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Currently at Grace Place we are in a series called Changed People Changing the World.  We are reviewing the last half of the book of Acts, including the first missionary journeys of the earlier Christ followers.  They went out with boldness in the power of the Holy Spirit, with the clear message of Jesus, against much opposition, but “filled with joy” (Acts 13:52) even when they were persecuted.  Everywhere they went something happened—either a riot or a revival!  During the first missionary trip (Acts 13-14) they traveled to the island of Cyprus and then in a loop across what is now modern day Turkey.  They traveled by ship and by foot primarily.  On the way out they planted churches and on the way back they revisited many of the congregations “strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith” (Acts 14:22).  This first trip took them about a year.

It is so inspiring to see the impact of those early missionaries.  But here is what’s blowing me away to think about: The apostle Paul hiked for days, rode ships for weeks, and spent years traveling around the middle east and Europe to speak the gospel in person to the numbers of people we can communicate with instantly with one click of a mouse button!  We are living in a radically changing world where we have the opportunity to touch people with the gospel like never before dreamed.  Consider the following facts:

• Number of people living in U.S.=307 million; Number of people on Facebook=just over 300 million. Over 800,000 new users daily. Amazing.
• Social Media has overtaken porn as #1 activity on the Web!
• Years to reach 50 million users: Radio, 38; TV, 13; Internet, 4; IPOD, 3; Facebook added 100 million in less than 9 months!
• If Facebook were a country it would be the 4th largest (after China, India, U.S.). But will pass U.S. in a few months.
• Ashton Kutcher and Ellen DeGeneres have more Twitter followers than the entire population of Ireland, Norway and Panama.
• Social Media isn’t a fad, it’s a fundamental shift in the way we communicate. 1.5 million pieces of content shared on FB–DAILY!
• Social media: A fad or biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution? Data shared from www.socialnomics.com

Each of those bullet points is 140 characters or less because I sent them all out this morning as Twitters.  My Twitter account is set up to automatically send to Facebook, so they went there as well.  Within moments I had several bite size conversations with friends from all over the U.S. regarding these facts.  Of course, I found them by following a link from Facebook to a blog, to a video on YouTube, to the socialnomics website… all within just a few minutes.

The first missionaries were seeking to 1) reach the lost with the message of grace in Christ Jesus; 2) establish, strengthen, buildup, and equip the saved.  We have the opportunity to do both of those things, reaching a wider and wider local and international audience through the digital technology—specifically through Social Media.

I resisted signing up for Facebook for awhile thinking that it would dominate my time (and it could if I let it).  But then I discovered that you can control the notifications you want to receive (via email or phone) and what you want to see on your private home page.  I also discovered Seesmic Desktop (and there are others such applications) that enables me to quickly scan my “friends” on both Facebook and Twitter (at the same time) without seeing all the games, quizzes, etc. (mostly nonsense in my humble opinion), but just see the personal notes.

You can keep resisting if you want.  I suppose there were people who insisted on still copying manuscripts by hand for awhile after the printing press was invented.  But eventually they stopped and eventually you will enter the new communications era too!

Here is my appeal to you. Regardless of whether you choose to use these avenues for evangelism, if you are a member or friend of Grace Place, your pastors want to communicate with you, encourage you, pray for you, know your joys and sorrows, and be your shepherds.  All the GP pastors are on Facebook and they want to be your friend.  So if you are on there, look us up. If not, get with the program!  I have learned so much about our flock by scanning the posts several times a day.  I don’t have time to read it all, but many times when we connect at weekend worship gatherings I’ve already been praying for people and we have an instant connection when we see each other as a result.

If you would rather follow what I write on Twitter (it also goes to Facebook which is way more interactive and conversational), you can sign up for Twitter (everything is free) and look over some of my 322 Tweets @claypeck (they’re will probably be more by the time you look).  If you really want to stay connected you can not only “follow” my Tweets, but click on the phone icon and have them come as texts to your phone.  Of course, that might be way to intimate and invasive for you, but my wife likes it!  I put up pictures and videos on Facebook, but use Twitter to (eventually) reach a wider audience and for the discipline of trying to say something meaningful in 140 characters.  Sometimes it’s something personal about what I’m doing or thinking… but mostly it is devotional thoughts from scripture or profound quotes or RT (retweets) that inspire me or stuff I’m taking notes on (from books, messages, webcasts, or other avenues)… many times it’s one liners I heard or made up that are going to be in this week’s message at church!  So you might hear them again.

If you’re reading this message, than you have a computer and an internet connection, so make sure you befriend your pastors via Facebook! It will help us do our job better as your shepherds.

Twitter: www.twitter.com/claypeck
Facebook: www.facebook.com/clay.peck

Grace Place Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/graceplace

The following ap­peared in The New York Ob­ser­ver, Sep­tem­ber 13, 1845, writ­ten by Thom­as Sal­mon:

During my re­si­dence at Coles­hill, War­wick­shire, Eng­land, I be­came ac­quaint­ed with W. W. Wal­ford, the blind preach­er, a man of ob­scure birth and con­nect­ions and no ed­u­ca­tion, but of strong mind and most re­ten­tive mem­o­ry. In the pul­pit he ne­ver failed to se­lect a less­on well adapt­ed to his sub­ject, giv­ing chap­ter and verse with un­err­ing pre­ci­sion and scarce­ly ev­er mis­plac­ing a word in his re­pe­ti­tion of the Psalms, ev­ery part of the New Tes­ta­ment, the pro­phe­cies, and some of the his­to­ries, so as to have the rep­u­ta­tion of “know­ing the whole Bi­ble by heart.” He ac­tu­al­ly sat in the chim­ney cor­ner, em­ploy­ing his mind in com­pos­ing a ser­mon or two for Sab­bath de­liv­ery, and his hands in cut­ting, shap­ing and po­lish­ing bones for shoe horns and other lit­tle use­ful im­ple­ments. At in­ter­vals he at­tempt­ed po­e­try. On one oc­ca­sion, pay­ing him a vi­sit, he re­peat­ed two or three piec­es which he had co­mposed, and hav­ing no friend at home to commit them to paper, he had laid them up in the store­house within. “How will this do?” asked he, as he re­peat­ed the fol­low­ing lines, with a com­pla­cent smile touched with some light lines of fear lest he sub­ject him­self to cri­ti­cism. I ra­pid­ly co­pied the lines with my pen­cil, as he ut­tered them, and sent them for in­ser­tion in the Ob­serv­er, if you should think them worthy of pre­ser­va­tion.

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
The joys I feel, the bliss I share,
Of those whose anxious spirits burn
With strong desires for thy return!
With such I hasten to the place
Where God my Savior shows His face,
And gladly take my station there,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To Him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since He bids me seek His face,
Believe His Word and trust His grace,
I’ll cast on Him my every care,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
May I thy consolation share,
Till, from Mount Pisgah’s lofty height,
I view my home and take my flight:
This robe of flesh I’ll drop and rise
To seize the everlasting prize;
And shout, while passing through the air,
“Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!”

What does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit?  What is the difference between a Natural Person, Spiritual Person, and Carnal Person?  Do you know which one you are?  God wants us to experience the “abundant life”, walking in the Spirit, fellowshipping with the Spirit, and experiencing the power and gifts of the Spirit.

Read this short and informative Bible study by Bill Bright called “Have You Made the Wonderful Discovery of the Spirit-Filled Life?”

“When men in the streets are afraid to open their mouths and utter godless words lest the judgments of God should fall; when sinners, overawed by the Presence of God tremble in the streets and cry for mercy; when, without special meetings and sensational advertising, the Holy Ghost sweeps across cities and towns in Supernatural Power and holds men in the grip of terrifying Conviction; when “every shop becomes a pulpit, every heart an altar, every home a sanctuary” and people walk softly before God—This is Revival!”

Please continue reading this fascinating and convicting paper on the characteristics of true revival by Owen Murphy.  It is written in old fashioned language, but compelling and as needed day as ever—more needed I believe!  Murphy talks about various revivals of the past two centuries, but keeps returning to his own experience in the Hebrides Revival.

Off the west coast of Scotland is a small group of islands called the Hebrides. Between 1949 and 1952 a wide spread revival swept through these islands in answer to the prayers of God’s people. Instrumental in this revival was the evangelist Duncan Campbell. He came to the Isle of Lewis to conduct a two week evangelistic campaign and ended up staying two years.

Read on: http://claypeck.com/articles/when-god-stepped-down-from-heaven-rev-owen-murphy/

God is moving at Grace Place church in new ways. There is a fresh wind blowing. If you haven’t been at worship services and don’t know what I’m talking about, please watch or listen to my message (on our website, www.graceplace.org) from August 16 called “Fully Devoted.” I shared openly and frankly about a new work that God, through the Holy Spirit, has been doing in my heart, and in the hearts of others at the core of Grace Place. There is a new awakening happening, and the best is yet to come. That’s not just a cliché. I’m serious. We are pressing in, asking God for the outpouring of his Spirit, and for revival. And we are not going to quit. If you live in northern Colorado and can get time off at lunch on Tuesdays (regularly or occasionally), come join the pastors and staff for prayer every Tuesday from 12:00-1:00 PM in Berthoud. I love that line in C.S. Lewis’ Narnia, “Aslan is on the move.” Well, it’s happening!

GRACE PLACE FAMILY: Beginning September 6, we are moving the Loveland Campus worship location to Loveland High School and worship time to 6:00 PM on Sundays. Why do this?
1. Thompson Valley High School is too large for our Loveland congregation, and this will allow us to be in a more intimate setting (400 rather than 1200 seats), much closer to the stage, with more of the feel of the Berthoud auditorium. There will be more energy and togetherness at this new location.
2. As primary teaching pastor, I will be able to be at all four worship gatherings in person (except on rare occasions where video-cast teaching may be utilized). I’m looking forward to seeing the eyeballs (and the rest of you!) of those who worship at the 10:30 AM gathering in Berthoud!
3. We are going to be saving a little over $2000 per month. This is significant since we have been in a financial downturn and are seeking ways to make cutbacks. (Side note appeal: Please give generously if you are able. Give as God has blessed you!)
4. By moving to Sunday evening we will provide another time option which may help in reaching people who work, sleep-in, or play during the day on Sundays.
5. We are planning to have a meal time at 5:00 PM which will enhance fellowship as we seek to create an Acts 2 environment where they (“ate together with glad and sincere hearts” Acts 2:46). We are currently offering a meal from 5:30-6:30 PM Thursday nights in Berthoud; and the café is open before, during, and after Sunday 8:30 and 10:30 AM gatherings in Berthoud for the same reason.
6. Loveland High is farther north which separates our two locations more. We hope this will provide more outreach opportunities and also want to encourage our core group to lock in more at one location as their primary place of worship, service, and fellowship. I’m not saying that folks can’t visit back and forth some; but make a primary commitment to a time and place for sake of community.
7. We believe this will be a relaxed gathering with some time afterward for such things as prayer, discussion groups, Q & A, dessert, hangin’ out together, etc.
We are planning to include a class for middle school students as well as younger children during the Loveland Sunday night gathering. Also, plans are being laid for a new Tween/Teen service (4th-8th grade) Sundays in Berthoud at Five Stones at 10:30 AM.

I’m so energized about many, many things that God is doing at Grace Place. Exciting new “glocal” (global and local) outreach plans are being developed, and we have a whole list of amazing life-change stories that are going to be told each week this fall. Buckle up your seat belts and prepare for take off! I’m loving my job (calling) and God’s people (you) more than ever before.

Jessica Jackley is co-founder of Kiva.org, the world’s first peer-to-peer on-line micro-lending website. Kiva.org allows internet users to lend as little as $25 to entrepreneurs in the developing world, providing affordable capital to start or expand a small business. In just three years Kiva has helped raise over $84 million and connected thousands of people across 120 countries. A graduate of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Jackley’s work has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show and the Today Show.

These are some of Jessica’s comments at the 2009 Leadership Summit when she was interviewed by Jim Mellado:

* I grew up in a home where my mom and dad thought I could do anything and I was crazy enough to believe them.
* It was in Sunday school that I first heard that Jesus said, “…even as you have done unto the least of these you have done it unto me.” I was captivated by the idea that I could do something of ultimate significance.
* I started interviewing entrepreneurs who lived in East Africa that started their businesses on $100 and I was blown away by their success. I began to wonder how I could participate in their success.
* Since launching Kiva.org four years ago $84 million have been loaned to entrepreneurs in under-resourced places around the world; and that number will surpass $100 million in the next year.
* Mission of Kiva.org: Connect people through lending to alleviate poverty.
* It all started with seven entrepreneurs and $3000.00 in loans.
* Remarkably, 98.5% of lenders get a full repayment.
* At Kiva.org we believe that people want to do good. We also believe that if we act in a way that expects you to be trustworthy it is likely you will respond in a trustworthy manner.
* “Great poets show, they don’t tell.” Show people how they can give and what a difference it can make and don’t tell them.
* When you truly believe in the potential of people, the rest of the solution to any problem is just logistics.
* Two pieces of advice for young leaders:
#1 Don’t be afraid to start small. The best way to create big change is to start small.
#2 Just start. Don’t wait. Take action.

Selene and I have found it very rewarding to invest in the people who are trying to better their lives. We keep reinvesting every time people pay back the loans and so far there has been 100% pay back!

Good stuff from John Eldredge:

Either we wake to tackle our “to do” list, get things done, guided by our morals and whatever clarity we may at the moment have (both rather lacking to the need, I might add); or we wake in the midst of a dangerous Story, as God’s intimate ally, following him into the unknown.

If you’re not pursuing a dangerous quest with your life, well, then, you don’t need a Guide. If you haven’t found yourself in the midst of a ferocious war, then you won’t need a seasoned Captain. If you’ve settled in your mind to live as though this is a fairly neutral world and you are simply trying to live your life as best you can, then you can probably get by with the Christianity of tips and techniques. Maybe. I’ll give you about a fifty-fifty chance. But if you intend to live in the Story that God is telling, and if you want the life he offers, then you are going to need more than a handful of principles, however noble they may be. There are too many twists and turns in the road ahead, too many ambushes waiting only God knows where, too much at stake. You cannot possibly prepare yourself for every situation. Narrow is the way, said Jesus. How shall we be sure to find it? We need God intimately, and we need him desperately.

“You have made known to me the path of life,” David said (Ps. 16:11). Yes-that’s it. In all the ins and outs of this thing we call living, there is one narrow path to life, and we need help finding it.  (Waking the Dead, p. 95)

“In the ‘Prayer Meeting Revival’ of 1857-59 there was virtually no preaching at all.  Yet it apparently produced the greatest harvest of any spiritual awakening in American history: estimates run to 1,000,000 converts across the United States, out of a national population at that time of only 30,000,000.  That would be the proportionate to 9,000,000 Americans today falling on their knees in repentance!

“How did this happen?  A quite businessman named Jeremiah Lanphier started a Wednesday noon prayer meeting in a Dutch Reformed church…in New York City, no more than a quarter mile from Wall Street.  The first week, six people showed up.  The next week, twenty came.  The next week, forty… and they decided to have daily meetings instead.

“ ‘There was no fanaticism, no hysteria, just an incredible movement of people to pray,’ reports J. Edwin Orr. ‘The services were not given over to preaching.  Instead, anyone was free to pray.’

“During the fourth week, the financial Panic of 1857 hit; the bond market crashed, and the first banks failed. (Within a month, more than 1,400 banks had collapsed.) People began calling out to God more seriously than ever.  Lanphier’s church started having three noontime prayer meetings in different rooms.  John Street Methodist Church, a few doors east of Broadway, was packed out as well.  Soon Burton’s Theater on Chambers Street was jammed with 3,000 people each noon.

“The scene was soon replicated in Boston, New Haven, Philadelphia, Washington, and the South.  By the next spring 2,000 Chicagoans were gathered each day in the Metropolitan Theater to pray.  A young 21-year-old in those meetings, newly arrived in the city, felt his first call to Christian work.  He wrote his mother back East that he was going to start a Sunday school class.  His name was Dwight L. Moody.” (p.150, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire)