Dr. Jay's Blog

This is one of those days for me when I went from feeling pretty well physically to "bottoming out" half way through the day.

There's no need to elaborate on my long-standing physical problems with my lower back, but when things get a bit inflamed there seems to be little to do about it that can really bring relief that lasts. The difficult part is that it affects my ability to engage in conversations, be a contributor in our meetings and really do what's important to me.

I'm grateful, however, that this helps me identify with those of you who suffer in different ways. You cry out to God and you know that unless He gives you grace you're not going to make it through. But, it seems that one way or another He provides that grace even if it's at the last moment.

Paul had the same problem which he described in 2 Corinthians 12. I'm grateful that he gives us some basis upon which to have hope and also believe that there are better days ahead!

Blessings,

Dr. Jay

I had lunch today with a dear brother in the Lord and member of our church. He's been coming for a couple years now, has quite a bit of ministry in his background and best of all, is really excited about what God is doing in his life and in our church!

This sense of "great anticipation" is something that I'm beginning to hear as an increasing chorus of affirmation. I give the Lord the thanks for His blessing of our investments, especially in prayer. All thanks and glory belong to God.

My personal sense of anticipation is also growing as I see a little further ahead and know that we have some great announcements to make in the coming weeks. It's exciting to see God's hand with as we seek to be "in step with the Spirit" (Galations 5:25), which always leads to fruitfulness and blessing!

Be encouraged, friend! The Lord's at work!

Blessings,

Dr. Jay

Yesterday, I had the great experience of worshipping with our fast growing community in and around the Oakland campus. Though the weather conditions were difficult and it was the start of the Great Race, there were still nearly 400 worshippers there on Sunday morning. From the moment I crossed the threshold into the space I knew something special was going to happen.

When people set out ot look out for others, take care of details and, most importantly, honor Jesus in all they do it's a "can't miss" proposition!

I'm really excited for what's going to happen in Oakland in the coming months as they add an additional service next weekend and continue to deepen in their fellowship in understanding the gospel.

Let's keep them in prayer and also ask the Lord to teach us from what they've learned in establishing entirely new campuses away from our home here in Wexford.

Blessings,

Dr. Jay

I was reading in Philippians 3 where Paul says "I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. ... I press on toward the goal." One of the things that must be part of our spiritual dna is a compelling drive to not fall into indifference about our spiritual growth or calling. This is usually a subtle thing that happens because of the comfort of surroundings or the stability of circumstance.

Some of us aren't facing financial crisis or personal issues right now, but we're not growing spiritually either. You may want to ask yourself if this is when you should spend time with the Lord to reignite your passion for the things of God and to see exactly when and where He wants to use you in His Kingdom and grow you to be more like His Son!

We're looking forward to a great weekend of ministry here in Pittsburgh. If you're with us, please do join us in Oakland or here at the Wexford campus and soon to be in other locations!

Blessings,

Dr. Jay

We spent a lot of time today talking about the possibility of expanding the ministry of our church and reaching new communities. We dreamed about changed lives and what it would mean to serve those in need and lead them into a life altering relationship with Jesus.

But when you talk about such things there are always some significant obstacles in your path. Some of them are logistical and organizational, but most of them have to do with the simple matter of faith. The question is do we believe that God can enable us to overcome the things that are in the path of what we believe His will to be?

This comes down to "How certain are you that it's the will of God"? If you know in your spirit that God's really given you this mandate then your faith should be locked into the Word of God and not into your fears about the obstacles. That's when you know this can really happen and move ahead with confidence in spite of the obstacles.

Reading of the Old Testament will find this principle over and over again. David chose to believe his God rather than the giant that stood before him and as a result Israel was set free!

Blessings,

Dr. Jay

One of the things that we are sharing in our life here at North Way at the present time is the undeniable awareness of a deep sense of unity that can only be brought about by the Holy Spirit.

I bring it all back to the fact that a few months ago we determined to pray more regularly for God to be among us and for God to be more glorified in our lives. As a result, our teams are working better, our relationships are becoming more outwardly focused and there's a sense of love and acceptance in just about every facet of our ministry.

Unity is something you can't manufacture. It's a gift that God brings by His presence, but when it comes, there's no denying it's power to make things happen! Lives are changed because unity reveals the heart of God both to those inside and outside of His Kingdom. It's a joy to experience unity and the fulfillment of Psalm 133 which says where God's people dwell together in unity, there He commands the blessing.

Blessings!

Dr. Jay

Anyone living in the Pittsburgh area knows that there are some pretty incredible preparations being made for the soon to be held G-20 summit here in Pittsburgh.

Over 4,000 police officers have been "imported" into the city along with a veritable army of support people, and other military groups such as the Coast Guard, helicopters, etc.

All of this is necessary to control any potential outbreaks of "protester violence" that could occur.

It's amazing to me the degree of investment we will make (some are putting the figure at $30-50,000,000 to protect our city from just the potential of some disruption, but how little effect our investment will have to really make a difference in our city in terms of helping kids in need, creating jobs for those who are searching for them and creating an environment of productivity that will continue to set us apart.

It's always like that in life. A balance between defense and offense. For me, the more we concentrate on the offense the less we'll have to be concerned about the defense because contented people who are well taken care of will always defend that liberty.

Blessings,

Dr. Jay

It seems that everything that we really enjoy has a certain beauty or appeal to it that attracts us to want more and more of it.

Recently, as I've shared in this space before, I've discovered cycling as a way to stay somewhat "fit" and really decompress my mind and heart from lots of other things that could be going on.

The problem with this is that I cycle with lots of intensity and therefore, over time, I've created a bit of an imbalance in my spine as a result. It appears that it's nothing that can't be corrected with some rather intentional physical therapy and other non-invasive techniques, but I can tell you that there's been a lot of pain over the last couple of months that I couldn't understand. It was the "beautiful thing" of riding my bike that was creating the painful thing of an imbalanced spine!

I suppose this principle is true in every area of life. It often takes pain for us to make a change and when pain occurs we do well to acknowledge it and go directly to find help.

If you're in one of those places where something beautiful has gotten out of balance, then be sure to find a balancing practice that will bring you back into alignment.

Blessings,

Dr. Jay

I’m often asked about the “governance” of North Way and how it is that we define ourselves in terms of eldership and other forms of New Testament biblical ecclesiology.

It’s with great joy that I say that we’ve been blessed for the last 28 years with a group of men who have provided incredibly wise, well studied and courageous leadership in the form of the biblical eldership pattern that Paul established with Timothy and all the churches that he founded in the first century.

Biblical elders have that unique ability to step into a situation with wisdom and perspective, not just great ideas and a lot of passion. Ideas and passion are significant but without perspective and wisdom they sometimes lead to actions that are counter productive. True eldership understands the wisdom in waiting on God to get things done even when you feel inspired and motivated to do it on your own.

That’s the kind of leadership we’ve had here at North Way and I am measurably blessed to serve alongside such men.

Blessings!

Dr. Jay

Over the last couple of days I've been struck by the power of simply saying "a good word" about another person.

If it's in their presence, it's all the more powerful as they drink in those ever so rare droplets of affirmation. It's an amazing thing to know that you're valued by someone that you respect and they find enormous motivation when those words strike their heart.

It also matters when you speak a good word about someone when they're not present. It tells the listener that you care about that other person but that you also are trustworthy when it comes to your relationship with them.

Just today I spoke with two very professional highly paid people who I affirmed in different ways and sensed their pleasure with the simple words that I shared with them. I also had the privilege of sharing some kind words with a co-worker who mutually affirmed some good things.

The net result of all this is that I go through the day feeling edified and knowing that I made a difference in building up others.

Think about it. With all the negativity in the world and all the ways that we know we don't match up to a particular standard, isn't it good... to hear a good word!

Blessings,

Dr. Jay

The operative word here in our North Way staff over this year has been "encouragement"! We have sought to find ways to pass on verbal and other encouraging signals to one another to help us make our way through the challenges that we face.

It's interesting how one simple word or fact can change someone's entire outlook.

I shared just today that last weekend's attendance surpassed the same weekend of any other year in our history as a church. That's no "big deal" in God's absolute scheme of things but it's very encouraging for our people to know that our best days are obviously still ahead of us and not behind us!

This is encouraging news and helps our people to expect God to continue to work in ways that will both bless and validate their incredible investment in ministry.

A little encouragement goes a long way. Why not think of a way you could be encouraging of someone today?

Blessings,

Dr. Jay

Over the past couple of weeks I've had several conversations with different folks that are in some rather dramatic seasons of spiritual transformation.

Details aren't necessary, but let it be sufficient to say that these men and women are going through times of amazing change in their lives. They're "hearing from God" about specific things and experiencing healing and deliverance that defies any rational or natural explanation that I can give simply by listening to their stories.

This blesses me in that it reminds me that God is much bigger than I am and can sometimes do things for which I have no explanation. That's not difficult to say, but it's hard to accept at times when we live in such a rational culture that wants to explain everything in such detail.

It also gives me hope that God may have some surprises for me as well that don't require me to understand them or explain them, just to experience them! I hope the same for you.

Blessings,

Dr. Jay

Last evening, I took my grandson Jack over to the kick-off night for the student ministries here at North Way. It was a “Knight Fight” which was right down little Jack’s alley! It was great for him to see the energy of the students as they made uniforms for their knights and then went out into the middle of the circle and did “battle” together.

These are all seeds that are being sown into the hearts and minds of little ones as they see kids in church having fun and also learning things. Who knows when these memories will turn into motivations for them to be involved themselves and part of life-giving church?!

I hope you get to be part of such an event and include your family as well!

Blessings,

Pastor Jay

I had an interesting experience today with a person I would consider an outstanding leader in our community. It's not just the fact that he's been successful in business and some of his other ventures, but it's the clear understanding he has of exercising his leadership gifts with responsibility and consistent passion.

This is something that I think we could all learn from. We tend to be tentative at times about our gifts because we don't want to feel like we're thrusting ourselves upon people or come across as being proud or arrogant. (Neither of these would please the Lord!)

On the other hand, to hold back ideas because we fear that we'll be misunderstood and thereby cause someone to take offense, does not allow the body of Christ to grow the way it could!

That's why Paul was so adamant in his writings that each part has a specific role and must be exercised if the body is to grow into complete health.

And so whatever you think your gift might be, exercise it with passion and focus. Don't be afraid to make yourself available and, with submission and a servant's heart, exercise your gift to it's fullest. You'll build up the body of Christ in a way that will bless both you and the church or ministry that you serve!

Blessings,

Dr. Jay

As part of my day, I met with a dozen of our key leaders under the facilitation of a member whose expertise in business strategy development is pretty incredible.

The reason I use those adjectives is because of Mike's ability to have the group engage in the process of thinking through the strategy that our church family will incorporate over the next years to fulfill our mission and vision.

All this is just a bunch of words until you think about the people; each individual person or family we're going to affect with the power of the gospel because of the ideas, innovation and creativity that will flow as a result of this kind of extended investment in the planning process.

What struck me was how much perspective a team brought to even a single idea, let alone the thoughts of just one or two people. This was teamwork at it's best and a very convincing reminder to me that there's a reason why Jesus had 12 disciples and a reason why we're committed to leading by teams and in small groups. The reason: they work! And they get the very best outcomes and bring us to the place of bringing the most glory to God.

Blessings,

Dr. Jay

Maybe you've been caught in the opportunity trap. Those are the unforeseen moments that come into our lives when it appears that God has opened a door that you absolutely "have to" go forward through and seize the opportunity to advance the Kingdom or serve someone in a particular way.

These opportunities come disguised in many forms and they always seem to be such unusual gifts that you can't imagine that God's not in it.

However, remember that you can only give yourself to so many opportunities before they begin to crowd Jesus out of your life and become too much for you to handle. Then what was once an opportunity now becomes a trap. A trap that keeps you from giving the Lord your best time, serving others that you've already made commitments to or simply keeping a balance in your life.

Now I'm certain that many of you wish you had more opportunities, but I'm also equally certain that a number of you feel like I do right now that there are more opportunities than there are hours in the day. How do you know when God's opening the door and when it's just another trap?

The only answer to that question comes by those unhurried times of waiting on the Lord, listening to His voice through scripture and then seeking wise counsel about each opportunity as it comes your way.

When they truly are from God, each opportunity becomes an enormous blessing to you and others. I hope you're able to discern the difference.

Blessings,

Dr. Jay

Yesterday, on Labor Day, I spent well over an hour with a precious young couple who are experiencing what we would deem "the unthinkable."

For some unknown reason their two month old baby boy rolled over in his little crib and was unable to breathe. He slipped away into the hands of Jesus and is now in heaven with the Lord.

The couple is processing all of the grief that comes rolling in waves upon waves in a time like this, but they also have an anchor that they're holding on to. It's their faith in Jesus and their confidence that He is sovereign and in control.

They also have family that's been helping, but it's the presence of their small group that has been amazing to me. These people have been their to serve food, clean, run errands and simply "incarnate" the love of Jesus in an unspeakably difficult time.

I wonder if you have those kind of non-family relationships here in our church? If not, now's the time to join a group and discover what it means to be truly connected. You never now when that unthinkable moment may happen in your life, even though we pray it never will.

Blessings,

Dr. Jay

This is the seventh beautiful day in a row that we've had here in Western Pennsylvania. What makes it all the more special is that this evening is the final Car Cruise of the 2009 season. We're expecting at least 2,000 cars to be on hand and probably 7,000 or 8,000 people to invade our property to stroll throughout the grounds and facility and allow some of the joy and peace that our people have to be deposited into their lives.

It's hard when something of this magnitude is staring you in the face and you don't know if you have the energy to pull it off, but by God's grace we've done so over the past months with incredible fuitfulness and a magnificent set of volunteers who give selflessly and tirelessly to make it happen.

It's hard to be focused on talking to one person when you see thousands all around you but that's the essence of what these kind of events are all about. It's never about the number for me. It's always about talking with a person about their individual situation or story.

It's hard when you know that so much more could be done, but it's a blessing to know that at least something is being done in a way that allows lives to be changed even when we may not see it as a direct consequence of our investment.

So look beyond htose hard moments and believe for the best because trust me when I tell you that indeed these seeds are going to grow into great oak trees.

Blessings

Dr. Jay

We're about 24 hours away from what is likely to be the largest Car Cruise in North Way's history!

What makes this even more astonishing is it's probably one of the largest weekly car cruises anywhere in America and therefore, in and of it's own right, an amazing achievement.

But the real blessing of the Car Cruise is that it has established a network of authentic relationships that reach all around the city.

I rarely go into an establishment, gas station, CVS, grocery store or whatever without talking to someone that knows me as the "Car Cruise Pastor"! Although this is a bit shallow by most people's account, I see it as an honor and a simple bridge of opportunity to talk to them about their interest, not just in cars, but in Christ!

I encourage you all to visit us tomorrow any time between 5:00 and 9:00 p.m. for one of the most amazing demonstrations of creativity, color and community that you'll ever experience. There'll be television camera's rolling, people smiling and laughing, some of the greatest food and music of all time and best of all, all presented as a gift from our church to the community in which God has placed us.

Blessings,

Dr. Jay

Some weeks ago, Carol and I were driving up McKnight Road after a show in the cultural district that went quite late.

As we got off of I279 and went north on McKnight Road, all we could see as we looked ahead was a string of "green lights." A trip that would normally take 20-25 minutes (easily) ended up taking only about 15!

On a normal weekday those lights would be a series of red & green, red & green, etc. In those cases you necessarily take much more time to see things happen.

I'm sharing this somewhat imperfect metaphor to indicate what I sense is happening here in our church in these days. We are seeing "green lights"(by God's grace) everywhere we look! God is opening doors, providing resources, creating relationships and breathing favor upon our efforts to advance His kingdom in ways that we've been praying about for many many months!

Red lights are necessary at times. They make us stop and think about things, but I love the green lights!

Blessings,

Dr. Jay

What are friends for? At times, I have friends that take me to elegant places and treat me way beyond what I would ever deserve in terms of nice meals and all the rest.

But I also have great friends who will climb underneath my '46 Plymouth after spending a couple of hours trying to help me get it started. They'll scrape their knuckles and elbows replacing a few parts that just aren't working only because they care about me and want to help in the way they know best.

To be honest, I love both sets of friends in the same way. They both touch my heart because they give of what God has given them and they are both of equal value to me because they are giving from a heart of love.

I hope you have friends like that but more important, I hope you can be a friend like that to others. It's life changing!

Blessings,

Dr. Jay