GuyMelton.com: What Were You Thinking?

Deliberate Simplicity

(The Post below is a portion of my weekly Prayer Letter to our Prayer Partners and Inner Circle Prayer Partners at Oasis Church. )

Last week I began reading a book titled, "Deliberate Simplicity".  It had lain around my house for several months, and the title just didn't intrigue me enough for several reasons which aren't really important or germaine. Finally I began to read. As always, it's a journey for me to read a book. Actually I'm reading 5-8 all the time. So I've skipped around, and gone back to the beginning, but honestly, it has caught my attention.

Why do we make life so complicated? Why do we take the "Simple" and complicate it? Why do I know this, yet constantly I move in the more complicated, complex path? I feel like such a failure so often when I know what to do and how to do it, yet at my age, I still take the opposite path!! Does anyone else ever feel like that?

 

Jesus was such a great example to us about living a "Deliberate, yet Simple" life. Listen to how He summed up the whole goal we should have in Matthew 22:37-39 - " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'[b] 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself'."

 

Two things!! Is that "Simple Enough"? He was speaking to the Spiritual elites, the Arrogant "Religionists" who were empty and void of Spiritual Relationship. They were all about making the simple things complicated, rigid and hard.  How many times does this creep into our lives?

 

Today as I challenge us to Prayer, I guess my only message is, let's not get so complicated that we can't "love the lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind. And to love my neighbor as myself". I think Prayer is the one simple, uncomplicated way to begin to develop this type of living out Christ's two simple Commands. How to we learn  to love Him? It's to know Him. How do we know Him? Spend time with Him. How? Prayer!!!  How do I love my neighbor? Well, I don't know about you, but it takes prayer on my part and God's working in me on His part, for me to love lots of people I know. I really don't love, without His love being in me.

 

As we go about very complicated lives today, can we pause to ask God to help us to "Simplify Deliberately", in order to be more obedient to His two Commands?

Do you have the "X" Factor?????????? Oasis Weekly Update for October18, 2009

For those who are not on our Local Oasis Email I am sharing this weeks update I sent to our local Oasis Family. I know we have hundreds of folks who we call our extended family who are friends of Oasis, members who have moved away or just friends of mine or family. This way I can keep you up on whats happening here in South Florida and hopefully as you think about us you will be praying for the ministries and peoples of Oasis here in South Florida and around the world. Sometimes you wont be able to open the links below or there is a word or two cut off a line because the format of my blog is different than our email update. Sorry if its an inconvenience. Guy

Dear Extended Oasis Family: So many times we talk about the "X" Factor in sports, business and even in human relationships!! It’s always that special something that person has. Well, this week as we conclude the "REEL Life"series in the book of Luke, we will find out the "X" factor that few people have but every one of us should! I bet you’ve never heard this before. If you want to try now and figure out the "X" factor before this weekend and next week’s 7NOW services (nightly @ 7 p.m.), you can read the passage in Luke 18:9-14.  Once again this week I have been amazed at all God is doing in and among Oasis Church. But especially I love what so many of our folks are doing outside the walls of Oasis Church. That is what Mission is all about. We Worship, we connect through Community, but the third value at Oasis is Mission, and normally that means you take the Gospel out of the building and into the world. Just a few things lately I noted by some of our ministries and individuals who have taken the Value of Mission very seriously.  I won’t mention some of the ones we’ve noted before but want to mention some I’ve just recently noticed. Surge/Youth Ministries is teaming up with His House Ministries of Opa Locka in ministering to orphaned and displaced children in South Florida. For more information on this great Christian ministry to the least of these, and updates on what our Youth are doing you will want to go to our Students Page on visitoasis.org. Women’s Ministry is sponsoring a Food Drive for Single Women in South Florida, along with Sheridan House Family Ministries.  KidsWorld is gearing up beginning in November to partner again with Samaritan’s Purse through "Operation Christmas Child". I hope all our families who have children will get involved. What a great way to teach our children how to give and minister to "the least of these". Marla Tallant of our Hollywood Campus, serves at the Daily Bread Food Bank,which has been in the news lately about their building burning down. This is a huge feeding group that churches and families get so much blessing from all year round. I heard that Ben Windle, our Hollywood Campus Pastor, and John Adams, the Worship leader at Hollywood both went over on Monday and helped Marla clean up the incredible mess after the big fire that destroyed not only the building but the 92,000 lbs of food that was in the building. You might want to learn more about the Food Bank and how to get involved by contacting Marla or Ben at the Hollywood Campus.  One of our Community Groups helped a grieving family recently with a very unselfish act. Check it out --  now that’s community at its best! Our North Miami Campus is doing a food drive also in order to stock their shelves with much needed items for those from the community coming in for help.   One of our long-time members, Angel Betancourt is also involved in a feeding ministry to the homeless that will be hosting a special Thanksgiving meal and service at our Hollywood Campus next month. Some of our people might want to get involved in this.    These are just a few of the exciting things happening among our folks who are "going" on Mission. It’s not all about coming to Oasis, but going to the World!! There are hundreds of exciting stories about what God has done in the lives and families here at Oasis Church. I never get tired of hearing of them and celebrating them. If you want to hear about two incredible stories, of two very special people - a single dad, and a miracle mom, then you can go here, and here at visitoasis.org now and see pics and stories of these incredible people. Over 80 adults attended our first Tuesday night 7NOW study on the Purpose Driven Life. You don’t want to miss this! It is a 7-week study and you can come this Tuesday night at 7 p.m. Hope to have you there.  Childcare is also available for those who are attending the service.   Don’t forget, Monday night we are still studying the Book of Acts. It’s not too late to attend this night of worship or any of the others --  7 Nights a week.  Now I can’t touch on everything, but this is just a little bit of what God is doing this week at Oasis.  If you have not worshiped in giving God His tithes and offerings this week, you can give online here right nowin a secure and very quick way.  Try it out and let me know how you liked going online to give. Have you ever done it before? Do you use envelopes regularly? I would like to have some feedback on how you prefer to give.  This weekend at our Pines Campus, I’ll be sharing live in all the services not only the teaching message, but a very important message and announcement to our Oasis Family.  You do not want to miss it. It might be one of the most important announcements I’ve made in a long time. The campus pastors at Hollywood and NoMi will also be sharing a little along the line of my announcement.  Guy Melton/January 10, 2010 Pastor Oasis Church http://www.guymelton.com http://www.visitoasis.org

I Need a Friend, Really, Really, Really Bad!!! Weekly Update, August 16

Its been a while since Ive shared with our Oasis Church Global family our weekly update. So below I am copying from the email sent out to our Local Oasis Family. You might not be able to click on the links since its been pasted in, but youll be able to either go to my blog, or our church website at www.visitoasis.org

God bless you and have a great weekend

Dear Oasis Church Global Family and Friends:,

I really need a friend. For those of you who say, "but Guy I'm your friend!" I know, but are you really my friend? I mean, if you were really my friend you would be my Facebook friend! I'm so desperate! The first person to go on Facebook and be my friend, or sign up and be my 1,000th friend on Facebook, will get an autographed copy of my new book coming out soon. I've been sitting on 999 friends for almost a week, and no one wants to be my 1,000th friend! Would you? If you don't know anything about Facebook, then go on and find out. I find it a great place to connect with old friends and new friends. Oasis family is on there, Oasis Church pages are on there, Oasis North Florida is on there, our president Obama is on there. I do personal messages all the time with friends who have issues. I share personal things and it's really a great way to not only have fun times and just do updates, but to keep us in touch with each other and the spiritual struggles we face. Don't knock it until you've tried it!  (My mother is even on Facebook! She does it to keep up with all her kids and grandkids and see their pictures since, as she says, no one ever prints pictures at Walgreens anymore. So she goes on Facebook to track us, or as some would say stalk us!!! Now, if my mom is on there shouldn't you be my friend also?)  Update:  I now have 16 new FB Friends from Oasis . Thanks Guys!! 8/15/09

 

 P.S. If you were my FB friend you would have also heard about Tonia and I having a baby and seen the sonogram before anyone else! Hmm! Now you can see it on my blog if you missed it. 
 
Now to some very important things:
 
1. Community Groups are gearing up this weekend at the Pines campus. Don't miss it! You will see all the different groups we offer. Mine is the best! Wait till you meet the group at the table and sample all the international desserts they will be bringing. Man, they are great. But I'm not telling you which one I attend, you have to find it! Go to our Community page on the website for more info. 

 

2. Diverse: Our Core Values series, will continue this week. At Pines, as I mentioned, will be the Value of Community. At our Hollywood and NoMi campuses, we will have a message on Mission. Let me tell you, you guys at the other campuses are in for an incredible treat. Rick Caldwell, one of our members and head of our Welcome Team in Pines, is speaking on Mission. He is the founder and President of RCultures, which is a company that provides diversity training, and other sources of relational training to corporations, and  government organizations. He delivered this message to our staff about six months ago, and I asked him then if he would speak on Mission this week. You'll love him. Pines will get to hear him next week.

3. Women's ministry is kicking off! There is lots going on - too much to share here. But from a great event at the end of the month, to other really great ministries next month in September. If you're a lady, go to the Adults page on our website and check all the things out. For info on our First Place 4 Health orientation class that is held this weekend, click here.

 

 

 

4. Thanks to all of you who gave to the Sheridan House back-to-school bags for the kids of single Moms. Did you know our teens are really going deep in their faith and preparing for this year's new school term? There is an article on the Students page telling about a seminar they attended. Not sure most adults are ready for this!

5. BEACH BAPTISM COMING UP IN TWO WEEKS! If you have not been baptized this is going to be the time. You must, if you call yourself a Christian or Christ-follower be baptized. You'll hear lots more over the next two weeks. Following the Beach Baptism will be a concert at the Hollywood Beach Theater/Band Shell, on Johnson Street. Our worship teams will be kicking it big time. Bring your family and friends to witness the baptism of our Oasis family and then stay for the concert. Baptism is at 6 p.m. and concert follows. Parking is $1 an hour. Each one who is baptized will receive a Free Oasis Beach towel, commemorating this historic and important event in your spiritual journey. Mark your calendar, Sunday, August 30 at 6 p.m. You can register using the insert in your bulletins this week or register online.

Once again its a busy time with God doing amazing things. So stay tuned and keep watching our website for all the news and stories.
 

P.S. I just went on my Facebook and noticed I hit the 1,000 mark, so my whole beginning is in vain, but I still want you to be my friend. Who knows, I might lose one over this email, and still need my thousandth! Oh, by the way, there is no book coming out that I've written. But if there would I would give an autographed copy. Sorry!

 

Guy Melton

Pastor

Oasis Church

http://www.guymelton.com

http://www.visitoasis.org

 

Merry Christmas -- Coloring Away the Pain

Today Tonia met with one of our former teens who attended our Youth Ministries at our former church. Kimberly Pressley-Herrick  reconnected with us through Facebook last year. Today Kimberly and Tonia had lunch. Kim started a very unique ministry for kids going through crisis. I'll not try to explain here what it does, but rather, encourage you to go to her site and check it out. It is very creative and a wonderful ministry to kids going through tough times.

One of the things that is obvious is the "Coloring" in the Title of her organization. So of course you can't color without Crayons. So for our Christmas Gift for July, last week Tonia and I decided to give our little gift to her organization. Tonia found 100 boxes of crayons at Walmart for 25 cents. Today she delivered them.

If you want something that can have a BIG impact on children and the cost is very small, try out Coloring Away the Pain website. 

Kim, sorry I missed the lunch today, but glad you and Tonia had a good time.  God bless you!!!

 

 

 

 

Twin Fawns in Song of Solomon and my Birthday Card

Obviously one of our Oasis Family misunderstood something about our Series "Ignite your love life", we just finished in Song of Solomon. I received this Birthday card the same week we finished speaking on Song of Solomon Chapter 3-4.  

 4:5 I think they had it a little out of Context. But I did appreciate the thought!!!! I love Fried Chicken!!!

If you missed any of our Messages, you can click here and see the video or listen to or download the podcast.

Song of Solomon / Ignite your Love Life / Recommended Books

This past month we have taken a look at the Book, Song of Songs or Song of Solomon.  It has been one of the most talked about Sermon Series in a long time. If you missed a message, you can click here and watch the video or listen to the podcast or download it.

Our Teaching Team had a great time with this series. A little too much fun, our wives think!!! Anyway, based on the many comments and communications we have received, it definitely was a big help for many marriages. We got incredible input from men and women. This past week we closed out the series, at the Pines Campus with husband and wife team, Pastor James and Debby Brown. North Miami had for the first time ever one of our Laymen, Richard Todd teach on our team. I'm looking forward to having Richard speak at Pines soon. 

At the end of the series we shared some books our Pastoral Team is recommending to couples and also a seminar on marriage many of us have attended that is coming up next month locally. It is maybe the best marriage seminar I have ever attended or heard of. Listed below are the recommendations. I'll give a line or two about the books. Some have very unique readers that might benefit from them.

   Fireproof/DVD and Book. A great book and DVD to do together as a couple. It will strengthen your marriage and communication. Book is interactive and will take you through 40 days of activities. Most book stores have them, Walmart has them.

A look at how to maneuver through the different phases of marriage and life.

This is an older book by our local friend and author Bob and Rosemary Barnes, of Sheridan House. You can purchase this through Sheridan House Family Ministries and their website.

Another older book on the physical side of Marriage from a Christian View. One of the Classics on Sex in this past century, from a Christian perspective.

 This is a recent book on Christian Marriage and sex. It is highly recommended by some of our young couples who have read and studied it.

Sex begins in the Kitchen, is a great look at how romance plays into the bedroom, and also into the rest of the Marriage relationship.

Family Life Marriage Conference. Check it out on their website.

Leadership 101 from Ecclesiastes #3

There are more leadership books on the shelves of book stores than almost any other type of book. Hundreds and hundreds more come out each and every year. I have read many books on leadership over the years and have learned a lot. I am all for reading books on leadership and all kinds of areas of life where I can learn from others. Now, I do have a personal bias against fiction books. Nothing wrong with them, just don't like them myself.

I think sometimes the best leadership principles come right out of scriptures. I'll even venture to say, if a leadership principle in a secular book really works, its roots come from the Bible and the biblical principles it teaches.

As we have taken a six-week look at Ecclesiastes this month at Oasis Church, I have also seen some leadership principles as I've studied. Our Thrill Ride series wasn't on leadership, but I noted some in my own personal devotions in the last couple weeks. Here are some I found as I read for personal devos in The Message, a paraphrase of the Bible.

• In Chapter 10:16-17 we see the contrast between Good and Bad Leaders. There is no substitute for good leadership.

• Good Leaders serve others, Bad Leaders are greedy and self indulgent

• Chapter 10:20  Gives guidelines on how to respond to your leaders. A good leader who is growing as a leader and becoming a leader, will not talk about the leaders in their area, business or any group. Gossip about your boss or leader, and it will come back and haunt you. You cannot become a great leader by tearing down other leaders. I heard the author of the "Million Dollar Fool" say on TV last week that in our bad economic time it's important to go out of the way to "Love your Boss". You need your job, and in these times, the boss looks for those who he/she can't live without!! He went on to say: "Hug them, kiss them and make it impossible for them to live without you." That's some good advice. Although not sure I would recommend the kissing/hugging part, but I think you get his drift.

• Chapter 11: 4    Leaders don't sit on their hands. They "DO", they don't watch and wait until the Lottery comes to us, and our number comes up.

• I've heard this statement, and don't know who said it, but I've never forgotten it. You are not a leader if you are anything but the first person in this illustration.   

"Some Make things happen, Some Watch things happen, Some ask, What just happened?"  Which one are you?????

• Chapter 11:6  Leaders aren't Clock Watchers!!!
• Chapter 11:9  He who hesitates is LOST!!!!

• Chapter 12:10 A wise Leader teaches others, they don't just keep their wisdom to themselves.

• Chapter 12:12-13  Reading books does not make a good leader. Acting on what we read and having wisdom about what to act on and what not to act on does. Some read books and think this makes a leader. Reading books and book knowledge actually can bring knowledge and not wisdom, pride and not servant leadership. Read books but keep them in perspective.

• Leaders need balance
• Leadership is about "doing"
• Leaders live a full life
• Leaders don't sit and wait for things to happen, they make things happen.
• Godly, wise leaders Fear God and Keep His Commandments!!!
• Amen!!

A Prayer for All of us in this Time of Chaos!!!

 Max Lucado was one of my fav authors for years. I have many of his books. He was a local pastor for years while writing some of the most read books in the Christian World. Max can draw pictures through words like no one I've ever heard or seen, with the exception of the expert Himself, Jesus!! 

The prayer below is one he prayed recently in a service he was speaking in. If you prefer, after reading it you can go to the video of it .  

You Have Our Attention, Lord

Prayer offered by Max Lucado – © 10/4/2008

Our friends lost their house
The co-worker lost her job
The couple next door lost their retirement
It seems that everyone is losing their footing

This scares us. This bailout with billions.
These rumblings of depression.
These headlines: ominous, thunderous-
“Going Broke!” “Going Down!” “Going Under!” “What Next?”

What is next?

We’re listening. And we’re admitting: You were right.

You told us this would happen.
You shot straight about loving stuff and worshipping money.
Greed will break your heart, you warned.
Money will love you and leave you.
Don’t put your hope in riches that are so uncertain.

You were right. Money is a fickle lover and we just got dumped.

We were wrong to spend what we didn’t have,
Wrong to neglect prayer and ignore the poor,
Wrong to think we ever earned a dime. We didn’t. You gave it. And now, tell us Father, are you taking it?

We’re listening. And we’re praying.
Could you make something good out of this mess?

Of course you can. You always have.
You led slaves out of slavery,
Built temples out of ruins,
Turned stormy waves into a glassy pond and water into sweet wine.

This disorder awaits your order. So do we.

Through Christ,
Amen

· • • • ·

God will always give what is right
to his people who cry to him night and day,
and he will not be slow to answer them.
(Lk. 18:7 NCV)

30 Days to Live is Coming to an End!!!!!!!!!

  30 Days to Live comes to an end this week. I am glad this was a hypothetical Question to each of us. What if I had "30 Days to Live"? I hope it has been a series that has helped us all live our lives in the view of Eternity.

As we end I want to recommend a book to you if you would like to further your study and go deeper. It is the book that actually inspired the series. Last year when we planned our Sermon Series for 2008 we had heard about this book and the Pastor who wrote it. While our sermons did not come from the book, many of the principles are in the book and you might want to pick it up. 

The title is "One Month to Live". If you want to order it right now, just go to the column to the right and click on the Recommendation and it will take you to Amazon.com. You will get the discounted price. 

I also encourage you to go to our church website and listen to the Podcast of the messages, or you can now see the video on our website.  This series is ending but I hope the principles we have learned and been reminded of will continue to be implemented into all our lives.    

BUSTED AND THE SECRET IS OUT!!! Email Newsletter

For those who follow our Blog but are not in our Oasis Church Family here in South Florida, below is our newsletter I Sent out today . I get so many who like to keep up with Oasis, this is my way of keeping you in the loop. Just a reminder, the typepad format cuts off the end of the line, so you complete the sentence. The links on the email letter will not work from here. Sorry!!!

Pastor's Email
Dear Extended Oasis Family;   Happy Father’s Day out there to all the guys who are Dads!!! We salute you, and thank God for those Dads seeking to lead their families in a Godly Way. Father’s Day Weekend is the perfect time to kick off a new Series "The Satisfying life".Our Guest Speaker this weekend, the following weekend and in our 7NOW Services is Rev. Bud McCord our Missionary from Brazil. He has a newly released book on this subject and we are the first ones to have an opportunity to get it. Much more about Bud and the new Series on our Website!!    I love having a great church website and also a personal blog.  I could never get all the great things out about what's going on at Oasis without our website. And I would never be able to share from the pulpit with such limited time all that is going on in my life and in my MIND!!!! Hence, What Were You Thinking? Whether you want to know all I am thinking or not, it’s on my blog!!!! Some I could never mention from the pulpit, or should I say, would choose not to.  Here are just some of What I Have Been Thinking this week: The Secret is Out  I've been BUSTED!!!!!!!!!! The Satisfying Life!! XXX For Men ONLY!!!!! Waxing Nostalgic I am a Pack Rat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   So I invite you to go to www.guymelton.com and find out what I am thinking. You might like it, you might not…but it is what I am Thinking!! Oasis Church has some pretty phenomenal things happening you don’t want to miss, so check them out: Need to Cool off this Summer?  Check out Kona Father’s Day Fun and More at NoMi!!!  Revolution Summer Theater Camp for kids…3 Choices All the Way from Brazil Surge Youth are on the Road this summer KidsWorld Update and Mr. Eric!!!!! 7 Nights of Worship, and Free Pizza, Free Cappucinos and Lattes, only certain nights!!! Check it out!!! A story of Community Oasis Shirts for men and women still available online And so much more..................................... I am so excited about this weekend as we kick off The Satisfying Lifewith Rev. Bud McCord!! Come prepared to be blessed and challenged and get your Study Workbook at Kona while you’re here. For 7NOW services you will have the books available also. This week in preparation, I have been reading the key text for our Series every day. Let me encourage you to Read John 15 before coming this week to service. God bless you and have a great weekend, and once again to the Dads, Happy Father’s Day!!! I love you guys. It is a blast to do life with you at Oasis Church.  Guy Melton, Pastor Oasis Church
Hollywood Campus Pines Campus N. Miami Campus Prayer Requests www.visitoasis.org

tel 954.433.4838 | fax 954.433.2004 | info@visitoasis.org