relationships

Ministry is all about relationships. Just in the past week I've encountered numerous times when relationship is either talked about or experienced in one way or the other.

There are some who think relationships are good but not essential to spreading the Gospel. While I admire their focus on the Gospel I have to question the lack of relationships being a necessity. After all anyone you come in contact with you have some type of relationship to. It may just be a total stranger but the way you "relate" to them will determine how you communicate the Gospel of Jesus.

Now, as we build the relationships around us we have more and more opportunities to communicate God's love and grace and mercy. What a privilege God allows us to invest time and energy into others for the sake of HIS Gospel, HIS Kingdom, HIS church.

Here's my encouragement for you today. Use whatever relationship God places in front of you today to communicate His Gospel so that someone may draw closer to a living Savior.

1 Thessalonians 2:8 (New International Version)
"8We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us."

Ortberg quote

Here's a quote from John Ortberg. I can't wait to get a copy of his new book..."The Me I want to Be".

"Jesus did not say, 'I have come that you may follow my rules'. Jesus said, 'I have come that you may have life and have it with abundance'. Most people equate spiritual growth with trying hard to follow the rules in the Bible. No wonder people also said they find themselves unmotivated to pursue spiritual growth. Because if I think God's aim is to produce rule followers spiritual growth will always be an obligation category rather than in the "want to" category."

Like I said I can't wait to get a hold of this book. I'm curious to see where all Ortberg goes with all of this. If you'd like to see a little more check out the video clip here.

God's love

I read this quote the other day by C.H. Spurgeon...

“I believe the doctrine of election, because I am quite certain that, if God had not chosen me, I should never have chosen Him; and I am sure He chose me before I was born, or else He never would have chosen me afterwards; and He must have elected me for reasons unknown to me, for I never could find any reason in myself why He should have looked upon me with special love“

My first thought was...
1 John 4:19 (New American Standard Bible)
"We love, because He first loved us. "

At the moment I can not even put into words how overwhelming all of this is. We talk about love. We teach and preach about love. We do our best to love our families and friends. We are even commanded to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves.

With all of this talk about love, none of it would even be remotely possible without a God and Savior that first loved us. Who introduced the very concept of love to us. God is love. (I John 4:8) He wants to have a relationship with us so much that He has introduced His very essence to us in love so that we may know Him and experience who He really is. LOVE!

What does all of this mean? I am spending a lifetime learning that. However, I do know this...I can not truly love anything or anyone apart from God Himself. It would be foolish and pitiful at best.

Monday's weekend review

This past weekend was good but packed full. Here's a small glipse of what we experienced over the last couple of days.

• Saturday we stood in line for a looooooong time to register Natalie for VPK. It was a big moment for us as our little girl is growing sooooo fast.
• Something I learned about parents waiting in line to register their 3 and 4 year olds for VPK: Some like to dress ready to go clubbin'. You never know when they might break out the open bar and turn on the loud music! Seriously! Put some more clothes on.
• We had the chance to eat dinner with a friend who was in town for a conference Saturday night. Good times with Sarah! I just have one thing to say...red velvet cake cheesecake...you read that right and it was AMAZING!!!!!
• Sunday rocked the planet! Rev. Brent Ross is here at WJACC as our guest speaker for our Spiritual Enrichment week of services. Brent is a good long time friend and speaks God's Word from the heart. I can not even begin to describe how encouraging these services have been so far.
• Tonight is our next service. If you are in the area come out tonight and join us. The service starts at 7pm. We'll look for you.
• I was introduced today to a new BBQ place. In a word...YUMMO!

quote

Here is a quote I read on Perry Noble's blog and it made me stop in my tracks.

"I had a counselor tell me recently, “In the Bible God calls those who will not work LAZY…but He calls those who will not rest DISOBEDIENT!”

Now there is a thought to ponder!!!!

Time to get back in the groove

I took a few weeks off from blogging and in that time so much has happened that I thought I would just knock out some bullet points to catch up. So here's some of what I've experienced in the past few weeks.

• Celebrated New Year's in West Virginia and saw WVU lose to FSU at Bobby Bowden's last game as head coach.
• Saw Natalie play in the snow for the first time...including the construction of a snowman, snowball fight, sledding, and the high calorie eating of the snow.
• Had death impact friends and family as only that enemy can do. Pray for comfort for the grieving.
• Preached a sermon on the inseparable connection between God's will and God's word. God rocked that one!!!
• Was extremely encouraged by two believers who just want to be used by God and be supportive of their pastors. Thanks guys. You don't know how much that means.
• I turned 36 recently. Who knows what God has planned this year? At 35 I ran a marathon and saw the birth of our second child. That alone will fill up a year!!!!
• I am entering the world of electric guitar. It was once said that the electric guitar is of the devil. I guess I like living on the edge.:-)
• This Sunday is our homecoming at WJACC. We are kicking off our week of Spiritual Enrichment with additional services Sunday (6pm), Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (7pm). Brent Ross will be our special speaker through the entire week and I am pumped!! Brent is a man after God's own heart and has a desire to see people come closer to an Almighty God. Please invite your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors for this special week of worship.
• "Fireside Blend" from World Market is some of THE best coffee I have ever tried.
• We are going through Colossians in our Wed. night Bible study and God is showing us just how mysterious He really is. He is so cool and sooooo creative.
• Finally, I hope and pray that this blog has been an encouragement for someone this past year and it is my prayer that you may benefit from it in some way this coming year. Just by reading my humble ramblings you play a role in my walk with Christ and I hope this forum is an encouragement for you in your walk with Christ as well.
• ps. Here's a will willimon quote that made me laugh so hard the other day I almost had to pull over..."I saw a sign the other day that read...'a church for those who don't like church'...I thought, man I don't want to deal with folks that don't like church. I can barely stand the ones that love the church." (Don't be offended by that statement...just laugh and carry on. :-)

100 entries!!!

I have officially reached my goal of 100 blog entries for the year!!! Yeah!!! I know not all of them have been actual thoughts of mine but I have tried to at least put something interesting on the blog each time. For example...check out this video that was played at Newspring during their Christmas series...good stuff...

Christmas Opener: Just Come Home from NewSpring Production on Vimeo.

Advent-Christmas Eve

The final Advent devotion this year was not one that I wrote out but is one we talked about at our Christmas Eve service.

Luke 2:41-52
41Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.
42And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom.
43And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it,
44but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances,
45and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him.
46After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
47And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
48And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress." 49And he said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?"
50And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them.
51And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.
52And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

At a very early age Jesus showed that His life was all about ministry. To Him ministry was listening to the Father and doing what He said. Jesus gives us some simple commands. Love God and others. Make disciples. Sometimes we try to make life waaaaay too complicated. Everything boils down to those simple things. Life is ministry. You may not be in a paid position somewhere but as a believer in Jesus Christ you are a minister. Listen to Him and do what He says.