Save the Date

October 30, 2013mikej2013 1 Comment

New Bible Study

Beginning Wednesday, November 6th

11:45 am and 6:00 pm

THE JOY IN RESPONSIBILITY

An in-depth study of the book of HEBREWS

Plan to join us! If you attend the 11:45 am study bring your lunch; the 6:00 pm study bring your dinner. Feel free to kill two birds with one stone…. Have you ever felt like the amount of responsibility in life is a heavy burden? Ever wondered how the Bible can ask you to be “joyful in everything”? Lets explore this life changing principle together!

Please call or email and let us know which study you will attend. Call Mike at (602) 321-6695 or email m.jones@patriarchproject.com .

Also: If you can’t join us in person, we will be broadcasting the study via “GoToMeeting”. You can sign in on your pc or mac or call on the phone and listen in…even participate! Call or email for details.

PATRIARCH PROJECT

138 S HAMILTON PLACE, GILBERT, AZ 85233

Directions: Located in Elliot Commerce Park, on Elliot Road between Arizona Ave. and McQueen.

The Man Behind the Curtain

October 15, 2013mikej2013 Leave a comment

“Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain”

Children of all ages quaked as they watched Dorothy; clinging to her friends, tremble down that massive hallway toward the booming voice of a glowing wizard. We feared we may never breathe again until Toto revealed the secret. The great and powerful OZ didn’t look so great once we had a peek behind the curtain.

That little man was working like crazy to support the false image of greatness. He frantically pushed buttons and turned wheels to make the sights and sounds that impressed his audience.

The smoke and mirrors and the bold and bombing commands of the wizard did Dorothy and her friends little good. Those things sent them on a frightening journey for a witch’s broom when their only goal was to find their way home.

Now, you would think that the moral of this story is: “Just be yourself.” In fact, Dorothy was told that she possessed the power to get home all along. Click your heels three times, and make a wish and back home again!

It is always a good idea to avoid pretending you’re something that you’re not. However, it’s not a good idea to just be you. After all, if the wizard thought being true to self was a good idea he wouldn’t have been found behind the curtain in the first place.

The Bible says pretending and being oneself are not acceptable to the life of a believer. Consider the words of the prophet Isaiah.

Say to those who have an anxious heart,

“Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance,

with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;

then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.

Isaiah 35:4-6 (ESV)

Dorothy was trying to get home. In a wondrous land over the rainbow, Dorothy realized the truth. Home was the place where she is loved. Home was the placed where she serves. Home was the place that gives her purpose. In other words, Dorothy was trying to find joy.

Dorothy knew her joy would be complete once she found her way home.

Unlike the movie, the Bible teaches that joy can be found only in the God of the Bible.

Dorothy was responsible for all her friends. At times she was called upon to give wisdom to the scarecrow and a heart of courage to the tin man and lion. That’s a heavy load to bear. That’s real responsibility.

As a leader, you are responsible for others. It’s in that responsibility that a profound joy is found but only if you experience it through the truth of the Bible.

Our journey begins Wednesday, November 6^th. We will meet at 11:45 am and 6:00 pm. Bring your lunch or dinner. Join with others as we learn to navigate God’s plan for our lives.

We are here for you Monday through Friday 8am – 5pm. Schedule a time on any of those days, at any hour, to study God’s Word. Create your own small group. Business leaders, bring your employees. Parents, bring your family and your neighbors. We will be happy to customize a time and a study to meet your needs.

You can come to us or we can come to you (via the internet). If you are one of our out-of-state friends or just can’t get everyone to Gilbert at one time, we will be happy to schedule a goToMeeting conference using your pc or mac.

Contact Pastor Mike at (602) 321-6695 or m.jones@patriarchproject.com.

My Card

September 23, 2013mikej2013 2 Comments

A very wise mentor once said, “Only ask advice from those who have your best interest in mind.” Now your first reaction to this statement might be, “Duh, that’s not profound, everyone does that already! I never ask advice from my enemies.”

Before you write off this statement allow me to point out some of its deeper meaning. The key lies in knowing who has your best interest in mind.

I’ll make my point with this example:

A high school graduate stands at a crossroads decision. “Where will I go to college?” He seeks and receives advice from two trusted sources. His parents are very successful doctors from one of the country’s finest medical schools. Desiring that their son follow in their footsteps, they strongly encourage their alma mater.

The graduate’s two best friends in the world are going to a sleepy little college nestled in the Appalachian mountains. Being a respectable school with a regional reputation, the two friends encourage the graduate to keep the tradition going…the three musketeers conquering the world together.

Two trusted sources encouraging two opposing paths. Both the parents and the friends love the graduate. All desire a successful future for him. However, both futures are biased, based on the personal desires of the advisors.

We are faced with these types of decisions throughout life. Especially those ordained to lead. Think of how often a business owner is faced with making major decisions. Is it time to hire and expand? It is time to cut back and downsize? Should I buy that business? Should I sell my business? The list is endless.

It is always a good idea to talk over life changing decisions with your spouse and close family members. It is even a good idea to talk with your peers. However, one must realize that these people always begin the advice with their own biased desires.

That’s why you need a pastor. That’s why business owners need a pastor even if you don’t consider yourself a particularly “religious” person. You need a point of view from someone who seeks your best interest from a Biblical perspective without personal bias.

There is nothing wrong with making an appointment to discuss specific issues and seek answers. But the best answers are the ones found while studying the Bible together. I can’t tell you the number of times a business leader has said they discovered the answer to a perplexing problem right in the middle of the Bible study. I wasn’t even aware that there had been a question. The Bible has answers, period. It is trustworthy. It is truth.

I pray that you’ll join my study in the Word of God starting in November. We will begin with the topic “The Joy in Responsibility”.

Oh, by the way, my card…

Blessings,

Pastor Mike

New Home

September 19, 2013mikej2013 4 Comments

138 S Hamilton Place, Gilbert, AZ 85233

Welcome to the new home of Patriarch Project. We are just beginning to move in. The Lord has provided a great location to hang our hat and get to the business of ministry. We are located in the Elliot Commerce Park, a prime business location at the crossroads of Arizona Ave. and Elliot.

Our space includes two offices, a kitchenette, restrooms, and a great meeting hall that will be home to Bible studies and Worship services. Our new space will comfortably seat 100.

Front Door

I am often asked the question, “Wait a minute… are you a church or a business?” The answer is YES! With the Lord’s help we hope to touch the lives of the estimated 2,000 folks that settle into their daily routines of earning a living on the four corners that surround us.

As a church we will focus on the Word of God. Our goal is to have regularly scheduled Bible studies during the week that fit the schedules of the business owners and their employees. We envision beginning our studies with a Wednesday evening Bible study. As we begin to network with those around us and better understand their schedules and needs, times of studies, prayer and counseling will be organized during normal business hours (Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm).

As a business we will focus on the Word of God. (Did you pickup on the focus on the Word of God part?) We will be busy earning a living just like those we serve. The world’s best business management manual is the Bible. We will use it as our guide and teach its principles to others. Patriarch Project is about leadership and legacy…God’s way.

We pray that those who are seeking the truth in life and business will find our front door open and inviting.

Patriarch Project isn’t just for our neighbors at the business park; all are invited to join us. Many of our wonderful friends from ministry past will be faithfully attending and serving along side us. Our goal is to stream our studies live on this website to enable our out-of-state friends and associates to participate.

We hope to begin our first Bible study in November! Until then, there’s a lot of work to do. We will keep you posted, so stay tuned…

New Logo!

June 22, 2013mikej2013 3 Comments

Our new logo depicts our ministry and passion to raise up Godly leaders! Networking, Mentoring, and Missions! It’s “Grandfather, Father, Son” image reflects our efforts to build a “legacy” for the Kingdom of God.

Week nine (smorgasbord)

March 15, 2013mikej2013 3 Comments

Americans make a host of choices every day. Our lives are a smorgasbord. When its time to re-stock the pantry, we can shop at any of a dozen grocery stores. Once the grocer is selected we have hundreds of items and brands from which to choose. Not many Americans like the thought of having only one choice. If one brand doesn’t meet our expectations we simply move on to the next. It’s the American way. From gasoline to cell phones, we demand the right to choose.

There is at least one time in America when having choices cause anxiety. For a Christian, being in the center of God’s will is the ultimate goal. One of the most asked questions I experience as a pastor is, “How do I know what God’s will is?” When faced with more than one path, the Christian gets anxious. Two or three job offers often sends the Christian into a tail spin. After discussing all the options and talking over the details, more often than not I will hear, “I just wish God would tell me what to do. He could just write the answer on my bathroom mirror. Why doesn’t he?”

First, I don’t know any theological reason why God would write on anyone’s mirror. Second, think about how lazy that statement sounds. What a Christian is really saying when demanding God give a quick, easy to follow answer by writing it on their bathroom mirror is this… “God I don’t have time to dig deep into your Word. I don’t have the strength to cry out and wait. I AM HOPELESSLY OUT OF SHAPE SPIRITUALLY. I’m not like the psalmist who loves to meditate on the things of You day and night. I am a lazy American Christian…I want what I want…now please!”

Week nine has presented a host of options to pray through and consider. How will I know the Lord’s will? Prayer and the Word…fasting…spiritual disciplines…and, like the psalmist, crying out to a holy and just God. It’s hard work. But it’s a labor of love.

By the way, did I mention trust? Listen to this story that tells of a time in Abraham’s life when he had to make a choice and did so knowing God’s word and resting in the fact that he could trust God….

Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. ²And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh, ³that I may make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, ⁴but will go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” ⁵The servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?” ⁶Abraham said to him, “See to it that you do not take my son back there. ⁷The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke to me and swore to me, ‘To your offspring I will give this land,’ he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. ⁸But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there.” ⁹So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.

(Genesis 24:1-9, ESV)

Here are some facts regarding this passage… Based on Abraham’s knowledge of God’s Word, he knew Isaac needed a wife; she couldn’t be a Canaanite; Isaac couldn’t leave the promised land; his wife would come from Abraham’s family in Macedonia. (All of this knowledge came from Abraham loving to talk with God…my point, if you don’t love to talk to God day by day, you won’t be ready to make a choice tomorrow.)

Now Abraham takes this knowledge and makes a decision. “I’ll send my servant.” (vs 4) The servant agrees to go but asks, “But what if she won’t come?” (vs 5) Abraham says, “Don’t worry, the Lord will send His angel before you! But, if I’m wrong you are no longer obligated.” (vs 8-9)

Abraham was not absolutely certain of his decision; but, based on his history with God and the knowledge of His Word, he was very, very confident. So he said to his servant, “listen, my dear servant, I am as confident about this decision as anything I have ever done. So you go. And take heart: the Lord will send his angel before you.”

This is a beautiful pattern for us to follow…

Know God so well that you can understand the facts of life as God sees them.
Align your plans with those facts.
Take bold steps knowing God is with you!