Tom Hogsed » The Church

Monday Morning Hangover

Tom Hogsed — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 04:01:14 +0000

You left church yesterday with the best of intentions, right? Your Pastor talked about something relevant to your life and you decided to make a change in response to the truth of God’s Word. You really meant it. This week was going to be different…but then you woke up this morning…Monday morning. You already feel horrible because you aren’t sure that you can make a change in your life. Doubt starts creep in and you begin to question if you really meant it. Before you know it, you have given up and rationalized away those feelings of yesterday. That morning after feeling is normal for all of us, including me. So, how do we fight off these feelings and submit to God’s work in our heart?

Feelings must be overtaken by fact. You may not feel as if you can make the necessary change to walk in obedience to Christ, but the fact is that God “…is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us….” (Ephesians 3:20). God’s ability to change you far outweighs your feelings of doubt. If God began a work in your heart yesterday, He is capable of bringing it to pass today.

Yesterday, God laid the foundation. Today, construction begins.

What Happened on This Date?

Tom Hogsed — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 13:05:00 +0000

This weekend will mark my twelfth year working at Canton Baptist Temple. Looking back through the years, I have learned so much about myself, others, church, and my relationship with God. There have been many good times and numerous struggles, but I don’t regret one moment. Even though my wife never planned on marrying a pastor (I wooed her), I believe she has been everything I could have ever wanted and we have shared countless memories of our experience at CBT and, now, The Summit in Green. Sometimes I think people like her better than me! I cannot say enough good things about my two kids. I hope they know how proud I am of them. I hope they are proud of me.

I would like to thank all of you who have become our friends and have allowed us to share in your lives. I pray that God would continue to use all of us to reach out to people who are far from God so that they can experience hope, the forgiveness of God, and a changed life. I know that God has something special in store for our future!

Are Christians Suspicious?

Tom Hogsed — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:42:00 +0000

Do I really look that suspicious? Really? Somebody thinks I do. It all started the other day when I had to stop by Wal-Mart to pick up a few basic things. I wasn’t inside too long before I was checking out and then heading out the automatic doors into the parking lot; however, as I exited the store, an armored truck guard must have also exited at the same time as me through the doors right next to me. We were now walking kind of parallel to each other. I finally noticed him because he was eyeing me. At first I did not realize who he was, but as soon as I saw him carrying a bag (probably full of money) and sporting a gun, I assumed he was not your friendly Wal-Mart greeter. I think what threw him off was the fact that I reached into my back pocket to retrieve my phone, but he must have assumed from my lighting fast moves that I was packing heat! His step quickened and the heavy truck door was thrown open and he disappeared into the great unknown…keeping his eye on me until the very last moment. The only thing that could have possibly made me look suspicious is the fact that I have a beard and was wearing a TOMS Shoes hat because all thieves have beards and wear hats!

I really hate it when people look at me suspiciously, especially when I know I haven’t done anything wrong. If I have done something wrong, that’s a different story. In my opinion, Christians are often on the suspicious list.

In your opinion, what makes Christians look suspect?

Next Gen Leader Gets His Turn

Tom Hogsed — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:01:00 +0000

The other day I was reading the cover story in the October issue of National Geographic magazine. The article, simply entitled Redwoods: Super Trees, speaks about the value and beauty of redwood trees, which have the potential to be the tallest trees on earth. Although the article addresses issues such as saving the trees and other conservation efforts, the author also writes about a unique process in the forest between the older trees and the second generation trees called release. The writer, Joel K. Bourne, Jr., describes this phenomenon for the reader by saying, “With their high tolerance for shade and ability to sprout, some redwoods can sit almost dormant in the shade of their elders for decades. Yet as soon as a dominant tree falls or is cut down, breaking the canopy and allowing new light to enter the forest, the suppressed redwood springs up with new growth” (October 2009 issue, p. 38).

As soon as I read this statement I paused and re-read it again; it was one of those moments in which I felt as if God was providing a spiritual application to an earthly illustration. In my lifetime I have seen many “elders” and “dominant” leaders pass off the scene which has opened up the forest to many of the “suppressed” (I don’t mean this in a negative way) leaders. For many years, some of you have stood strong in the shadow of an elder who provided shade and protection, but now it is time for you to step into the light and “spring up with new growth.”

I believe Paul wrote some similar advice to those “suppressed” leaders who were getting ready to assume the place of their elders, “Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you teach, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them. Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecies spoken to you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right, and God will save you and those who hear you (1 Timothy 4:12-16, NLT).

Are you ready to step into the light?

IMPART at Elevation Church

Tom Hogsed — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:41:00 +0000

On Tuesday, October 27, 2009 I had the opportunity to attend IMPART at Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. The eight hour trip from Ohio was well worth it for the “conference” as well as the time I was able to spend with my parents and both brothers who also live in Charlotte. This one day event was full of surprises, stories, staff, and stirring of the soul. Let me break it down.

Surprises:
Steve Fee showed up and played a few songs and then gave everyone a free copy of his new CD, Hope Rising. That was an unexpected surprise! I must say…hearing Glory to God Forever live was inspiring. The third session with Pastor Steven Furtick included a very special guest, Perry Noble from NewSpring Church in Anderson, SC. Hearing them interact about ministry was very helpful.

Stories:
Throughout the sessions, Pastor Steven shared the story of Elevation Church and how God has used their ministry in the city of Charlotte. His stories were especially near to my heart since I grew up in Charlotte. In just three and a half years, God has done some incredible things through Elevation and those stories were invigorating for me.

Staff:
The volunteer staff was AWESOME and the paid staff were available throughout the day. Those who attended the event had full access to the people who make Elevation what it is. You probably don’t get that at many other conferences.

Stirring of the Soul:
There is so much I could share here, but I’ll only highlight a few of the things God hit me with during the four sessions:

Three essential core values which should be a part of the church: Audacity (faith), Honor, and Generosity
“We want to be known by what we are for, not what we are against”
Act on the vision God has shown YOU.
Say it until you see it
True vision is holding onto what you cannot see yet
Don’t think too small
Our generation must restore honor to the church and that starts by honoring God
Honor men of God, the word of God, and other ministries
Respect is earned, honor is not
Excellence is custom designed
Simplicity enables excellence
Build for what God is going to do
Momentum – you don’t create it, you just ride it
I prepare, God blesses
Embrace the pain that lies between you and God
There is an emotional, physical, and relational cost to your calling

Of course, there is much more, but those are a few of the things God impressed on my heart as I listened. Now, I pray that God would help me to apply these things!

A Not-So Friendly Encounter

Tom Hogsed — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:15:00 +0000

“The locals are pretty nice around here,” I thought as the tall, elderly man standing at the door awaited our family to enter the store. I smiled and he spoke to me right before allowing us to pass through the entrance. At first I could not understand what he said because he was a “low talker.” No puffy shirt, though (only Seinfeld fans will understand)! “Excuse me,” my wife responded. “Don’t you know how to use the left hand turn lane?” the man inquired. His words made no sense and I must have looked confused so he provided further details of my supposed infraction. “I was turning in here right behind you, but you cut me off,” he continued. My wife quickly spoke up, “We’re not from around here. We’re just visiting from out of town.” Her answer did not seem to satisfy him so he mumbled something else and walked into the store. Now I know why he waited at the door for us. He wasn’t interested in welcoming us, but in making sure we were aware of the “code of conduct” in his town. Maybe I did do something wrong, but he saw my license plate. He knew I wasn’t familiar with his town.

I wonder how many people will visit churches this weekend and feel the same way?

As a side note, I figured that he may have also been an embittered Michigan football fan who was still nursing some wounds from Ohio State kicking their rear-ends this season. Just sayin…

What was I writing one year ago? Click here to read Trapped in a Room with a Fly

The Church's First Priority

Tom Hogsed — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 05:01:00 +0000

Saturday was full of adventures for our family, but nothing was quite as exciting and exhilarating as our search for a bird bath; of course, I am being sarcastic. My wife came up with this brilliant idea of purchasing a bird feeder for our backyard as well as a bird bath to bathe the winged creatures. We visited our local PetSmart and immediately found what we needed, but the bird bath was a little expensive, in my opinion, so, we decided to check out a couple stores across the street but had no luck. Instead of returning to PetSmart, Leah and I thought of some other stores which may carry bird baths, but no success at any of those either. After driving around for well over an hour, we returned to our starting point and purchased the bird bath. I told Leah, “For all the time it took us to gather these things for the birds, it better attract eagles, hawks, vultures, condors, and penguins!” So far we’ve had no flying fowl quite that size – just a couple sparrows and some robins. I still have my fingers crossed for some bigger birds!

Over the last few days our entire family has enjoyed watching as the feeder has attracted a handful of birds. Although the feeder has not initially brought as many birds as we had expected, we know that time will bring more. We are convinced that the key to attracting more birds is to offer them something which sustains life.

The modern day church has many avenues to “attract” people; however, it must not forget that its first priority is to offer hope and life through Jesus Christ. It was Jesus who said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

The Impossibility of Avoiding Mall Kiosk Workers

Tom Hogsed — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 01:45:00 +0000

Been to the mall lately? If you have, I’m sure you are very familiar with the kiosks lining the middle of the walkways inside endeavoring to sell you items such as Dead Sea minerals for your nails, facial products for your acne, and a new cell phone plan to replace your current one. All of these products are good and fine, but the people selling them can be… (how can I be nice?) persistent. I have a friend who affectionately calls them “mall stalkers.” Neither my wife nor I have mastered the art of avoiding these young “entrepreneurs” trying to sell us stuff we really don’t want or need. Without success, we have attempted the following methods: 1) avoiding eye contact, 2) walking close to the wall while avoiding eye contact, 3) power walking past the kiosk, 4) pretending to not hear their calls, 5) waiting until the kiosk worker is preying upon another unassuming passerby and then running past, and lastly, 6) yelling at our kids to create a distraction. Alright. We have not tried the last one, but I think we may.Today, my wife fell victim to one of the kiosk products; however, it wasn’t out of coercion, but choice. Yes, you read me right. My wife willingly surrendered herself to the kiosk gods. Why? They were selling merchandise she needed. Things seem to work so much better when a person receives something that they know they need, instead of only receiving something simply out of intimidation. I’m afraid, at times, the church has become the dreaded kiosk where those outside are avoiding eye contact, power walking past, or pretending to not hear the message of the church. Instead, the church should become a place of hope where weary souls can find the One they need, who is Jesus.

Open Doors and Moving Cars

Tom Hogsed — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 01:31:00 +0000

A couple times over the last few weeks, my kids have been in this bad habit of opening the car door before it has come to a full and complete stop. For some reason, I always go nuts when they do this because I can just picture one of them rolling out of the car and underneath the back tire…my wife would kill me for forgetting to lock the door. She is a religious door locker. The only time I lock the car doors is when I see a man (or woman) walking close to my car whom I don’t think I can take in a fight…which is most people. Getting back to the whole “opening the car door while the car is still moving” thing, I have attempted telling them the most horrifying story of the kid (who really doesn’t exist) who fell out of the car in an effort to scare them, but it didn’t work. I think I’ve determined what possesses them to open the car door prior to the car stopping – they are racing to be first…first out of the car, first to the garage door, first to do this, first to do that. Everything is in an effort to be better than the other.Are you familiar with this race? You want a bigger house, nicer car, larger bank account, and more clients so that you can be better in comparison to your friends. You are willing to go to great lengths for your kids to be #1 in their sports, academics, and other activities so that they can be the talk of the school. Even those in ministry get caught up in this race…bigger buildings, more people, and greater prestige. At the core, there is nothing wrong with building big buildings or attracting more people; however, when a leader does all of this for the sake of being better than the church down the street, his motives are wrong.Let’s quit trying to open the car door before the other and instead maybe try opening the door for someone else for once…after the car has stopped, of course.

Why I'm Giving Up Driving

Tom Hogsed — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 20:53:00 +0000

Parking lots can be dangerous. Consider being in the car with me a couple weeks ago while I was exiting a parking lot via the designated vertical lane when suddenly some guy in a big, white SUV barreled across the parking lot horizontally. If I had been a few feet closer, he would have rammed right into the side of my little car sending me into next week! The horrible thing is that this guy was completely oblivious to the fact that he almost t-boned me in front of all the patrons sipping their coffee in Borders. The nerve of some people! Then, to make things worse a few days later I was at a 4-way stop and I swear on a stack of Bibles that I was the first person to arrive there; however, some idiot, jerk, or clown (as my dad used to call bad drivers) punched the gas and went right in front of me. I always try to scare people when they do this by also punching my gas and pretending that I am going to ram the side of their car. Good way to get shot…the bird. To make a long story short, I have decided to give up driving. Really. There are a few people on the road who shouldn’t have a license and they have ruined my driving experience.

Although the first part of the story is true (those driving incidents really did occur), I am not giving up my driving privileges. Yes, there are a few bad drivers on the road, but I refuse to allow them to ruin my daily travel.

There are also bad people and experiences in the church, but you should not allow a couple of negative individuals or experiences keep you from church.