Harbor Progress/Event Update

Friends,

       Mother's Day was a great success here at the Harbor!  I say a special thanks to all of the volunteers that have served to make this possible.  You have helped change the lives of many people that were in service with us by simply serving.  So in whatever capacity you served, I say THANK YOU!

       My Mom is doing somewhat better than last week, but she still has a way to go before she can be released to go home.  Please continue to pray for her.  I also ask that you pray for a friend of mine (Charles Lawhon) whose mother is also bad shape in Columbus, Ga.  She needs a touch from the Lord and healing for her body.  Thanks

       Church Progress:  Day by day we are getting closer to completion.  I am excited about what is happening as we move closer and closer to our move to the new location.  I like many others, have mixed emotions about leaving, but without a doubt it is God's will that we go.  We are in the process of planning a proper Farewell Service and Gospel Sing for our last Sunday here, as well as planning an Open House and Grand Opening of the New Harbor Worship Center.  As you noticed, I did not put dates on this announcement, because at this point I'm not convinced that we will make the target date.  However, it is more important for us to get it right that it is for us to get it done fast.  Please continue to pray for Kelly and I as we strive to have the church ready for the move.

       Children's Wing: I thank everyone for praying for our children and giving to this great department.  Our children are not just our future, they are indeed our TODAY, for if we don't love and nurture them today; they will not be here in our future.  We MUST be prepared to love and tend to the multitude of children that God is sending our way.  God does not send people and children to places that are not prepared to minister to them.  That being said, we are still asking for people to partner with us in ministry for the children by giving a donation to this department.  You may donate securely from our website using paypal by clicking on this link The Harbor.  We also would like for you to share this challenge with your friends, because every bit helps.  Chic-Fil-A and Zaxby's has agreed to allow us to do a night at their restaurant for fundraising.

       Team Training:  We will have team training this Sunday night (May 19th at 6pm).  We ask everyone to take advantage of this "No Pressure" environment to train for ministry.  There are many opportunities available for ministry, so if you have any questions at all please email me at:  mike.sanes@HarborWC.com

Have a Great Day!


Mike Sanes
Pastor, The Harbor

Our Call To Serve

Our Call To Serve...

So the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord which He had done for Israel.  Now Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died when he was one hundred and ten years old...    When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.  (Judges 2:7-10)

How could this happen?  Why did this happen?  If you notice the Bible said that the people served the Lord under Joshua, and all the elders that outlived Joshua (men that he'd raised up, leaders) and these men had seen the great works of the Lord.  But when that generation of leaders died, another generation arose that DID NOT KNOW THE LORD, nor the work which He had done for Israel.  

The problem here is evident; the leaders failed to tell their story, their testimony.  They failed to pass down the words that had been passed down to them.  Perhaps they got busy.  Maybe they thought that their children would just automatically follow in their ways.  Whatever the reason, this last generation died knowing the Lord, but left their children and future generations to die lost without God, because they did not mentor and train the leaders to SERVE future generations.  

Could it be that we have gotten so busy as a people that we have neglected to tell our story?  Have we failed to tell our testimony?  When is the last time you told your story?  When is the last time you read the Word with your children, or took them to a worship service?  When was the last time you intentionally spoke to a friend that you knew was lost about Jesus?  Or when was the last time you invited your lost friends to fellowship with your church friends in service, small group, church function, etc.?

I believe that it is possible that we have grown so comfortable with our relationship with God and our church environment that we've lost sight of those coming behind us that don't know God; those who haven't heard the gospel.  I think that we too are running the risk of losing, or rather, raising a generation that don't know God, nor the great things He has done for His people.  This is what happens when we fail to tell our story and testify about what God has done in our lives.  We cannot call ourselves Christians and yet not care for the coming generations.

Many people wrongly assume that ministry is to be done only by "Professional Clergy"--(those with the calling and degree from a seminary).  Don't misunderstand me, I'm not opposed at all to education; I have a masters degree from The Pentecostal Theological Seminary, and I am proud of that education.  However, ministry and serving is NOT reserved only for those with such credentials; God has called us ALL into His service regardless of our level of education.   

The question nows begs: "Pastor, Why Should I Serve?"

1. Because Jesus came to serve: Matthew 20:28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
2. Because God has a work that only you can do.
   
3. If you don’t serve in some capacity you will have become like that last generation that knew God.
• They knew God, but didn’t feel the need to share Him with others.  Therefore when they died the country fell into apostasy.
4. You should serve because you have friends that are lost, and children that need direction and understanding.
5. They need to know where your confidence lies.
6. They need to know and see where mom and dad turn when the going gets rough.
7. They need to be taught to trust and depend on the Lord--if you don’t teach them nobody else will.  They will remember your example all the days of their lives.
8. They need to see your faithfulness and your allegiance. 
9. They need to see your dependance on God, and they need to hear your testimonies of God provision and direction in your lives.
10. They need to hear you tell the story...
11. They need to hear their mom and dad pray.

Visit our website in order to view this full message and others:  The Harbor

 It is time for us to serve!!!

Mike Sanes
Pastor, The Harbor

Harbor News / Insight

Meet & Greet:  We have a Meet & Greet scheduled for tomorrow night at 6:30 here at the church.  If you are new to the church and have not yet attended a M&G we would love to have you with us.  Just come as you are; we will have the food and drinks prepared.  It will be an opportunity for you to get to know the Pastors and Staff of the church, and to hear the vision of our church.  This is an informal and relaxed time where our staff will have time to talk and share with you, as well as hear your heart if you have something to share. 

GRAND OPENING OF THE NEW HARBOR: Our new church will open its doors for the worship service on June 9th.  We invite you to come and celebrate this milestone accomplishment with us.  For those who may not know, this has been a long process for us and we are glad to see in finally coming to completion.  It was many years ago that God burdened my heart for us to build a new worship facility, but there were many things standing in the way of that happening.  The truth of the matter is that it was just not God’s timing for us to build it back then.  What I saw as setback after setback was in-fact divine delays.  With much prayer and determination to be in the will of God we trudged on, believing that one day God would bring to pass those things he had laid on our heart.  About five and a half years ago we settled on buying 28.8 acres of land on the west side of Kingsland where Colerain Road and Highway 40 meet.  Now we were not looking for nearly 29 acres of land; we only wanted 10, but the difference in price prompted us go ahead and buy the whole tract.  As it turns out, God had a tremendous plan for us and we had no idea about it.  Shortly after buying the land, Georgia DOT announced that they would be widening Hwy 40 and making Colerain Rd. The Colerain Bypass.  While we were thinking that the land was a little too far out; God knew that He was placing us right in the intersection of two major roads coming into Kingsland from the west.  We serve an Awesome and All Knowing God.  

Mother’s Day: On May 12th we will celebrate our Moms.  We would love you for to have your mom in service with us on that day.  We will also have a Baby Dedication in the 11 O’Clock service, so if you have a child that has not yet been dedicated to the Lord please let us know and we will get you on the schedule.  

Training Days:  We have scheduled the Sunday evening service times of May 5th and May 19th to be training nights for all team workers.  If you filled out a connection card to get involved with one of the teams of ministry, please prepare to be here for training on these nights.  

We look forward to seeing you at these upcoming events, don’t forget to bring your friends!

Blessings!

Mike Sanes

Pastor, The Harbor

What Does The Bible Say About Money?

What Does The Bible Say About Money?

Almost everyone agrees that the Bible contains great advice about life, from improving your marriage to getting along with your boss at work. But does the Bible really say much about money? Does it really give us advice that we can apply to our own life in today’s world?
The Good News is Yes! Absolutely! We believe the Bible is as relevant and helpful today as when it was written, and God has a lot to say about money.

Did you know money is mentioned in the Bible over 800 times?

God must be pretty serious about this subject to talk about it that much.
In fact, Jesus says in Luke 16:11, “So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?” It appears from this verse that God uses money as a test of our management and stewardship skills before entrusting us with spiritual things. See more below.

Money in the Bible
1. Proverbs 13:22 “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children” indicating that God wants us to make a difference, financially, in our family tree.
2. Proverbs 21:20 “In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.” This gives us an idea of how God wants us to save for a rainy day, to set something back for safekeeping.
3. Proverbs 22:7 states that “The rich rule over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender.” Really? The Bible discourages debt? Does God really want me to pay my debts off and avoid debt?
4. Luke 14:28 “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it.” Does Jesus really want me to save up and pay for the things I buy?
5. Matt. 6:24 “You cannot serve both God and money”.

If money is this important to God, why are there so few classes/sermons on this topic? Why don’t we see lots of small group studies on “Managing Your Finances” or “Getting Out of Debt”, “Faithfulness in Finances”, etc.? Why aren’t there more sermons in this area?
There are many reasons, but the top reason is that most people don’t realize how much of a problem managing money is for the average family. Look at the statistics below:

Financial Statistics
1. Marital Problems – 37 percent (the highest rate) of marital problems derive from financial situations
2. Cash Flow – 70 percent of all consumers live paycheck to paycheck, meaning they run out of money before the end of the month
3. Savings – The average family would have to use a credit card to pay a $1,500 unexpected expense (ex: home or car repair).
4. Retirement – Nearly half of all Americans (46%) have less than $10,000 saved for their retirement.

Being faithful in managing what God has given us is no accident, and it will not just happen on it’s own. In order to be faithful over what God has given us we have to be “On Purpose”. We have to direct our money. We must “name it” as Dave Ramsey would say. We have to determine (no matter how much money we make) who or what is going to get paid, and in what order. That makes us stewards. We have this responsibility to direct the money. Some of it we direct to GA Power, some of it to Walmart, a large portion to the Gas Station, and the list goes on and on. But for the Christian, we are told in God’s Word to direct the first 10% to God. I have learned that if I do this I will have the blessings of God upon the other 90%, and it will go further than the total 100% would have gone; not to mention, I would have been unfaithful in what God had blessed me with.

My giving shows my level of devotion to God. It shows my desire to honor His Word and obey His commands. My giving shows my dependence upon the promises of God to His children. My giving coupled with my attendance in God’s House shows the high priority that I have placed on being faithful to the One that I call Lord.

This is just some of what the Bible has to say about money. I hope it blesses and inspires you today!

I would also take this opportunity to say a hardy “Thank You” to all of the faithful stewards of God out there for their constance in giving, and their priority on being in the House of the Lord.

Be Blessed!

Mike Sanes
Pastor, The Harbor Worship Center

Leadership Luau--Sunday Evening 5/20/12 @ 5 p.m.

You don't want to miss The Leadership Luau this Sunday night at 5 p.m. It will be different, it will be fun,and it will be free!  However, I can't stress enough the wealth of knowledge that will be coming out of this conference. It is so important for every leader and potential leader to be in attendance. Here is the schedule:

5:00-5:45 Eat/Games/Giveaways 
5:45-5:50 Transit to Classes 
5:50-6:20 Session One 
6:20-6:25 Break to Switch Classes 
6:25-6:55 Session Two 
6:55-7:00 Transit to Sanctuary 
7:00-7:40 Special Presentation / Vision Casting

Sessions will involve training with a New Leadership Model that will be presented on this night, on Conflict Resolution, Effective Leadership, and Event Planning.

The Biblical Model of Leadership... The next day Moses took his place to judge the people. People were standing before him all day long, from morning to night. When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What's going on here? Why are you doing all this, and all by yourself, letting everybody line up before you from morning to night?" Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me with questions about God. When something comes up, they come to me. I judge between a man and his neighbor and teach them God's laws and instructions." Moses' father-in-law said, "This is no way to go about it. You'll burn out, and the people right along with you. This is way too much for you—you can't do this alone. Now listen to me. Let me tell you how to do this so that God will be in this with you. Be there for the people before God, but let the matters of concern be presented to God. Your job is to teach them the rules and instructions, to show them how to live, what to do. And then you need to keep a sharp eye out for competent men—men who fear God, men of integrity, men who are incorruptible—and appoint them as leaders over groups organized by the thousand, by the hundred, by fifty, and by ten. They'll be responsible for the everyday work of judging among the people. They'll bring the hard cases to you, but in the routine cases they'll be the judges. They will share your load and that will make it easier for you. If you handle the work this way, you'll have the strength to carry out whatever God commands you, and the people in their settings will flourish also." (Exodus 18:13, 15, 17 MSG)

The question was asked: "Why are you doing this all by yourself?"
These statements were made: 1. "This is no way to go about it; you will burn yourself out, and the people right along with you." 2. "This is too much for you--you can't do it alone".  3. Let me show you how to do this so that God will be in this with you."

This is something that every leader should think about.  Why should any one leader of a department, or pastor of a church feel like they have to do everything?  That is NOT a healthy model of leadership, and Moses said, "You will wear yourself out, and the people right along with you".

Come to the Leadership Luau this Sunday night at 5 p.m. and we will equip you for the next step in church leadership~.  See you there!

Mike Sanes
Pastor, THWC

The Power of One

Harbor Friends,

Have you ever thought about the effect of one thought, one decision, or one action?  Sometimes "One" seems so insignificant.  When talking about money, one penny is worth very little value, for that matter one dollar, although its a 100x that of a penny, it is still worth little.  But in this series we will explore the significance of one.

Tomorrow we begin a brand new sermon series entitled: "The Power of One".  The message for tomorrow (Palm Sunday) is "The Power of One Decision".  Easter Sunday the message is: "The Power of One Promise". 

We look forward to seeing you there throughout the month as we discover The Power of One.

Pastor Mike Sanes

Has Church Become Optional?

Has Church Become Optional?

In this day in which we live, this is a valid question that must be asked.  The answer is obviously NO, but all of the evidence indicates otherwise.  When we look at the lives of those who call themselves Christians, by and large they feel like church is optional.  In fact, many people claim that they have said “Yes” to Jesus, but “NO” to the church.  First, let me say that it is impossible to say yes to Jesus and no to His church, for Jesus is the Head of the Church, and we are members of His body. 

I would like to present a few rationalizations that people have offered for their neglect of worshiping in the House of the Lord.

1.      There are hypocrites in that church—well, there are hypocrites on your job as well but you still go to work.  There were hypocrites in your college classes as well, but you kept going in order to get that degree.  There have been hypocrites since Jesus' day, in fact, He called them such, but they are not a reason for us to forsake the House of God.

2.      I have a ministry outside the church—this is a tactic that the devil has used to dupe good people into believing that they don’t need the church, or that they shouldn't be a part of the church because they operate a ministry to others outside of the church.  It could be jail and prison ministry, feeding and clothing the homeless, nursing home ministry, ministry to unwed mothers, and the list could go on and on.  However, I can’t find a single instance in the Bible where a ministry operated outside of the parameters and oversight of the church.  The church endorsed and set forth ministers and ministries; it was not as it is today where people say—“me and Jesus have got our own thing going, and we don’t need the church”.  If this is your philosophy concerning ministry, and you are completely outside the auspices of a Bible believing church; when and where are you being ministered to?  Who is mentoring you?  Who or what is your ministry accountable to?  These are valid questions that should be considered.

3.      Sunday is my only day off—typically church only last about an hour and a half; I don’t think that is too much to ask of anyone who calls themselves a Christian.  What if you gave your spouse that kind of excuse as to why you never showed up at home?  She would rightfully think that you didn’t love her as you once did, because there was a time when you made every effort to be there with her.  Likewise, in the church there are many that at one time felt strongly about being in the House of the Lord, and making sure their family was there also.  But something happened and church for them has somehow become optional.

4.      My children don’t want to go to church—I bet you that they don’t want to go to school either, but you make them go because you know that it’s in their best interest to be in school.  So don’t use children as an excuse, be the parent that you are called to be and say: this Sunday we are going to church as a family.  If you have to work on Sunday, then tell them we are going on Wednesday night.

5.      I don’t agree with what’s going on in that church—well we must ask, are you a member of that church or not?  If not, perhaps you should continue looking for a church that you do agree with.  You need to ask if this is something unbiblical or just something I personally don’t like—there is a big difference.  If you are a member, you have a right to express your opinion, but once you have done so, you should support your church regardless of your personal preference for the program, as long as it’s not something that is unethical or unscriptural.  Please understand that you are NEVER going to be happy with everything the church does regardless what church you attend. 

The bottom line is this, you can offer any excuse you want to offer, but there is NO excuse that will ever stand up under the scrutiny of God’s Word for not attending the House of Worship and fellowshipping on a regular basis with the saints of God.  This is where you gain your strength, by being around other Christians… “Iron sharpens Iron”.  You need to be in the atmosphere of worship in the House of Worship with the other members of the body.  You need to hear their testimony.  You need to hear the preached Word of God.  You need to be in the presence of anointed singing, teaching, and preaching.  To do otherwise is to abandon the biblical pattern that has been set before us and handed down for generations.

CHURCH IS NOT OPTIONAL!

Hebrews 10:25 (NLT) ²⁵ And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

Michael D. Sanes, 

Pastor, The Harbor Worship Center