OLD FASHION WAY
Posted in Thank You! on August 19th, 2008 by Administrator| | 0 Comments.
“But made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant.” Phil 2:7 (NIV)
Commercial tag lines have a way of just sticking in your mind. I remember growing up with tag lines such as “Please don’t squeeze the Charmin,” “Have it your way!,” “Trix is for kids,” and so on. The one tag line that I want to focus on is by an old investment company that said, “We make money the old fashion way. We earn it!”
At NorthStar we do ministry and share the good news the old fashion way… by serving. Jesus modeled that for us when he left heaven and came to earth. Philippians 2:7 is a verse that I have meditated on quite frequently. It blows my mind that the creator of the universe - the one who spoke this world into existence - came to earth as a servant. He didn’t come to earth and say, “I’m God so worship me!” or “I’m your creator and you wouldn’t exist without me!” He instead took the role of a servant. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, took care of the blind and ministered to those in need. He modeled for us that you have to earn the right to be heard by serving.
Many of us have been to sporting events where we have heard ministers on the streets yelling at people. I recently took my son Jacob to WWE SMACKDOWN. The lines were so long to get into Philips Arena. While we were in line, there was a minister yelling at all of us. I watched the people in line just turned off and outraged. Everyone was handed these little post cards with scriptures on them. When Jacob and I finally got to the doors to go in, you could see piles of those cards stacked up at the door and trash cans filled with them.
Romans 8:29 tells us that God’s number one goal is to conform us to the image of his Son. At NorthStar, we take the role of a servant and earn the right to be heard the way that Jesus did. That is why we do so many acts of kindness. We are building the relationships that will one day lead to the sharing of the good news. By serving and meeting the needs of our community we are becoming like Christ and earning the right to share him with others.
Over the next few months we have many opportunities for you to help us earn the right to be heard. My prayer is that you will join us and help us earn the right to be heard the old fashion way… by serving!
Marlon
GOODNESS AND MERCY
Posted in Thank You! on July 12th, 2008 by Administrator| | 1 Comments.
“Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalms 23:6
So many of us spend our whole life worrying about tomorrow that we never stop and enjoy today. Psalms 23:6 is a great verse that serves as a reminder to us about God’s love and faithfulness to His word. Because of God’s goodness and faithfulness we can expect His protection and provision. No matter what happens to me I can expect three things to happen:
1. It will be for my own good.
2. It will be for the good of others.
3. It will be for the Kingdom of God.
David, when he wrote Psalm 23, had a lot of disappointments. David says that good will always come out of whatever happens even in the bad, the evil, and difficult.
In April of 2005, Libby and I were told that our youngest son, Matthew, was autistic. I will never forget carrying my not yet two-year old son from the doctor’s office out to the truck. My eyes were filled with tears, my heart was broken, and I trembled with fear about facing the future. How do I provide for him? Will we ever connect because Matthew doesn’t talk? What kind of father and son outings will we have? What goodness and love will follow us in the days to come?
Jesus teaches us in the Lord’s Prayer not to get overwhelmed about the future, but to take it one day at a time. He teaches us to pray for our daily bread, the strength to make it each day. In the days since Matthew’s diagnosis, I have learned a lot about God’s goodness and love. I am a 100 times better dad, minister and person because of Matthew. I love him and need him a lot more than he needs me.
On July 19, I will have the privilege to do the invocation for the groundbreaking ceremony for the Special Needs ball field at the Acworth Sports Complex. The special needs ball field will be the first of its kind in many ways. It will be the main field at the complex. All of the kids will be playing together at the same complex. The concession stand will be operated by children with special needs to help them develop their job skills. I hope that other cities throughout America will follow our lead and build more special needs sports complexes.
God’s goodness and mercy truly has followed me every day since Matthew’s diagnosis. My eyes have been opened up to a whole new world. God has expanded my ministry to new horizons. I would have never dreamed about building a special needs ball field. I would have never met so many wonderful children and parents. I would have never have met so many wonderful people who have given their time, talent and treasure to such a great cause.
I can’t wait until July 19 when my family will join other special needs families to witness God’s faithfulness. My prayer is that when you are faced with a tough life circumstance, that you will remember God’s goodness and love and that you will trust him for all of your tomorrows.
Marlon
P.s. I love you Matthew with all my heart!
PLAYING IT SAFE
Posted in Thank You! on June 26th, 2008 by Administrator| | 0 Comments.
“Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Heb. 11:6 (NIV)
What does it take to please God? So many people think it is through rituals, through rules, through regulations. Some people try to please God through religion, where if you observe certain days or go to church and take communion, that God will put you on his favorite list.
The Bible says the way to please God is to have faith. What is faith? Rick Warren, in his message “Building A Life Of Faith,” explains that faith is like a multi-faceted diamond. There are many aspects to faith.
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Heb. 11:1
One aspect of faith is believing when I don’t see it. Last week I witnessed our church feed over 1200 hungry kids in Cobb County. I remember when Kelley Maddox came into my office with the idea to help out MUST Ministries. When she proposed the idea, she looked at me and said, “NorthStar can do this!” When she said that, she had no idea who would bring sandwiches, juice drinks, brownies, and applesauce boxes. She had no idea who would help her sack the lunches, count the lunches or deliver the lunches. All Kelley had was a vision that God gave her because of her burden to feed hungry children and her faith that God would provide. Kelley pleased God with her faith.
Kelly’s faith reminds and challenges all of us to do something great for God and not be afraid to try to do the impossible. Warner von Braun, the father of the space age, who built the Atlas rocket and the Saturn rockets that sent men to the moon, once said, “There has never been any significant achievement in human history that was not accompanied by faith. It all started out that somebody believed it was possible in advance.”
NorthStar Church was started because a group of people believed it before they could see it. Each Sunday over 2500 people come to worship on a campus that
sits on 46 acres because of their faith. Last week 1200 children were fed lunch because of Kelley’s faith.
The big question is what are we doing in our lives that requires faith? What burden or vision are we working on that God has given us that requires faith? Are we truly seeking to please God?
My prayer is that you develop a burden for God’s people so that He can give you a vision to do something significant, something that will draw you out of your comfort zone so that your faith will please him.
Marlon
Family Business
Posted in Thank You! on June 10th, 2008 by Administrator| | 0 Comments.
“Your children like olive plants around your table.” Psalms 128:3 (NAS)
The Olive Tree is a symbol of vitality. Its lifespan can reach close to 1,000 years and still bear fruit. When the Olive Tree maximizes its fruit production, it is then cut down to a stump. Out of that stump an olive shoot will sprout up. That olive shoot is then planted and, in years to come, will produce fruit. That is a beautiful picture of our children taking over the family business.
For 35 years, my father served as a volunteer fireman for my hometown of Fairdale, Kentucky. From 1969 to 1984, my dad was the Fire Chief. My father served the community of Fairdale like no other. I witnessed him fighting fires all night long. He would park cars at all the high school games and local fairs. He would take the jeep that was used to fight field fires and water all the little league fields. He coached little league teams. He would have the fire house involved in all kinds of charity events. God blessed me with the greatest example of what a community servant was all about. My dad will always be my hero.
In June of 1994, my brother Gregg called me at work and told me Dad was in the hospital. I thought Dad was invincible. He worked all day at International Harvester and fought fires all night long. He never missed a game that Gregg and I played. He never took a vacation day that he didn’t spend it with his family. He was always on the go. While in the hospital, we were told that he had cancer. Dad put up one awesome fight but eventually he lost his battle with cancer on December 11, 1995. I will never forget the last words my father said to me while he was alive. At Audubon hospital in Louisville with tubes strapped and taped all over his body, he lifted himself up with all his strength turned and said these words to me:
“Marlon if God would give me a little more time, I would spend it all with young people.”
My father dedicated his whole servant life to kids whether he was coaching them, working the concession stands, parking cars, getting the field ready for them to play, or raising money for special needs children. I looked at him and said “Why would you spend more time with young people, Dad?”
He responded: “They need somebody!”
The greatest advice I was given is to live a life that honors your dad. Everyday for the past nine years I have tried to honor him by being that somebody for children. I have tried my best to be an olive shoot of my dad and keep the family business of community service going strong.
I guess the questions that I want to ask dads this Father’s Day is: What family business will your children take over once you leave this world? What legacy of service are you passing on to them that they will one day take over? My prayer is that my three boys will one day continue the family business of community service, and for your kids to do the same.
Marlon
Dream Big
Posted in Serving on May 16th, 2008 by Administrator| | 1 Comments.
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to his power that is at work within us.” Eph. 3:20
That verse to me is a challenge from God. It is almost as if God is daring us to out-dream Him. Our imagination is a God-given ability. Our dreams determine our lives; they define our lives. We need dreams because they are psychologically healthy. If you don’t have a dream for your life then you are not really living – you’re just existing. Without dreams you won’t go far in life.
Kids have unbelievable imaginations and dreams. I loved teaching Character Education for Mrs. Poper’s 5th grade class at Ford Elementary. Listening to the children share their dreams reminded me of all the dreams I had at their age. I wanted to play for the Big Red Machine and be the next Johnny Bench. I wanted to lead my high school to the Sweet Sixteen boys’ state basketball championship in Kentucky. I wanted to replace the legendary Cawood Ledford as voice of the Kentucky Wildcats.
Why is it that when we become adults we lose the capacity to dream big? The older we get the more we lose the capacity to dream. Everything that God wants to do with your life will start with a dream. He gave Noah the dream to build an ark. He gave Moses the dream of leading his people out of bondage. He gave Paul the dream of taking the gospel to places where it had never been heard. I love the words that Paul used in Acts 26:19 when he stood in front of King Agrippa.
“I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven.”
Dreams come from burdens. All of the dreams that God has given me have come from the burdens that He has laid upon my heart. It bothered me that a local school was dead last in reading and writing. So I started DreamBuilders, a mentoring program in the Acworth Housing Authority. It bothered me that kids who live in weekly rental hotels and trailer courts were being left out at Christmas time; so, we partner each year with the Joy Foundation and two local high schools to take those kids Christmas shopping. It bothered me that the City of Acworth didn’t have a veteran’s memorial, so NorthStar partnered with the city in building the new veteran’s memorial at Patriot’s Point. It bothered me that over 14,000 special needs children didn’t have a playground or a ball park to play on. We are just weeks away from breaking ground on the first ever special needs sports complex.
The biggest dream that God gave me as community pastor for NorthStar Church was to make NorthStar the first call for help in the community. Last week we got a call from MUST Ministries for help. MUST Ministries feeds 1200 hungry children every day over the summer and they have asked NorthStar Church to sponsor three days. This is one of the biggest acts of kindness that our church has ever taken on.
To feed 1200 children for a day we are going to need:
40 volunteers to provide 30 bologna and cheese sandwiches.
20 volunteers to provide 60 individual applesauce’s.
20 volunteers to provide 60 brownies.
20 volunteers to provide 60 juice boxes.
My prayer for you is to join me in claiming God’s promise in Ephesians 3:20: that you will develop a burden for his people so that He can share with you the dream that He has for your life.
Marlon
MOM
Posted in Thank You! on April 28th, 2008 by Administrator| | 0 Comments.
Every Mother’s day most ministers preach from Proverbs Chapter 31. When it comes to beautiful words and illustrations to describe moms, Proverbs 31 is better than any poem or any Hallmark card that has ever been written. So for this blog entry I thought I would use the words of Proverbs 31 to pay tribute to my mom.
Proverbs 31:10 (NIV)
A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.
Proverbs 31:23 (NIV)
Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
My father was a volunteer fireman for 35 years. For 15 years he served as Chief of the Fairdale Volunteer Fire Department. My father was one of the most respected men who ever lived in Fairdale. He has four scholarships at the high school named after him. He was twice named Fairdale’s “Citizen of the Year.”The walls in our home were decorated with plaques paying tribute to his community service.
Former Spelman College President Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole once said “Behind every hero is a shero.” My father would not have been able to put out the first fire in Fairdale had it not been for my mom’s willingness to share him with the community, and for her willingness to step up and take care of business at home.
Proverbs 31:16 (NIV)
She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
For over 30 years my mom worked at the Fairdale Post Office. She was so proud of that job. Mom married dad at the age of 18 and didn’t go to college. She always thanked God for blessing her with the job at the post office. Mom didn’t use her money to buy blue chip stocks, or purchase beach front property. Mom’s vineyard that she invested in was her family. She was the driving force in my brother and me graduating from college. She has been a tremendous help in my sister Debbie’s successful business career. All three of us would not be where we are today without her sacrifice and belief in us.
Proverbs 31:26 (NIV)
She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
No other verse in the Bible describes my mom any better than this one. My mom has weathered more storms and climbed more mountains than anyone I know. My mother’s greatest witness to me is how she has handled so many of life’s greatest heartaches. She was rejected by her parents. She went to live with her grandpa, who loved her dearly, but was well past his prime in raising children. She went to live with my great uncle and aunt who already had a full house with five kids. She married my dad and, after 36 years of marriage, lost him to cancer. Over the next
few years she has buried her dad, mom, brother and, recently, her second husband. Through all of her heartache she has kept her faith and strength. Her relationship with Jesus Christ is so solid. She has maintained her dignity and has been an unbelievable witness to so many. Whenever I am faced with a major test in life or a major hurdle, I always call mom. Whenever I hear her say phrases such as “ You’ll be ok!” or “You’ll make it”, I get the confidence that I need to go forward. When we are faced with a tough situation, we need to hear a voice from our past to calm us down and help us focus on the task at hand. Mom’s voice has helped me pass so many major tests in my life.
Proverbs 31:29 (NIV)
Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.
On Mother’s day I want to thank God for His amazing grace. God blessed me with the greatest mom of them all. I love you mom! To quote legendary soul singer Tina Turner “You’re simply the best! Better than all the rest!”
P.S. I’m still calling you everyday!
Marlon
Recruiting
Posted in Serving on April 21st, 2008 by Administrator| | 0 Comments.
“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” II Chronicles 16:9 (NIV)
Recruiting has become big business in our world today. Talent scouts from pro and college teams, major businesses, the armed forces and others are always on the lookout for talent. The Bible teaches us that God is in the recruiting business. He is constantly searching for a committed heart to bring glory to him and to make a difference for the Kingdom of God here on earth.
God spotted a committed heart that turned out to be a blue chip recruit on a farm in Elliott County, Kentucky. This farm boy showed promise early of his committed heart. During the depression to support his parents and siblings, he left his hometown of Wells Creek, Kentucky and joined the Civil Conservation Corps. He was sent to Gold Beach, Oregon and later Libby, Montana to serve in the forest department. The entire time he worked for the CCC he would send half his paycheck back home to his parents.
Uncle Sam recruited him to the Army to serve in World War II. He served in Battery B, 66th Field Artillery Battalion of the 4th Armored Division of the Third Army. He was a tank gunner serving under General Patton landing on Omaha Beach during the D-day invasion. His resume included fighting in the Battle of the Bulge, and the liberation of Bastogne. He was in Prague, Czechoslovakia when the war ended. He would later be given a Purple Heart Medal, fighting wounded during the Battle of the Bulge.
After the war he married his hometown sweetheart, the lovely Virginia Ruth Blanton. They were married for 53 years and had four children. They would later be blessed with eight grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren. One of those four children just happened to be my wife’s mother, Luanna Todd Rutherford.
Because of his committed heart to his family and nation, God recruited him into full time ministry. He would serve the Lord faithfully for more than 50 years, and became a church planter to reach young children and families in his hometown of Wells Creek.
This blue chip recruit, Purple Heart winner, family man, minister’s name was Drexel Todd, my wife’s grandfather. Grandpa Todd went to be the Lord on February 20, 2008. I admired his committed heart so much that my son Todd is named after him.
The strength of Grandpa’s life was in his commitments. The Bible says that God is constantly searching for committed hearts. Over the next two months our church will have plenty of service opportunities for you to display just how committed your heart is. My prayer is that NorthStar Church will become one of God’s favorite recruiting spots.
Marlon
Extra Mile
Posted in Thank You! on March 31st, 2008 by Administrator| | 0 Comments.
“You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury. ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat too. If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.” Matt. 5 38-42 (NLT)
When Christ said these words, Palestine had been occupied by Rome for more than 100 hundred years. The Romans had learned from the Persians to use people to their advantage. Romans would often require the Jewish people to carry their burdens. The Jews were required by law to carry the load for one mile. The Jewish people hated this law and their heads turned when Jesus said you need to carry their weapons for not just one mile, but two miles.
Jesus was teaching his people to do more than just the minimum. I am constantly getting on my oldest son Todd to do more than just what is required. The late Pastor Adrian Rogers in his series “Digging Deeper” talks about the advantages of the extra mile.
1) It will change your attitude.
The first mile is the slave mile. You are required to go the first mile and you hate every step along the way. The second mile is the smile mile. You are doing it out of love. The first mile you are being controlled but the second mile you are in charge. The first mile you’re doing it because you have to, but the second mile because you want to. On the second mile your attitude changes from conquered to conquering.
2) Living out this command will make you a success.
All successful people participate in the second mile. The reason some Christians aren’t successful in their devotions is because they are “first milers.” They only do the minimum and their hearts are not into it. The people who develop their spiritual lives go the extra mile.
3) The extra mile is the key to better relationships.
Imagine if you are a first-century Christian, and you are commanded by a Roman soldier to carry his spear and heavy backpack. You gladly carry the backpack and spear not for one mile but for two. The soldier is stunned, and by going the extra mile you completely alter the relationship. An opportunity to share Jesus comes because of the extra effort.
“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Phil. 2:5
Jesus went the extra mile for us when he paid for our sins on the cross. If we are to become like Jesus then we need to go the extra mile for others. At NorthStar we go the extra mile to serve our community. We want to change the attitude of our community by serving them and opening up opportunities to share the good news of Jesus Christ.
We have a lot of on the community calendar in April, and it is going to take a lot of us to go the extra mile to meet all the needs. April 19-20 is the Big Shanty Festival. Over 60,000 people are expected to attend this year’s festival. We need extra milers to help with the parade, hospitality for the vendors, work in the hospitality booth, and help clean up after the festival. On April 26 we are going to help with Phase I of building the special needs playground, and at the end of the month we have Teacher Appreciation Week that is going to require extra milers to get up early and deliver over 1400 cinnamon rolls to nine elementary schools.
My prayer is that you experience the power of going the extra mile as you help NorthStar serve this community to Jesus Christ.
Marlon
Coming Alive
Posted in Thank You! on March 19th, 2008 by Administrator| | 0 Comments.
“Jesus included everyone in his death so everyone could be included in his life.”
2 Cor. 5:15(NLT)
There are two times a year (Christmas and Easter) that people are open to the good news of Jesus Christ. Christmas is about giving. John 3:16 says that “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.”God is a Giver. Therefore, he expects us to give. At NorthStar we take the spirit of giving at Christmas to a new level. We fully support programs such as “Adopt A Family”, “Shop With The Kids”, “Tackle Hunger” and other giving programs.
Easter is about coming alive. The question I ask here is “Do we fully embrace the coming alive season as we do the giving season?” What Easter traditions do we embrace to help us get into the spirit of coming alive? I mean, we really don’t draw names to exchange Easter baskets or go Easter caroling over at someone’s house. Easter is about coming alive. The problem is that we are short term thinkers. We act like this life is all there is. We spend our time, money, energy and effort acting like this life here on earth is all we have. We are so busy trying to keep up with the great quality of life that we have here in Cobb County that we really don’t think about eternity. Jesus came to earth to tell us that there is something better.
“Jesus included everyone in His death so everyone could be included in his life. A far better life than people lived on their own.” 2 Cor. 5:15 (MES)
At NorthStar we are doing a series based upon the most well-known verse in the Bible -John 3:16.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosover believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (KJV)
God didn’t just talk about his love; He showed us how much he loved us by coming to Earth and taking the punishment for our sins on the cross. He stretched his arms out on the cross and showed us how much He loved us. Max Lucado, in his book, 3:16, writes that Jesus, on the cross, shouted out “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me.” Jesus said those words so that we would never have to. That is why we should live in a constant state of gratitude. We should come alive this Easter season out of shear gratefulness and appreciation for what Jesus did on the cross. He earned it. Our mission statement at NorthStar starts with “We exist to show God’s love…” Like Jesus did, we are not just to talk about it but to show it. Jesus showed us just how much he loved us by dying on the cross. My prayer this Easter season is that we truly come alive this Easter season and show God’s love to so many who need it.
Marlon
Farmer’s Wanted!!
Posted in Serving on March 3rd, 2008 by Administrator| | 0 Comments.
“You will always harvest what you plant.” Galatians 6:7 (NLT)
I get excited about that promise. God’s word tells us that the seeds
are in our hands, and we get to plant whatever crop we want to harvest in life.
Every day I get to choose the plant that I will one day harvest.
From the very beginning NorthStar Church decided not to plant a church,
but to reach our mission field. Over the past 11 years we have showered
our mission field with seeds of love, compassion, and service. Until I read last week’s
community feedback post from Frey Elementary music teacher Sylvia Flannagan,
I never really stopped and looked at how our mission field was taking shape. I have
been so busy throwing seeds with all of the countless volunteer farmers at
NorthStar Church that I have never taken the time to slow down and actually look at how the crops are doing.
“It really is the small stuff that sticks with folks the most. As I was thinking back to the many cinnamon rolls, lunches, dinners, fall festivals, Labor Day activities, parades, special needs ball field, and school visits, I realized that the spirit of love and outreach has been “taught” to the general community. Your church’s demonstration of ‘how’ to show God’s love in everyday life is a gift. This gift will continue to make Acworth and the people who have been so richly blessed, better examples of how God wants us to live.”
Her words made me take a 20-second timeout and reflect back on all the
seed-sowing acts of kindness that our church has planted over the past
11 years. I remember our first seed planting event, serving hospitality
for North Cobb’s Warrior Classic basketball tournament. I told Mike Linch
to sign us up for just one session, and he went and signed up for the whole
tournament. The people of NorthStar covered the tournament and have
been sowing seeds ever since.
Despite the water shortage and state-wide water restrictions, this past month has seen our church plant a record number of seeds. NorthStar farmers have shown
up in record numbers and have covered so many community events. March, too,
will be an even bigger month to plant seeds, and we are in need of more farmers
to help throw seeds. My prayer is that you will help us continue to plant seeds
of love, compassion, and service that one day reap a major harvest in Heaven.
Marlon
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