Advent 2010-#4

Candle of Peace

Isaiah 9:6-7 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

Luke 1:78b-79 ..by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

Luke 2:27b-32 When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”

Peace is such a wonderful yet elusive thing for folks today. We tend to look at the chaos surrounding us and ask “Is this the best it will be?” Even our health sometimes fails us and we can’t even escape the turmoil living in our own bodies.

The Bible tells us that at the perfect place and time a baby was born in the midst of a situation that did not lend itself to calmness and security. Yet, this newborn was the one who was to be known as the “Prince of Peace.”

Today we know Him as Jesus. The one who is trustworthy and faithful. In a world of empty promises he stands by His word. It seems almost too easy to think peace is available in one person. Shouldn’t we have to work harder for it? The answer is a profound “No.”

All that is required is to follow. The gospel of Luke tells us that Jesus will “guide our feet into the way of peace.” Why follow anyone else?

This advent season let us follow not the hectic pace that people tell us to follow. Rather let us follow a Prince, the Prince of Peace.

Prayer:

Dearest Father,

Praying for peace is like asking to be fed when the food is right in front of us. You are the Prince of Peace. You are our Savior and Lord. In You we have nothing to fear. Help us to ignore the fear that creeps into our lives so that we may experience more of Your peace. Lead us to the place where we may listen, wait, and enjoy the peace that passes all understanding. Thank you Father for Your constant love and watch care over us.

In Your Precious name we pray,

Amen

Advent 2010-#3

Candle of Joy

Isaiah 35:10

Luke 19:37-38

Isaiah 35:10 “..and those the LORD has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Luke 19:37-38 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

Joy. In today’s world joy is one commodity that seems to be lacking. There is a plethora of depression, disease, and crisis all around us. People are craving relief from the busyness. Boring monotony has numbed society into thinking this is normal and there is no other way.

Then, like a holy cry of celebration, joy disrupts the monotony. Joy crashes through the headaches and stress. It cuts through the depressing thoughts to bring hope.

This is what the birth of Jesus brings us. Joy. We are so fortunate to live in the current time. We can look back and see the life-changing pattern Jesus has caused through this thing called joy. Jesus, the Savior of the world, does what no one else can. He can bring joy even when joy doesn’t make sense.

This advent season let us celebrate as never before. Let us spread joy as only His church can. Let us be exactly who Jesus tells us we are. People of Joy!

Prayer:

Dear Creator and Lover of My Soul,

Thank you for this precious season of the year. As Creator, You loved and gave us the greatest gift of all! Through the birth of Jesus, You gave us love, grace, mercy and peace! Through this gift of love, Jesus, the Savior, comes and gives us what we don’t deserve. And to top it off, He gives us joy even in this crazy world and our messed up lives – Thank You! Thank You! Your joy runs over in our lives as we see the love gift of Jesus. We love You and praise You. Amen.

this day

I will never forget this day. Rather, I will never forget this date. December 13, 2003 the most amazing woman in the world became my wife. There is so much about that day I will never forget. How I got choked up during the vows.

How beautiful she looked in her wedding dress.

How we got out of town on our way to the honeymoon just before an ice storm hit.

The last seven years have been more than worth it. We now have two kids. Two dogs. A mortgage. A minivan.

Sometimes I look in the mirror and I have to laugh and asked "when did you become an adult?"

I wouldn't trade the last seven years for anything. I can't wait to see what's next.

Today Allison had to go to work. Working for hospice provides many moments people will never forget. Today she told a family that their loved one would likely die within the next six months.

I'm sure they will never forget this day either. I'm sure they will never forget this Christmas.

Sometimes we remember because we want to.

Sometimes we remember because we can't forget.

Sometimes we remember because of the lessons we learn.

Sometimes we remember because we just can't help it.

Even though I can't remember every single day that I have lived I do remember people that God has used throughout my life to impact me in an empowering way.

My prayer today is that I may walk in a manner so that one day, maybe a day someone will never forget, they will remember me and think, "wow, he helped me walked a little closer to Jesus."

Advent 2010-#2

Here's the Advent devotion from yesterday's service...the prayer for this one was written by Troy Henderson.

Candle of The Way

Matthew 3:1-2

John 14:6

Matthew 3:1-2 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Everyone has been lost at some point. You don’t know where you are much less which direction to take. The hopelessness can lead to panic. Then panic can lead to decisions that are inappropriate at best.

There are lost and dying people around us all the time. People who not only know what it’s like to be lost but have convinced themselves that this is as good as it gets. “Surely if there is a God He’s too busy to bother with someone like me.” But that is exactly what Jesus did. He not only provided a way and direction out of a dark existence but allowed himself to be that “way.” To be “the” way. With Jesus there is always a way. With Jesus there is always a direction. With Jesus the lost can be found. Jesus is the way and that is a reason to celebrate.

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for being our way. Thank you for taking us from the darkness. As we go throughout our days may we realize who you are and what you have done. May our eyes be set upon you and on the way you want us to travel. Thank you Lord for your love and grace. Thank you for opening our eyes to the way.

Advent 2010-#1

I know this is a little late but here is the Advent Devotion that I wrote for the first Sunday of Advent this year.

Candle of Prophecy & Hope

Isaiah 60:1-3

Matthew 24:44

Isaiah 60:1-3 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

Matthew 24:44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Darkness. No one likes it. Darkness denotes separation, aloneness, hopelessness. Darkness doesn’t mean no one else is present. It just means you can’t see them. You are not aware of who is around you.

How many days have we stumbled through completely unaware of who is around us? How many times have we conducted ourselves as if we are the only ones who exist or at least the only ones who matter? Fumbling through a darkness that is self imposed succeeds only at making us look clumsy.

Jesus is the light that was prophesied about, fulfilled that prophesy, and made everyone acutely aware of who is around. Jesus is the antithesis of darkness. In Christ we not only have his everlasting presence but access to a community, a family that we could not make happen on our own. As a part of this community we have the privilege of letting our light shine like a beacon of hope making everyone in darkness intensely aware. You are not alone.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

You display Your existence to us every day. Even when we do not pay attention You continue to surround us. You show us Your love. Help us to not take You for granted. Open our minds so we can have the pure faith of children. Keep us from being skeptical and cynical. Your love is before us. We are Your children, Lord. Thank you for being our hope.

In Your gracious name we pray,

AMEN

Cool Poem

Here's a poem by Anne Jackson that I thought was really cool. Check out more of her stuff here.

As we spin with the world
Rotating among
The stars and particles
Swirling around us
Tides ebbing and flowing
The moon and the sun rising
We must command
Ourselves
To simply stop.
To simply be.

Breathe in the air
Not polluted by hurry
And breathe out the spirit
Of mercy and peace

(Anne Jackson, February 2010)

Letter to a reckless suv driver

Dear Morning Traffic SUV driver,

Thank you for swiftly and skillfully cutting me off this morning. If not for you I may have done something silly like enter the turn lane at the proper point and assumed that my two children in the car, the vehicle I was driving, and myself were all safe. I don't remember praying for patience but I obviously did since God put you in my path this morning to give the opportunity to not only increase my level of patience but my prayer life as well.

I noticed your bumper sticker which read, "Too poor to vote Republican". I did find this rather amusing since Republicans may or may not have caused you to be "poor" but I am confident the Democrats will do what they can to keep you that way. I do not speak as a Republican myself. I am actually just as fed up with both parties as I am with crazy early morning drivers who do not take into consideration the other vehicles around them.

I also found it rather amusing that your bumper sticker defined you as poor and yet you drove your gas guzzling vehicle very fast and very carelessly. Not at all a manner in which someone would be trying to conserve the precious and pricey gas we use to fill our vehicles.

In any case I wish you safe journeys and I pray that other drivers on the road are looking out for you as you seem to be clueless as to anyone else around. Good day and God's speed.

Quote of the day

Facebook quote of the day...

"In the 60's people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird, people take prozac to make it normal."

The Event-WJACC 4

The Event-WJACC 3

Acts 28

Acts 28 in the New Testament is a great testimony about the sovereignty of God. The Apostle Paul is a prisoner on a ship. The ship is wrecked. They make it to land. While stoking a fire to get warm a venomous snake bites Paul's hand. Then because of the bite the people around assume Paul is a murderer.

This is a bad day!!!

Yet as things progress Paul meets a government official named Publius. Heals his father. Performs many healings and revival breaks out all over the land of Malta.

So Paul goes through a REALLY bad day and in the end people are praising God and glorifying Him.

So if God can do this great turn around with Paul's day like this what can He do when I simply did not get enough sleep the night before?
Or we run out of my favorite cereal?
Or traffic is thick and I can't get to work?
Or...?
I mean seriously...what have you whined about lately?
Read Acts 28 and praise your sovereign God today!!!!

WJACC-the event

The Event-WJACC 2

Moses and Aaron and Pharaoh

So I'm reading Exodus 5 & 6 this morning and here's the scene.

Moses and Aaron go to Pharaoh and tell him to let the people of Israel go into the wilderness so they may celebrate a feast to God.

Pharaoh not only says no but then makes the work load of the people more difficult than it was before. He does then on top of calling the people lazy.

Which brings me to my question of the day. Would it have been more productive for Pharaoh if he had granted a short break for the people and required the same amount of work to be done or to withdraw resources (which he did) and then require the same work to be done?

Some things just seem silly to me.

Quote of the day

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."

-Flannery O'Connor

Apology

To all of our friends, family, and especially WJACC folks...

I apologize if you have left messages on our home phone over the last month. We made a change in our phone service and we now have voice mail on our home phone. We noticed that we had not been receiving any messages lately but didn't think much of it.

Then today Allison realized the we had not set up the voice mail yet and when she did she discovered a whole list of messages that were waiting for us from the last month. So please know that we did not intentionally ignore you. We just didn't realize you had called.

Thanks for understanding.

Hearing from God and seeing Pastor Jones pt.3

#3-Is this idea something born out of prayer or something prayed on to be born?

Here's what I mean by this in a nut shell.

Am I experiencing intimate time with God so that I may hear and recognize His voice above all of the busy-ness and chaos that surrounds me? Or am I trying to come up with ideas that would be cool and relevant and praying that they are God's will?

God is such a creative and relevant God. He is better able to supply all we need including ideas and plans for His ministry. The question is are we still enough and quiet enough to hear Him?

#4-When you think God is telling you something is it confirmed by other believers?

First let me say this. If God wants to give you a message He'll tell you first before someone else. I had a well-meaning lady one time tell me, "God told me to tell you...". What was funny about that experience was God had not revealed to me anything like the message she was trying to convey. This is not the type of person I'm talking about here.

Here are the type of people that you want to seek out for confirmation.

a) Does this person have a track record of holy obedience to God's word?

b) Does this person have a track record of being still and quiet before God?

c) Does this person have a track record of living in and by the grace and love of God?

d) Is this someone who you find yourself submitted to in a discipling relationship?

e) Is this person coo-coo for cocoa puffs or do they tend to make sense?

Hearing from God is not an exact science and is not completely defined or described by anyone but I hope some of these things do help.

The big thing is...if you are never still you will rarely if ever hear the voice of God.

Like I said before, I don't know Pastor Jones personally so I can not speak to his ability to be still. However, I do know how still or not still I am. Now let me shut up and go listen for a while.

Hearing from God and seeing Pastor Jones pt.2

So how do we know if we are hearing from God?

Here's some thoughts on that.

#1-THE BIBLE...the WORD, the WORD, the WORD!!!

God never ever contradicts Himself. So if you want to know if God is telling you to do something the first question you need to ask is "does it line up with the Bible?" But in order to answer that you must know what the Bible says. Spend time in it. Soak it up. Read it. Meditate on it. Study it. Memorize it. Share it. Talk about it. Pray it. Am I making my point?

The Bible is living and active (Hebrews 4:12) and relevant every day in every way.

Another pastor once said, "if you can't hear God, read God." That's a great suggestion! Listen to God through His word...the Bible.

#2-Does this line up with Jesus' commands?

This one is closely related to the first. Jesus gave us two great instructions in scripture. Love God with everything you have and love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:36-40)

Go and make disciples. (Matthew 28:18-20)

If believe God is telling you to do something and it does not line up with one of these two instructions then you know it is not God talking. Plain and simple.

more to come...

Hearing from God and seeing Pastor Jones pt.1

As a lot of you know Pastor Jones is a pastor of a church in Gainesville, FL who over the last few weeks has dominated headlines with his plans to perform a Koran book burning on September 11th.

His reasoning is that this will communicate to the world the evils of Islam and that he believes God told him to do it.

This story has bothered me so much that I changed gears yesterday and preached on hearing from God and the examples of burning and fire in the Bible. Here is my take on Pastor Jones.

(Just to clarify...I do not know Pastor Jones personally and have never met him so what little I know about him has come from the media.)

Through out several interviews Pastor Jones stated that God told him to have a "Koran book burning."

Then he stated that they would cancel the burning if the Islamic leaders in New York would cancel and/or move the building of a mosque further away from ground zero. After what seemed like plans to meet with these leaders in NY the pastor said the burning had been suspended until further notice. The last news story I saw reported that no meeting ever came about but yet now Pastor Jones is saying that God does not want the burning to happen "now or ever".

So here's my questions.

If God tells you to do something and then you change plans based on striking a deal with a religion that you are convinced is evil then what does that say about what you think of God's word?

Is God's word just a bargaining chip? Is it a negotiable word?

If you truly believe you are hearing from God then is God just wishy washy and changes His plans on a whim?

OR in light of all of this, are you really hearing from God or are you coming up with some ideas and tagging God's name on it?

So how do we know if we are hearing from God? I'm going to offer some suggestions over the next couple of post. Stay tuned.

The Event-WJACC

WJACC folks...be on the look out for more info on what "The Event" is and how it may impact your life!!!!

Happy Birthday Micah!!!

Today my little man turns one! Wow! This past year he has spent the majority of his time with me in the office and going where I go. We have been companions and friends, working, playing, and sometimes even snoozing together. In a couple of weeks he starts going to a daycare class. There's a part of me that is excited to get my office back. I won't have to worry about books being pulled off of shelves or papers being thrown everywhere. I won't have to worry about stepping on toys, blocks, or balls. I can set up my office the way I want it.

Then again, in a couple of weeks this office will get a little more quiet and it will remind me once again that my kids are growing up way faster than I will ever be comfortable with. I am thankful that I have a God who loves my son much more than I do. And that says a lot.

I love you little man and I can not wait to see what all God does in and through your life. Happy Birthday!

website editing

I'm in the midst of trying to learn the all of the editing process for our church website. Here is a taste of what I've started working on.

Friday links

Here's a few links that I have come across lately...

1) Perry offers some encouragement here.
2) We all know someone who is strugggling in one way or another. Young and old have challenges that raise all types of questions in our minds and hearts. Here is one from Mark Beeson.
3) Now that you are all probably a little teary eyed let me lighten the mood a little. I feel a special connection to this blog entry since we drive a toyota sienna mini-van. Check out the video found here. The scary part is I identify with quite a bit of this video. We even have that little piano he's holding.

things I don't understand

Here are a couple of things that do not make sense to me.

1) Why do people leave witness tracts on the urinal in the men's bathroom? To be honest I've never seen a piece of paper stuck in a urinal pipe or sitting up on top and thought "hey I think that might have something to do with eternity and life and might be something I should consider taking home."

2) Why do some people leave a witness tract on the table at a restaurant and leave either a lousy tip or no tip at all? I can tell you from personal experience that the wait staff at your local restaurant are not busting their tails to serve you so that they may gather more reading material.

Here's the thing...tracts NEVER take the place of personal conversations so unless you are will to sit down with someone and walk them through the message of a witness track then please just keep it in your pocket. To leave it in the bathroom or to leave it with little to no tip communicates just how little you think about the message inside of it.

There, that feels a little better.

PS. Christians...please!!!! I beg you! Stop leaving lousy tips when you go out to eat. It's ridiculous the reputation we have. We should be known for our generosity. Not our stenginous!!!

There, that feels even better.

Dying to Live and Radical

I just finished ordering two books that I anticipate making an impact on a lot of my teaching and preaching coming up.

The first book is by a friend of mine, Clayton King. His book "Dying to Live" looks to be a call of total surrender to Jesus Christ with everything we have.

The second is one that was recommend to me just today. "Radical" seems to be carrying the same message as Clayton's book but throught the voice of David Platt, a pastor in Alabama.

I can't wait to get my hands on both of these. Below is a short video clip of Clayton's thoughts behind the book. Enjoy.

Grace quote

Check out this quote from Watchman Nee!

"Praise God, the blood of Christ not only washes all our sins away but at the same time it bears witness for us before God. In the face of such a witness, He can never cast us away. Christ has died and been raised from among the dead. Who then can accuse us? We do praise and thank our God." (from the book Grace for Grace)

Amen and amen!

Today's Prayer

I read this prayer today and wanted to share it here...

"Therefore, let us desire nothing else,
Let us wish for nothing else,
Let nothing else please us and cause us delight,
Except our Creator and Redeemer and Savior, the one true God,
Who is the Fullness of Good, all good, every good,
The true and supreme good,
Who alone is Good, merciful, and gentle, delectable and sweet,
Who alone is holy and just and true, holy and right,
Who alone is kind, innocent, pure,
From Whom and through Whom and in Whom is all pardon,
All grace, all glory of all the penitent and the just,
Of all the blessed who rejoice together in heaven.
Therefore, let nothing hinder us, nothing separate us,
Or nothing come between us."

Author unknown

Happy Birthday Natalie!!!

4 years ago you entered my life. Before that day I never really liked the word "princess". However over the last four years that's exactly what you have become to me. My princess. I pray that as you grow in wisdom, discernment, strength, and beauty that one day God will supply that proper prince that will love you unconditionally. I love you baby girl! Happy Birthday!!!! Enjoy.

the burnout question- pt. 3

4. Improper view of family.

The one can be a very touchy subject. However, I think it's fair to say that if your family becomes "expendable" when compared to ministry then you are very likely to burnout on both. I've heard several pastors state the following phrase so I'm not sure who to credit it to. "Don't sacrifice your family on the altar of ministry!"

If you are passionate about ministry and yet neglect your family then the price is too high and I have a tough time seeing a scriptural directive instructing us to follow such a path.

5. Improper view of rest.

Have you heard or said one of these?
"I'll sleep when I'm dead."
"I'll rest when Jesus comes."
"Just let me do one more thing and then I'll go to bed."
"I don't have time to take a day off/vacation."

All of these are lies straight from the pit of hell. God did not design us to go with out breaks. He intentionally made us and then commanded us to take a break every seven days (at the bare minimum). Without rest we have no energy to give our passions the attention they need and deserve, much less anything else in our lives.

So there you have it. Five things that can lead us to burnout doing something we are passionate about. This is obviously not an exhaustive list but I hope it helps in some way.

The key is a balanced life and the only one who can grant complete balance for each person is God Himself. So start today in seeking direction from Him and pause a moment to listen to what His Spirit is telling you right now.

the burnout question- pt. 2

2. Improper view of others.

How we view other people can dramatically affect our ability to pursue our passions without burning out.

Have you ever seen someone and dreaded talking with them because you know the conversation will take more effort than you want to give at the moment? Or have you ever look at someone only to see what you can get from them? There are millions of ways we look at each other all the time that have nothing to do with love. God's love allows us the ability to see each other in such a unique way. We see others as valuable, important, and worth our time and effort.

Don't get me wrong, people drive me nuts sometimes but if I'm honest with myself it's in those moments that I'm relying more on the flesh than on the Spirit.

3. Improper view of God.

God needs me.
God will only do this if...
God can't...

This one is simple. If you have caught yourself saying or thinking any of the above statements you have fallen into a trap. These statements are not biblical and just plain "ain't true".

If you think God needs you to accomplish anything think again. He may want you. He may choose to use you. He may invite you to play a part in what He is doing. However, to be so bold as to think the God of the universe can not accomplish a task without you is a recipe for disaster.

Not to mention this type of thinking will wear you out FAST!

Two more to come...

the burnout question-pt1

Last week one of, if not THE greatest basketball coaches of all time died at the age of 99. John Wooden (the "Wizard of Westwood") was a man who very few, if any, have anything bad to say about. He was a teacher, thinker, coach and all around good guy who stood for honesty and integrity.I mention Wooden because I think he addressed the issue of burn out in the following way. He always taught his players to seek two things in life. LOVE and BALANCE.It seems to me that when we are lacking in one of these two areas then we are in danger of experiencing what some people would consider "burn out". There are five things that I want to share this week that I believe leads us directly towards a lack of love and balance and thus into the pit of burn out.

1. Improper view of ourselves.

Sometimes we are tempted to think one of two ways. Either we are better than we really are or we are less valuable than we really are. Both ideas cause us to cripple ourselves of our usefulness. If we think we are better then we are so full of pride that it really doesn't matter what is happening around us. If we think less of ourselves then why would we put any effort into life. Afterall, what I do doesn't matter or make a difference at all.

The best way to defeat this is to let God tell you who you really are. It's His power and authority that really accomplishes things anyway. So why not trust in what HE says. As a believer in Christ you are His child, His friend, His sheep, His saint, His ambassador, His beloved...simply put you are HIS.

The next 4 are coming soon...

question about burnout

This morning a great question was brought to my attention.

"If you are passionate about something how can you burnout doing it?"

I had some immediate thoughts about that question but I wanted to throw it out there in blog world to see if anyone else has some thoughts before I offer any.

So how would you respond to that question? Especially as it pertains to ministry.
Let me know.

update-finally

Wow! It has been almost two months since my last blog post. I know some people have probably given up even checking for updates but I have not abandoned the blog.

Micah is now VERY mobile. He is not walking yet but he can get anywhere he wants to. Any day now he will take those first steps that send him into another stage of development and daddy into another stage of activity.

Micah is asleep right now and Sunday's sermon is ready so I'm taking a moment here for a quick update.

My dad's back surgery went well this week. For those who may not know, he had a herniated disc in his back causing pain and then numbness in his back and legs. Immediately after the surgery he experienced feeling in his legs again and the doctor said the rest will return in time. He has at least 6 weeks of recovery ahead of him so please keep my folks in your prayers as they attempt to get settled into a new house in the midst of this recovery.

Natalie has her first dance recital next weekend and she is beside herself with excitement. We can't wait to see her up on stage...(one of her favorite places at church).

Allison is doing well and continues to allow God to work through her at Hospice. Her ability to submit to God's Spirit in her job never ceases to amaze me...even when she's had "enough".

Back in April I had my latest check up at the doctor and had lost 18 lbs since October. I am no longer taking Prilosec and have had fewer problems with allergies. Notice I said fewer...just fewer.

I am setting a goal for myself of blogging at least once a week so everyone check back for more thoughts and things. Thanks to everyone who takes a moment to check in everyone so often.

God Bless!

Friday's thoughts

It's been a full plate lately. There's been all of the Easter activities and services and then this week a lot has fallen on my plate. Add Micah to the mix and it's been none stop action. However, I would not say it's been bad. I know some people who have had an actual "bad" week and I have nothing to complain about.

I say all of this to say I have several blogs in my head ready to come out so keep checking back here for updates.

In the mean time here's a prayer by John Wesley that I came across recently. I hope it helps you draw closer to God in some way.

Grace.

"Oh God, seeing as there is in Christ Jesus
An infinite fullness of all that we can want or desire
May we all receive from him, grace upon grace;
Grace to pardon our sins, and subdue our iniquities;
To justify our persons and to sanctify our souls;
And to complete that holy change, that renewal of our hearts,
Which will enable us to be transformed
Into the blessed image in which you created us.
O make us all acceptable to be partakers
Of the inheritance of your saints in light.
Amen."
-John Wesley

Hillsong London

Last night I had the chance to see Hillsong London lead worship at Celebration Church here in Jacksonville. It was an awesome experience. At one point one of the guys in the band played a simple version of the chorus to "Look to the Cross". Sometimes the most powerful moments of praise are the simplest. Here's the lyrics...

"I look to the cross
Lord let me see Your love anew
'cause there I find peace
there I find peace again."

Have a peace-full day!

Leadership Lesson of the week

Check out these thoughts from former NFL quarterback Steve Young on accountability. It does make you think.

Art of Imagination

Last week I had the opportunity to participate in a National Church Leaders conference in Dowling Park, FL. It was a great conference full of challenges that I took a lot from.

Throughout the conference we enjoyed an artist that came in and painted beautiful pictures during the general sessions and main seminars. The subject of these paintings were the topics the speakers were addressing.

During our breaks I had several conversations with other pastors and leaders about the paintings. Here are some of the statements I heard.

"What does that painting mean?"
"Just tell me what it means."
"What does he think it means?"

I found myself becoming somewhat irritated by some of these statements and questions. At first I couldn't explain why but then it hit me. Everyone seemed to what to be given the meaning that one person had rather than stretching their imaginations to interpret each painting.

I find myself in the same predicament sometimes as a pastor. At times people are merely satisfied with whatever the pastor thinks about God rather than seeking, searching, and experiencing God for themselves.

This is not a statement to lessen the role of pastor in the local church. However, if the pastor is always spoon feeding who HE knows God to be and people are not searching the scriptures for themselves then they are missing out on a lot of the adventure and experience of God in their own walk with Him.

So here is a simple exercise to try and get your imagination jump started this morning.
I John 4:8 tells us that "God is Love."
How many ways can you describe God's love?
Take a moment and write down as many things as you can.
Then take a break. Come back to it later and see if you can add anything.
Then ask a friend to do the same thing and compare notes.

I'd be very curious to see if God doesn't spark your imagination some.

Psalm 33:11

Just a glimpse into one of my devotional times recently.

"The counsel of the Lord stands forever.
The plans of His heart from generation to generation."

What God accomplishes lasts for an eternity. If God does it then it will last. His plans pass through generations of lives.

One of the greatest things I can do is remind the next generation of God's plans. Remind them that if they want to see something last forever then learn to rely on and trust God's plans, not our own.

Lord,
Please help me be a part of passing the news of Your greatness on to the next generation.
Amen.

Spring and 300

2 Things for today:

#1-Remember, we spring forward this weekend so don't forget to reset your clocks!

#2-The last entry I posted was #300 for this blog. Wow! That's somewhat of a milestone for me. Thanks to everyone who takes a moment to read my blog from time to time. You are appreciated.

New Blood/Fresh Ideas

We had our monthly Daycare Board and Church Board meetings. We welcomed 4 new people onto the Daycare Board this year and last night was their first meeting. It was, by far, the best one we've had since I've been a part of the ministry here. With new people came new ideas for how to improve the function of the already great daycare. People shared new marketing strategies, helpful personnel approaches, and even some financial aspects that we had not seen or taken before.

As much as I pride myself on trying to look at things in several different ways last night reminded of a very important lessen. Team effort, rightly directed, is a much stronger and more productive force than individual elbow grease.

Some times you have to shake things up a little to get different results. I can not wait to see what God does with the rest of this year.

Friday random blog

Here are my two main guitars. Someone once said, "the electric guitar is of the devil." I used to follow that line of reasoning. Now I am more open to the possibilities an electric may bring and am having fun with it. Don't get me wrong I love my acoustic but it's fun to broaden your horizons sometimes.

I've also added a new link over on the right to guitar praise. If you are a musician you may find this site helpful. Enjoy!

PS...yes I do like blue!

Elderly woman fights back against attacker

Elderly woman fights back against attacker

Posted using ShareThis

Check out this news story. You might ask why I'm sharing this and that's a fair question. There are two reasons.

#1-Flo is a member of WJACC and we are very thankful that she survived this ordeal.
#2-In a moment when she could justify taking all of the credit and the spotlight she was very diligent about giving God the glory and the praise for protecting her. Wow...what a witness!

Proud to be a Pastor

This past Sunday was one of those moments that make you proud to be called "pastor". There is a family here in Jacksonville that is facing several health issues. The daughter has a host of heart issues that she is battling at just 2 or 3 years of age. The mother has recently been diagnosed with MS. They have not been out of the house much because of the daughter's delicate condition. As you can imagine this has kept them from really being an active part in any church. The whole family has a strong faith in Jesus but has not had much of a chance to enjoy the fellowship of the body of Christ on a Sunday morning.

That's where we came in.

Through the connection with one of our church families we had the chance to do something a little outside of the norm. We took our normal Sunday worship service time and relocated to this family's front yard. We had enough people out there to not only praise Jesus together but also to wrap around their house and pray for and with the family.

It was an exciting moment as a pastor to see the "church" be the "church" and have "church" for and with a family who has not been able to fellowship in a long time. Not one person expressed a hesitation in moving the service. Not one person suggested that we do it at another time. At least not that I have heard.

We had the opportunity to worship God in a very practical and encouraging way and we saw God move.

God is the God of all Grace and all Comfort and He gets all the credit for a Sunday morning that we will not soon forget.

Friday's randomness

• Check out the ten commandments of preaching here. It's a great reminder for all who attempt to communicate the gospel each and every week.
• Saw a very disturbing image of Homer Simpson today...and I thought the ones who showed it to me were my friends...oh well.
• If I didn't know it before I know it now...Ed Young is a nut...gotta love the video below

ubu

Bill's invitation

So yesterday at church we had a couple of visitors join us in our morning worship service. They were a mother and son who had been invited by Bill who was friends with the son. Bill's invitation was accompanied by a church bulletin so they would remember the name of the church and the location. This mother and son enjoyed the service and we look forward to worshiping with them again soon.

Now to WJACC folks this story may not seem too out of the ordinary. After all Bill is one of the nicest people God has ever created. No one has ever said one cross word about Bill. He is just that lovable of a guy.

For those who may not know Bill, he has Down's Syndrome. He is in his 50's (which is it's own miracle) and is a vibrant and vital part of this church body. He is definitely taking a message of hope and encouragement out to his friends where ever they are.

Today my thought is...if Bill can be unhindered by something like Down's Syndrome then what's my excuse?

Balance

Every church is good at something. Over the last 90 years WJACC has been good at several things. Creating a family atmosphere. Reaching out to the neighborhood. Worshiping. Praying...and the list goes on and on. Recently we've come to the conclusion that most of the time we have focused on one area to the neglect of another. So here is our goal for ministry starting now.

Balance.

All areas of ministry are seeking a balance of three things.

1. Community-building the believer, equipping the saints for ministry, forging the identity of the body of Christ and the family of God


2. Outreach-spreading the gospel of Jesus to a lost and dying world. Being a force of encouragement and hope.


3. Worship-realizing that there is no greater privilege than to worship, in spirit and in truth, the Almighty God of the Universe.

Every Sunday School class, prayer group, Bible study, board member, pastor, etc. can ask..."How am I encouraging/integrating these three areas in an intentional way where God has put me?"

I don't know what all God has planned for 2010 but I do know that His ways/plans are always much better than mine.

Please pray as we seek God's balance in ministry at WJACC.

**If you are not a believer or church goer I want to invite you to consider "Why not". God only wants the best for you and His love and faithfulness is always the BEST! You don't have to walk through life alone.

another quote

“The greatest challenge the church faces today is to be authentic disciples of Jesus.”
Dallas Willard

The only thing I would add to this at the moment is that the challenge is to be disciples who make disciples, who make disciples, who make disciples, who...

Psalm 85:2

Psalm 85:2 (English Standard Version)
2You forgave the iniquity of your people;
you covered all their sin.
Selah

I read a verse like this and I am amazed at how complete God's Forgiveness and Grace really is. As a pastor I am always wandering how my words and actions are making an impact in the body of Christ. However, we should all be wandering what influence we have no matter our position. The church is a unique force in that it is a body. What happens to one part affects the whole in one way or the other.

So knowing that God has covered our sin and has forgiven we can have the assurance that we can live and move and have our being as free people. Free from guilt. Free from condemnation. Free from that stupid thing that is weighing us down because we have been trying to handle it instead of surrendering it to the capable hands of Jesus.

So in thinking about all of this here's the questions of the day.
Have I added to others' guilt or reminded others' of their freedom in Christ today?

Is my attitude that of a victim of circumstances or a victor in my position in Christ?

What kind of picture do my words and actions paint about the Christian life to nonbelievers?

If you are reading this and you do not know Jesus personally I invite you to ask this question.
Is there really freedom available in this Jesus? If so what am I waiting for?

new poll

Allison had a poll question on her blog that I thought I would try here. Let me know what you think. Look on the right column.

today's links

• Clayton nails it with this post. Be sure and take a moment to consider this.
• Last Friday had a Daddy/Daughter date with Natalie. Don't have a link for this but thought it was cool enough to share with everyone.
• Quote of the day...“Every great movement of God can be traced to a kneeling figure”–D.L. Moody
• Check out the latest digital version of Catalyst Leadership here.
• Hope everyone is having a great day!!!

Monday morning thoughts

• Yesterday was a great day to celebrate LOVE! I think I'll do that some more. You know...celebrate LOVE!
• This Wednesday night is our church semi-annual meeting where we are presenting our reports for last year and looking ahead for this year. I'm always as to what all God is up to and this year is no exception. I can not wait to see!
• The Olympics are going on right now and the American team has at least one gold medal already! U-S-A! Yeah! I love the Olympics!
• Next Sunday we are kicking off a series about strengthening families. Please pray that God will show us how will can build healthy families with God's Word.
• Here is the conversation of the week...Allison: "Please put this headband on and leave it on. Daddy said you wouldn't wear it but I really liked it. So please wear it so Mommy can be right." Natalie: "OK Mommy."
• I love my family!!!

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. :-)