Healing Place Church Online

What a great night last night at Healing Place Church Online! Actually, the whole day was great online. It started with the 10am service live online from Highland - worshiping and interacting via facebook connect during the service. God really showed up during our time of worship, and then Pastor Dino Rizzo spoke about loneliness. It was part of our series “I Have A Friend…” and this week is “I Have A Friend …Or Do I?”

Loneliness is such a powerful and destructive tool of the enemy. When he can make us feel alone in the world, like no one cares or really understands us, then he can hit us with so many self-destructive temptations like addictions, pornography, anger, depression, abuse of all kinds… But the good news is that when it seems like everyone else has walked out, Jesus walks in. If you’re feeling alone, Jesus is ready to step in. The big point is to not give up to being lonely, but give in to Jesus, and pursue connecting to Him and to His people. And with so many people today who are lonely and looking for answers online, this is exactly why we are launching an online campus.

After such a great morning, we came into our HPC Vision Night with high expectations, and God really showed up and showed off. And we were able to experience it live online as well - and God’s power was with us online just like it was at the Highland campus. Here’s what Tracey Robinson had to say about it:

“Who ever thought a person could feel the presence through the web as we do right now!” - Tracey Robinson (via Facebook Connect)

We wrapped up the triple-header day with a special preview service of the new HPC Online Campus Church Experience, and once again, God spoke to lives and people were changed.

All of this was so right-on-time for all of us, as we prepare to launch Healing Place Church Online this coming Sunday. We know that all the great tools we’re blessed to use, all the technology, all the nifty-looking graphics and video are meaningless if God’s presence isn’t being experienced.

This weekend showed us how much God is ready to show His presence to people who come to Him in an online experience.

We’ve got six days. Let’s make sure everyone knows about it. October 4, 8pm central for a great message - “I have a friend who gave His life for me” - what a great message to launch this new campus with!

Spread the word! Jesus is here. Anything can happen.

If you’d like to know more about how you can serve at HPC Online, click here and let us know.

Join us for Healing Place Church Vision Night Live Online tonight at 6 central time!

Pastor Dino Rizzo will be sharing his heart, and we’ll be taking a look back at what God has done and a look ahead at what He’s about to do. Celebrate it all with us live online tonight:

HPC VISION NIGHT LIVE ONLINE

See ya there!

Ok, here they are… three options for you to pick from to post on your blog, add to your email signature, email a friend, print on a t-shirt, share on facebook… We need your help getting the word out, so let’s get these images all over the place.

To use this graphic, paste this code into your site:
<a href=”http://online.healingplacechurch.org”><img src=”http://online.healingplacechurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/healing-place-online-banner-465×93.jpg”></a>

To use this graphic, paste this code into your site:
<a href=”http://online.healingplacechurch.org”><img src=”http://online.healingplacechurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/healing-place-online-banner-310×96.jpg”></a>

To use this graphic, paste this code into your site:
<a href=”http://online.healingplacechurch.org”><img src=”http://online.healingplacechurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/healing-place-online-banner-150×150.jpg”></a>

Earlier tonight we had another Healing Place Men’s Online Connect Group. We’re in a series of discussions about being men who are willing to live counter-culture to the world. So I thought about this: much of what our culture tags as “important” in being a good husband may revolve around how much money you can spend on your wife.

But in a counter-culture environment, we can choose to live differently than the rest of the world assumes husbands should look like. So here’s a few things you can actually do that actually are totally free to do:

1. Remember that the two of you are in this together. You both want this. And you can start by doing what got you here. Court her, pursue her.

2. Think about her intentionally. During your day while you’re in the trenches, ask yourself, “Where is she now?” “What is she thinking about now?” “What would make her really happy right now?”

3. Communicate at unexpected times. Text her out of the blue. Call her. Show up when it’s least expected.

4. Let her change. Life is made up of seasons. You can’t turn back the clock. Love who she is today. She is not the woman you married - she has grown - and that’s what should keep your interest.

5. Look into her eyes…. really. What do you see? Start there.
don’t even teasingly cut her down - even when she’s not listening. instead, honestly literally, completely cherish her. let her feel so cared for and thought about that she wants you to be around.

Check out this excerpt from The Power of a Praying Husband:

Do you ever allow criticism of your wife to come out of your mouth in front of other people? If so, allow me to give you some great advice:

STOP THAT! Marriage is hard enough without one of the parties being rude, cruel, or inconsiderate. Nothing makes a marriage feel more like hell on earth. Nothing does more to bring out the worst in us, than a marriage where one of the partners is lacking in common courtesy. So sad when the wife is treated rudely for so long that she feels herself becoming resentful, angry, bitter, and hopeless - turning into the kind of person she never wanted to be. We have to care enough about our mates to stop doing things that hurt or upset them.

There is nothing more wonderful than the male voice. It is strong and deep and rich. And the sound of male voices singing together is one of the most beautiful sounds on earth. But the male voice can also be terrifying, especially to women and children. Most men have no idea about the power of their voice. When a man speaks, his words have the power to create and the power to destroy. His words can be like a sharp knife that wounds and kills, or a soothing balm that heals and brings life.

6. Don’t let your words turn into weapons of criticism that destroy what you want to preserve.

7. Pray for her.

There is immense power available for a marriage when the husband prays for his wife.

What do YOU do that tells your wife you love her?

Here we stand with just 27 days left until the launch of the new Healing Place Church Online Campus. I can’t believe it’s so close! It is time now to start spreading the word to all your friends and family and loved ones and coworkers and anybody and everybody:

Healing Place Church Online Launches on October 4
online.healingplacechurch.org
8:00 p.m. central time

We need everyone to do all you can to help get the word out. Talk about it on facebook, on twitter, on your own blog… wherever you go online and in your daily life - tell somebody!

And more importantly, pray. Pray that this will totally be led by the Holy Spirit and that God will draw people to an encounter with Him at Healing Place Church Online. There is such huge potential - and we need God to guide us into what He wants to do through it.

Also, make sure you’re serving - if you aren’t on a volunteer team at HPC Online yet, let us know and we’ll get you plugged in. We all need to be be doing what we do: REACH. SERVE. GIVE. BUILD. Tell somebody. Volunteer to serve. Give online. And help build the Kingdom by helping build this campus to be what God dreamed it would be.

All for His glory!

DON’T FORGET! Our Women’s Online Connect Group starts this Thursday at 9pm! Click here for more info.

OK everyone… we’re just 4 weeks out from the official launch of the newest campus at Healing Place Church — HPC Online launches October 4.

If you’d like to check into how you can be a part of serving on the team for this campus, NOW IS YOUR CHANCE. This Saturday at 3:00pm central time, we’ll have a meeting ONLINE where you can learn more.

We need people who are ready to serve - and don’t mind serving from home in their pajamas. Really! And it’s not just on Sundays… You don’t need to even leave your house. Don’t need a webcam. All you’ve gotta do is go to the link and watch the live video feed and chat. It’s that easy.

This is an opportunity to serve real people with real needs in real life. This isn’t virtual church. It’s just another way we get to be the Church in a real world.

If you want to check out some of the ways you can serve at HPC Online, check out http://online.healingplacechurch.org/?page_id=349 and definitely make sure to join us for this online volunteer meeting!

This Saturday, September 5, 2009, 3:00 pm. - 4:00 p.m.
Online at http://online.healingplacechurch.org
Come as you are - you won’t need your camera.

One more thing - SPREAD THE WORD! If you know someone who might be interested in being a part of this incredible opportunity to serve, tell ‘em to join us for the meeting!

We talk about trusting God in tough times, and sometimes it’s just good to remember WHO we’re really putting our trust in. So we’ve put together a few verses that are what God has to say about strength. Over the next 7 days, take a few moments each day to just meditate on the truth about strength God’s way:

7 Scriptures To Meditate On Daily As You Soar Through Life

DAY 1
Psalm 28:7 NIV
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.

DAY 2
Isaiah 40:28-31
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

DAY 3
Habakkuk 3:19 NIV
The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.

DAY 4
Zecharaiah 4:6 NIV
So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.

DAY 5
Philippians 4:13 NIV
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Day 6
Hebrews 11:34 NIV
…quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.

DAY 7
Revelation 5:12 NIV
In a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”

If you’ve ever experienced a straight-up honest-to-goodness healing miracle, this doesn’t seem like a weird question. But if you haven’t, this may seem like it’s something off-the-wall or even spooky. Let me assure you that what we’re talking about here isn’t weird, goofy, spooky, snake-charmer, floating seance, chant-induced freakshow stuff. Healing is a very supernatural thing, but it isn’t weird.

This week at Healing Place Church, we’re talking about physical healing. There’s a lot more to healing than just physical, but this week we’re focusing on how Jesus handled those who were suffering, and what it means to us today. So I think it would be a great idea for us to have a chance to share our own personal experiences of healing. Maybe you have been healed just this week as you’ve been prayed for in these church services, or maybe it happened sometime previously. Or maybe you’ve seen it happen to someone else. I want to invite you to tell the story.

And here’s the cool thing about this: It’s not a competition of the spectacular. God doesn’t need us to exaggerate what He has done. If He healed you from a cold or if He healed you from cancer or if He healed someone you love who was missing a limb - what matters is giving God glory for it. Tell your story, and let God use it to build someone else’s faith.

Here’s how we want to do the story-telling this time: Leave a comment here on this post with your story - if you have posted it elsewhere already, go ahead and copy it in here in your comment (you can share the link as well if you like). If you prefer to just record a video and tell your story, that’s cool too - just do that and email it to us at online@healingplacechurch.org and we’ll get it posted here.

This week at Healing Place Church we are praying for the sick in each of our services. One of the top questions that was submitted when we asked what questions you have about helping your friends was “How do I help my friend who is sick?”

Pastor Dino Rizzo has a message this week that will not only help you as you share Christ’s love to your loved ones who are sick, but we’re also praying for them. So, we want to encourage you to make every effort to get your friends who are sick to one of these services. If they’re in the Baton Rouge area, or near our campus in El Paso or even in Swaziland or Mozambique, let them know how to get to the Healing Place Church campus near them. If not, then let them know about our online services. There’s two live webcasts of our Highland Campus services (today at 5pm, and Sunday at 10am CT).

And for the first time, we’re asking our Healing Place Church Online launch team members to invite three friends to our interactive services here at our online campus. We are still about 5 weeks from officially launching this new campus, but we feel it is such an important time that we would like to invite some of our friends and family to join us. If you’d like to be a part of one of these Online Campus services, please let us know by simply emailing us at online@healingplacechurch.org.

Whatever you do, make sure you don’t miss this week’s services. And spread the word - it just might be a life-changing time for all of us.

Jesus is here. Anything… ANYTHING can happen.

Have you ever wrestled someone who was bigger than you? Like twice your size? If you know me at all, you probably have figured out that despite my larger-than-it-should-be physique, I’m really not much when it comes to fighting. In fact, I think being big and tall helped me avoid a lot of fights when I was a kid because my would-be opponents never saw past my size - if they had, they’d have seen the fear in my eyes. Yeah, I was quite the chicken. A 3XL chicken. But still a chicken.

Then came along Steve Anderson - a 5′ 7″ 150-pound wrestler I went to high school with. We became great friends (6′4″ and 5′7″ made an interesting duo) and he taught me that small guys can kick your tail if they know what they’re doing. In P.E. one day we had to wrestle. I wanted to play basketball but our coach made us wrestle. So since I pretty much owned Steve on the basketball court, he was ready to face off with me in his zone - the smelly wrestling mats on the gym floor.

Three times in less than three seconds he had pinned me down. I lay there the third time on my back helplessly knotted into a wad of cramped flab and twisted joints thinking, “Really?? I mean… really??”

Steve decided to teach me something about wrestling that changed my life. He taught me that if I would hit the mat face down and spread my arms and legs wide making an X, it was nearly impossible for him to defeat me. In fact, he showed me that even though I was 9 inches taller than him, if he did the spread-eagle like that, I couldn’t defeat him. He held his ground and try as I might, I couldn’t flip him. He fought to keep that position - he didn’t just lay there frozen - it was hard fighting - but he held me off even though I was bigger.

Here’s what changed my life that day. The humiliation that a 5′7″ dude could pin me repeatedly? No… it was this:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. Ephesians 6:10-18

Paul did for the Ephesians what Steve did for me that day. First of all, BE STRONG. Don’t be a chicken. Regardless of your size or your past experiences, BE STRONG in the Lord. Secondly, STAND FIRM. Strap up with truth, protected by righteousness, shielded by faith and salvation and the Spirit and the Word of God.

The reality is that we aren’t wrestling against someone twice our size. What we’re fighting isn’t even human. What we’re fighting would make the scariest sci-fi horror movie alien cower in fear. But God says to be strong in the power of HIS might, and gear up in HIS Word and pray like crazy. And you know what?

WE WIN. We already know the end of the story. WE WIN!!! We don’t have to cower in fear. We don’t have to be big chickens or little chickens. We can stand firm in the power of God Almighty’s might. And we can extinguish all - ALL - ALL - ALL the fiery arrows the enemy targets at us.

Don’t get me wrong. This IS a fight. We do have to exert all we’ve got. And it will be difficult. But… WE WIN.

What are you fighting?