stanpavkovich

One of my goals going into this year was to read through the Bible from beginning to end….As I have been reading about Abraham, Moses and Noah it has been a fresh reminder of how when we step out into faith and obedience…it requires action on our part.

When God spoke to Abraham…he invited him to come to a land he would show him, and if he did, he promised to make him into a great nation.
Abraham had to take action to follow God. He had to leave his extended family and his home to go wherever God directed.

When God spoke to Moses from a burning bush asking him to deliver his people from Egypt…Moses couldn’t stay in the desert and go save his people from slavery in Egypt at the same time. …He needed to take action.

When God spoke to Noah to build the ark in the middle of the desert…it made no sense in the natural…people laughed at him but he obeyed and took action.

Some of the action that is required to take… will be uncomfortable.

The Bible is full of examples…. Some had to leave family and country. Others had to leave behind livelihoods, dreams etc.

Everything had to be yielded to God and their entire life adjusted to Him not visa a versa.

Doing God’s will… will cost you something…. However what we gain will always outweigh whatever we lose.

Be Blessed,
Stan

This past week I gave the challenge to our Church to rise up and be Jesus to a forgotten group of children in our community…. those who are lost in the foster care system. The results were amazing… I am so proud of our church – you can see the service on our website.

I shared a story I came across about Bennett’s Chapel Missionary Baptist Church a small African American Church…. in Possum Trot, Texas…. Who did nothing short of a miracle when they responded to the need in their community. Watch this clip and be inspired to do something great for God.

Be Blessed,
Stan

I came across a blog this week that actually addressed an issue that has become a concern of mine – social networking.

I haven’t addressed it up until this point…nor have I seen anybody else address it… up until now… Pastor Mark Batterson nails it….

“I was reading II Corinthians 10:10 today: “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.” That text triggered this thought: some of us are very different people “in person” than we are “behind the computer.” And I don’t think that is healthy or holy.

I’m not just talking about bloggers who write irresponsibly about that which they do not know. I think it’s easier to slander someone or spread gossip from the comfortable confines of your computer. Somehow the medium excuses the sin. It doesn’t. All it does is a keep a written record of what you’ve done wrong. I’m not trying to get on a soapbox. I just think communication mediums can be used for good or evil. They can help us grow spiritually or become a spiritual snare.

To redeem an old saying: be careful little thumbs what you text. That goes for blogging, twittering, and emailing too! Keep it righteous! After all, God is blind copied (BCC) on everything we write!” (End of quote)

Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue…

To put it another way… death and life are at our fingertips.

As Mark Patterson said keep it righteous.

Be blessed,
Stan

I know all of our hearts have been broken and moved with compassion with all that is taking place in Haiti.

And I’m sure that you, like me are wondering what you can do to help…Well here are several ways….

As a church we are seeking ways in which we can respond at the appropriate time with teams. But in the meantime… this is what we are doing immediately.

If you are in Bradenton we will be collecting medical supplies and protein drinks for Agape Flights a local organization that flies supplies into Haiti for missionaries . For a list of supplies go to our website www.cotcfamily.com.

If you are interested in donating financially, I would suggest donating to Samaritan’s Purse. If you aren’t familiar with this organization, it is a great organization run by Franklin Graham. They are already established in Haiti and have a history of doing great work when it comes to relief. Watch the video below to hear their plans for relief and what they are already doing.

You can give on line to their relief effort In Haiti at http://www.samaritanspurse.org/.

Another way to help right now is to pray. Please pray with us for the children and families suffering in Haiti at this time. Pray that in the chaos, they would find comfort and that God would provide for their needs even now.

Keep Praying,
Stan

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and News Years Holiday….

The beginning of the year is always a great time to reflect where you have been and where you want to go.

But what I have found in life to be true is… that no matter how well you plan (and I believe in planning) there will always be those unforeseen trials, storms and times of suffering that we go through.

I was remind of this yesterday… when I found out through another Pastor friend of mind that Matt Chandler who I heard at a conference last year… someone that God used to speak to my heart…. has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor that was not encapsulated.

He is a young 35 year old pastor from Dallas Texas who is doing a tremendous work there in the city…has a young family… a great future ahead of him and bam…all of a sudden it is changed over night…

But I want to share with you a short video message that he recorded a few days before his surgery… they played it for his Church this past week.

Video from Matt.

What a reminder of the perspective we all need to have…. that to be with Christ is greater then anything in this world.

Be Blessed,

Stan

With this year coming to an end, I wanted to make sure to thank you all for your faithfulness. It’s an honor to serve as your Pastor.

Due to Christmas and New Years we will be taking a two week break from the blog.

Stay tuned for our next new post on January, 7th!

Blessing,
Stan

I want to share with you one of my devotional readings this week it comes from Oswald Chambers it is called The Great Life .

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled . . . —John 14:27

Whenever we experience something difficult in our personal life, we are tempted to blame God. But we are the ones in the wrong, not God. Blaming God is evidence that we are refusing to let go of some disobedience somewhere in our lives. But as soon as we let go, everything becomes as clear as daylight to us. As long as we try to serve two masters, ourselves and God, there will be difficulties combined with doubt and confusion. Our attitude must be one of complete reliance on God. Once we get to that point, there is nothing easier than living the life of a saint. We encounter difficulties when we try to usurp the authority of the Holy Spirit for our own purposes.
God’s mark of approval, whenever you obey Him, is peace. He sends an immeasurable, deep peace; not a natural peace, “as the world gives,” but the peace of Jesus. Whenever peace does not come, wait until it does, or seek to find out why it is not coming. If you are acting on your own impulse, or out of a sense of the heroic, to be seen by others, the peace of Jesus will not exhibit itself. This shows no unity with God or confidence in Him. The spirit of simplicity, clarity, and unity is born through the Holy Spirit, not through your decisions. God counters our self-willed decisions with an appeal for simplicity and unity.
My questions arise whenever I cease to obey. When I do obey God, problems come, not between me and God, but as a means to keep my mind examining with amazement the revealed truth of God. But any problem that comes between God and myself is the result of disobedience. Any problem that comes while I obey God (and there will be many), increases my overjoyed delight, because I know that my Father knows and cares, and I can watch and anticipate how He will unravel my problems.

Walk in Peace and Be Blessed,
Stan

Tis the season for asking for things, but do you really know what you’re asking for??? In a country where greed is rampant, sin is non-consequential, and lust for everything under the sun is an everyday occurrence…..do we really know what we’re asking for??? I believe these underlying ‘character flaws’ are one of the biggest reasons we are in the economic tailspin that we find ourselves in.

Do we truly seek what God wants for us or do we just beg Him for our wants, desires, and what we feel we deserve. Perhaps we’ve finally gotten what we deserve ~ I don’t know. But I do know in my own life there have been times when I thought I NEEDED something (when in actuality it was a want) only to get it and then be disappointed that it wasn’t prettier, fancier, or the latest, etc. etc. You get my point! I had to get a new computer at the beginning of this year and I was so proud cause I had a new computer and it was fast, and top of the line ~ could hold all my pictures and on and on and on I bragged about my “new” computer. Well a month ago Stan had to get a new computer – a fancy Apple, slim line, silver laptop with a lighted keyboard – it even boots up ten times faster than mine, AND I AM JEALOUS!!!! Can you believe it, jealousy over a stinkin’ computer!! As I looked back over my life I realized that this was only one of many times that jealousy, greed, coveting, etc. has ruled and reigned in my life.

What about those who want a child and can’t have one? What about those who have children and don’t want them? What about those who are handicapped or sick and can’t work? What about those who can work and don’t want to? What about those with lots of money and no happiness. What about those with no money and lots of happiness. What about those who have it all ~ money, happiness, kids, jobs, homes, etc. etc. but no savior!!

The bottom line to me ~ The grass always looks greener on the other side, therefore I MUST put my total trust in GOD and only HIM…..otherwise I’ll continue to try to live someone else’s life and not the one that God has purposed and planned for me.

As parents and grandparents we need all the help we can get to help combat the negative influences of a materialistic culture…the following article gives you the tools to help you and your family celebrate Christmas in the proper spirit.

Read this and pass it on!

Gimme, Gimme!
by Dr. Bill Maier

On Christmas morning, after devouring Mom’s legendary homemade sticky buns, the Stevens family gathers around the Christmas tree. The three kids — Danny, 10, Molly, 8 and Christopher, 6 — excitedly begin opening their presents.
Their parents’ joy soon turns to dismay as they observe the children’s behavior. Like hungry sharks in a feeding frenzy, Danny, Molly and Christopher greedily rip open each gift only to toss it aside, searching for another package bearing their names.
Particularly troubling to Sharon and Rick Stevens is that none of the kids acknowledges the relatives who sent the gifts in the first place. They show zero interest in opening the cards attached to the gifts. After each child opens the final gift, all three continue to search for still more presents, making comments such as “Is that all I get?” or “How come Molly got more presents than I did?”
Greedy

Unfortunately, the Stevens’ experience is common. In a materialistic, consumer oriented culture, we face a real challenge in teaching thankfulness and contentment to children. They are conditioned to believe they are entitled to everything they want — now! Kids have also come to believe they should always get the biggest and best.
The Center for a New American Dream reports another disturbing trend known as the nag factor. Its recent surveys found that nearly 60 percent of kids nag their parents for a toy or a privilege even after being given a no. In fact, 10 percent of all 12- and 13-year-olds admit they will beg their parents more than 50 times for products they’ve seen on TV.

Grateful

Christian parents are called to cultivate character traits such as thankfulness, generosity and self-sacrifice. The Bible commands us, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Jesus warns us, “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). And Paul describes greedy people as idolaters who will not inherit the kingdom of God (Ephesians 5:5).
One of the most effective ways to combat the cultural mind-set is by modeling a grateful attitude. Verbally thank God on a regular basis, even for simple things like a roof over your head and food.
Also, do your best to model gratitude in your other relationships: friends, relatives and co-workers — and not only when they do something special for you. Let others know how much you appreciate them simply for who they are. Express that kind of unconditional gratitude to your spouse and children as well.

Generous

You can help your kids learn to be generous by serving others who are less fortunate. Christmastime is ideal for service projects. Your family might volunteer to serve Christmas dinner at a local rescue mission or visit residents at a nursing home, singing carols and delivering Christmas cookies.
The majority of children receive a boatload of new toys each year. They soon lose interest in most of these toys, which wind up collecting dust in a closet, basement or storage bin. One family I know has instituted a Christmas tradition in which each of their kids chooses several of his or her old toys to donate to a homeless shelter or a local charity. They deliver the toys as a family the week before Christmas, so their children can see where their toys are being donated and experience the joy of giving away their possessions.
Christmas also provides an excellent opportunity to start sponsoring a poor child in a developing country through an organization such as World Vision or Compassion International. Our family sponsors a little girl in Indonesia. When our children are old enough, we plan to take a short-term missions trip to Java to meet her.
Finally, while your kids are still on vacation, set aside an afternoon for them to write handmade thank-you notes to the friends and relatives who gave them gifts. Even young children can participate by decorating simple cards with crayons, stickers and rubber stamps. Make this a family project, as you help your children learn to develop the “language of gratitude” through words and pictures.

Be Blessed,
Stan

I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving….I came across an article that I want to pass on to you that I found on ChristianAnswers.Net. …It gives the history and meaning behind the Thanksgiving Holiday I hope you enjoy it.

http://www.christiananswers.net/q-wall/wal-g007.html

Be Blessed and Be Thankful,
Stan