Request #7 – Pray 1 Peter 5:2-3 (NCV) for me: “Just as shepherds watch over their sheep, you must watch over everyone God has placed in your care. Do it willingly in order to please God, and not simply because you think you must. Let it be something you want to do, instead of something you so merely to make money. Don’t be bossy to those people who are in your care, but set an example for them.

I’ve been blessed since day one at KCF with precious people who have fulfilled Hebrews 13:17-18 in being responsive to me and thus making it easy to have joy in serving as pastor. I trust that you will continue to pray for your pastor(s). I’m smiling as I think of you

You’re in My Prayers,
Tim

What happens when 4,000 people cross their denominational, racial, and traditional boundaries and agree on one thing – we want God to transform our city and our nation?

We are planning on finding out on Thursday evening, May 5th and would like for you to join the 40 plus churches and ministries across the Katy/West Houston area. The Robbie Seay Band will lead us in praise and worship. Eight pastors and ministry leaders will facilitate us through a concert of prayers. It is going to be a truly historic and city changing event.

Katy Fellowship’s vision is to be a church that lives out God’s design for the church to be a house of prayer. We want to be a church that leads in reaching out to unite the churches of the Katy/West Houston area in prayer and city transformation. That is why I would like to challenge you to join me, the staff, our elders, and trustees in participating in this very important event. The Merrell Center and Rhodes Stadium have no problem being filled up with sports and school events. What happens when we fill it with prayer?

The event begins at 7 p.m., so arrive early and begin praying over the seats in your area to be full of praying people to see the most significant prayer event ever in Katy.

Praying for You,
Tim