Tory Farina

Stop smoking, run 3.8 miles and get closer to Jesus

I ran further than I have in probably 10 years, maybe more. We went 3.8 miles and I am a little tuckered out. I love running with my group. It is so encouraging when you are out there to know that someone else is going thought the exact same thing. I also feel challenged to push harder and achieve greater levels of success.

That is happening physically but also spiritually. People who have not been connected at HPC are connecting and showing up at other events to live in community. The coolest example of this happening was when one lady at the end she was extremely out of breath began to get choked up and said... "I want to give a praise... I quite smoking 4 days before we started running and I have not touched it since. This has been so good for me." God sets people free from addictions. People have to be in a place that challenges them to see the need to be set free. That is living in community.

When we share our trials and we see the next person huffing and puffing on this race we realize that we can do more than we ever imagined we could. I have been challenged to eat better. That has been a major issue in my life. I am getting stronger each day. I am making better choices over all and soon I’ll be able to wear those super cool printed T-shirts without an undershirt. I'll finally have the chest for it:) more than that. I believe God will smile down upon me and say well done Tory. I have found you faithful with little now I will give you more. My body is as much a test of stewardship as any other area of my life.

Let’s live in community submitted to the wonderful cause of Christ.

Run and God will see you finish

ISAIAH 40: 31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

We are about to run this morning... My foot has a cute on it  and I am feeling tired. But i realized as I was walking Daisy, sometimes you have to push through the tired call out to God and run.

This week I am preaching about embracing uncertainty. God is our certainty. His promise is that he will never leave us nor forsake us. The reality we live in as Christ followers is not like those who have no God to guide there step. He wants us to get to where he wants us to go more than we want to get to were he wants us. That is encouraging because I don't always no what the next step is but i do know that i can not stop i have to maintain momentum and GO...

FREE PUBLICITY!

I am so stoked... I just meet with Comcast today and they are talking about having us promo there business Internet service. This is great because they want to promo us as well. So picture me on your TV talking about High Point and how we use Comcast! FREE! I love it. Pray they pick us because it would be an awesome thing to hit toward the fall as we are ready to push our fall mailer. It could be God :)

The Influentials

Mark Batterson wrote:

"I love the way Rick is challenging "the influentials" in his church to leverage their influence for the kingdom! Gave me an idea for a small group next semester. We've got so many influentials at NCC--political influence, journalistic influence, economic influence. But influentials want to and need to be challenged with God-sized dreams! It comes down to this: God gives us platforms not to platform us but to platform Himself and His message!

Influence is a stewardship issue!"

I have got to teach on this more... Think of all of the people you know and all of the potential that those people can have influencing others to find Christ... I have been thinking about my neighbors... One is about to have a baby and I am planning on using that experience to draw them to the Lord and to High Point. I also have another neighbor that I feel closer to that I have not invited to church yet... I was feeling like I have been to casual about it. Think about how many restaurants I have pushed on people... or how many books I have sold to others... We am I so slow on influencing Christ on others. This must change and I am the only one that can make it happen.

What could be...

I am watching Mark Batterson's state of the church message for 06-07. There was a video they showed of there tear down the sign ceremony when they bought a nasty crack house. It took them years to get all of the money, approval, and energy to build an awesome Coffee House on the spot.

What will God give us a vision for? What is awaiting us? Will someone give us a building? will we buy the Cub on Robert? Will we see people come to a movie theatre we own? Will We be in every theatre in the cities? What could be? With God I am usually the Last to find out. But he is right now working behind the scenes on our behalf on my behalf and on your behalf to do exceedingly and abundantly more than we can imagine.

Dreams and Visions are the lords. I want to Build his house and bring as many as possible to heaven with us. For the Glory Of Jesus Name.

Either memory overtakes imagination or Imagination over takes memory

Either memory overtakes imagination or Imagination over takes memory!

Think about that for a moment... It is why churches after 30 years of one leader are dying. It is why businesses lose market share. It is the essence of age. I think that if you're imagination is overtaking your memory then you are young no matter how old you are. I think if your imagination is overtaking memory you will be a success and you will live by faith and take risks and live LARGE.

God may I be captivated by your imagination and never live in the memorials of my past.

Lets imagine a better future where we are holding on for dear life wondering what is at the end of the rapids we are on. I love that quote!

The new Evan Almighty was fantasic... I love this article about the director. He is a follower of Christ that understands how to create Great movies with powerfully timeless truths in it. Read the article and I think you will agree this guy is a fantastic example of what we should be in our everyday life.

My Undisciplined Life

I have been thinking a lot about what it costs to serve the Lord. I started running for our connection group about a week and a half ago. I do it because I feel like God told me that I am holding myself back from what God wants in my life. So I am running and as I run I sense the lord’s favor on me. It is an amazing thing to worship the Lord with the pounding of my feet on the pavement. But He asks a lot of us.

I have been thinking about other things in my life and wondering if I could give those to the Lord. I am about to have a child soon. What if my wife were to die in child birth; could I give her to God and be alone? This child is she mine or am I just a custodian of her for the Lord? I ask these questions and test my answers. I have had to work through some of them because sometimes I realize I am selfish and not fully surrendered. I don’t want to live that way.

My life is not my own. I have willingly surrendered it to the Lord. The small pleasures I indulge in are ultimately up to the Lord weather he wants me to continue. My time, my appetite and my everything it is the Lords. My new vehicle, how could I hold on to something that is on the slow slope to a trash heap?

But why do we live like it is all ours and God can have the leftovers? Why do people make such poor decisions with there time, energy and life? Why don’t more people live there lives abandoned to the will of the father? There is security and joy and fulfillment like none other when our lives are offered over to the cause of Christ.

Everything is different from that perspective. If I am living for the lord than what door will not be opened? What resource will I lack? Nothing will keep me from Gods best except me. If I stop being surrendered then I mess with Gods best. So I understand Paul’s daily beating of himself in order to stay surrendered to the Lord. For me I am reminded of it when my feet slap in there rhythmic cadence the cement beneath my shoes.

God, this is for you!

Running for a change

I am going for a run soon with my connection group. What an amazing idea that I thought no one would joinn in on. We had 13 last week and I expect another great group this morning. We are all of different running levels and that makes it fun. I get challenged a lot.

I have been thinking a lot about Galations 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Self control is something I think we need to think on and focus on more. We should challenge our bodies not to eat, drink or indulge in so many easily had pleasures. Opting instead to place ourselves in a disciplined life for the better of ourselves and to show our God that we are able to handle what he gives us.

I truly believe he is waiting for us to take responsibility for ourselves, to control ourselves. Before he gives us his next challenge and blessing.

Standards

This has been on my mind lately. Everyone should know what a Win is and what a Loss is. In business we have goals based on last year and foot traffic. In agriculture it is easy because we have a good sized crop or you don’t. In the ministry I find two camps to this. One group doesn’t want to nail down specific measurable goals and standards and the other does. I don’t know why you wouldn’t. Last year we had x many in Connection Groups; x much in the offering; x many individual givers, x many children… and so on. We then have to make an assumption based on Christ commission to GO! And expect and evaluate growth. If no growth is present than we ask why? And if it is Growth is not present for a season… How do we change it?

I planted

High Point

with an awesome Team and a co-Pastor who I love dearly. We set goals and standards. We made radical changes often in order to meet those Standards. We also reevaluated those standards and goals based on reality and adjusted them. Some things we did not hit. I wish we had but other areas, we more than hit. The result is that we worked our tails off pushing for a Win.

And we are winning. Our LY is up 30% in attendance… Giving is up as well. Connection groups have doubled.

High Point

is pushing forward. So as we think towards fall what is next for us? How many will come to know Christ? How many kids will fill our theatres? I don’t know but I am beginning to set out some goals and standards that I want us to meet. There are some areas of Growth we need to see happen In order to see success in our Eyes. I think back to the Parable of the talents. I want to be one of the two who doubled what God has given me. So I pray that he will honor and speak to us as we plan for his Kingdom to be expanded.