thoughts and things

Micah turns 2!!!!!

2011-08-24T12:09:00.000-04:00

Allison wrote a letter to Micah for his second birthday. The following is that letter. I love my family.

Dear Micah,

I first started these letters to Natalie when she was two. I am determined to remember the little details of who you all are at each age. You are absolutely a little man.

I just left your room a minute ago. You are surrounded by stuffed animals, mostly dogs. It seems that each night you add another one to your collection. We've quickly gone from allowing nothing in your bed to hardly being able to find you amongst all the stuffed things. You threw away your pacifiers a few nights ago. We cut them so they would lose the suction. You had six in your bed and tried each one of them. You sighed and handed them to me one by one, saying "boken mama, boken." I told you we had better throw them away. You stood at the trash can and tried each of them one more time before throwing them in the trash. Then you simply said, "bye paci's" and you were done. You haven't asked for them since.

You are however, the master at delaying bedtime. I can't count how many times you ask for water or a light or the covers each night. Even when you are exhausted, you push the limits. You have learned to open your door and sneak out. Fortunately for us, you slam it closed behind you, so we find you in the hallway each time.

You have learned to count to six. When you play your toy drum you tap the sticks together and say "two, three four." We aren't sure who you have heard doing that, but Daddy is so excited. He says we need a drummer in the Buchanan family. You love all things music. At church you start singing most songs on the second chorus, like you are observing at first and don't want to sing it wrong.

When driving down the road, you always point out planes, boats, busses, bikes, and helmets. You feel the need to point to your own head each time you see a biker wearing a helmet. You love watching Curious George and think Elmo is the best. You always want music on while driving. Your favorite is Sadie Hawkins Dance, but you will allow us to play other songs that Bob and Larry (veggie tales) sing.

Wait a minute...

I'm back now, I just had to give you some water...

You know mostly all your colors. You love to point at everything and tell us what color it is. I think I have to give credit to daycare for this. You knew most of them before we even realized it.

You love Heidi! She is your favorite friend. I love to watch you two play and interact. It's fun to know you've had a friend since the day you were born. Heidi gave you a basketball hoop for your birthday. You love it too and always tell us you want to play with your "ball hoop."

You also love Natalie/Sissy. Everywhere she goes, you go. You've just recently started battling with her and being more assertive. For the most part though, you just really want to play with her. She is quiet protective of you and you are of her. You defend each other when time outs are given. Natalie had to go to time out the other day. You put your hand on your forehead and said, "oh no sissy!"

As you can tell, you talk ALOT. Much more then Natalie did at this age. You are articulate and so funny. You play air guitar, dance your heart out, and love to do flips in our living room.

Most of all, you are gentle and kind. You take care of all of us and our dogs. You give the biggest hugs and slobber filled kisses. You still scream "mama!!!" when I get home from work. You quietly whisper "love too" before I leave your room at night. I pray that you always maintain such a gentle spirit. It is welcoming and charming. I pray that you always hear God whispering how much he loves you and you are forever able to say to Him, "love too." I pray you grow to be a man who loves God and loves others with as much as energy as you show us all the time.

I love you so much Micah man!

Good night!

Kindergarten

2011-08-22T10:26:00.000-04:00

Here's what I've learned this morning.

You can tell which drivers have kids and which ones do not on the way to school.

Packing lunch for a kindergarten kid takes extra time when she is helping.

I can trust an adult I barely know with the well being of my child just because she has the title "teacher".

Natalie still likes to hold my hand as we approach a new adventure.

Parking at the public library next to the school and walking over was much faster than going through the "drop off circle".

It is amazing how many friends and family pray for you and your family when you start a new stage in life (i.e. starting kindergarten).

Don't expect to accomplish a whole lot the morning of the first day of school as your phone will ring off the hook. (That's a good thing.)

When a 5 year old girl is excited to go to school she will come out of her room in the morning dressed and ready to go before you even knew she was awake.

Little brothers can be thrown off by big sister's new school experience. However, a doughnut makes things a whole lot better for brother.

I have no doubt that we have a TON of stuff to learn this year but we'll do it together. We are now slaves to the school calender. Here we go!!!!!!!1

Welcome to Kindergarten!!!!!!!!

Open Wide

2011-05-17T09:09:00.003-04:00

Psalm 81:10 (English Standard Version)

"I am the LORD your God,
who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it."

Lord, Help me to not be afraid to ask for big things. After all you are the giver of all that is good. Help me trust you have a better plan when I don't get what I think I need. Thank you, Lord for always knowing better than me.

Amen

where have you been?

2011-05-17T00:02:00.003-04:00

I have not blogged a new entry in a looooong time.

I have so much running through my mind lately yet can't seem to take a moment and get it done in writing.

This summer is my 20 year high school reunion. WOW!!!! I can't wait to see my old class mates. I can't wait for them to meet my wife. I can't wait to meet their spouses and here how they are all doing. I hope and pray they conveniently forget certain stories from high school days:-).

As of this writing I am sort of blond. That's right. We told the church that if they raised $5000 for missions during our annual penny crusade campaign I would dye my hair blond. It's actually more of a golden color. Oh well...anything for the Kingdom.

Natalie is wrapping up her second season of soccer. She never ceases to amaze me. She is so fast and is learning so much about team work. She is fun to watch.

Micah is trying his best to keep up with his big sister. He has turned into a little monkey and is climbing on EVERYTHING!!!!

This fall Natalie could very well be in kindergarten. I'm not sure any of us are ready for that. However, she can't stay little forever.

It seems like the further I go in life the more tempted I am to use cliches like "I don't know what tomorrow holds but I know who holds tomorrow." Well, duh. I know God holds it I just wish He would spell things out in a little more detail for me. But, I guess that wouldn't be faith.

So with that in mind I reckon I should turn the light out. Close my eyes and see what God has for us when I open them again.

Can't wait.

Advent 2010-#4

2010-12-27T10:07:00.001-05:00

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

2010-12-27T10:01:00.000-05:00

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

2010-12-13T14:41:00.003-05:00

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

2010-12-06T11:23:00.001-05:00

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

2010-12-06T11:06:00.002-05:00

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

2010-12-01T09:29:00.001-05:00

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

2010-11-09T08:27:00.003-05:00

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

2010-11-05T08:55:00.001-04:00

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

2010-11-02T09:25:00.000-04:00

The Event-WJACC 3

2010-11-02T09:24:00.002-04:00

Acts 28

2010-10-25T08:55:00.002-04:00

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

2010-10-05T09:57:00.002-04:00

The Event-WJACC 2

2010-09-29T09:10:00.002-04:00

Moses and Aaron and Pharaoh

2010-09-29T08:56:00.003-04:00

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

2010-09-17T09:44:00.000-04:00

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

-Flannery O'Connor

Apology

2010-09-15T09:05:00.000-04:00

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

2010-09-15T09:00:00.000-04:00

#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

2010-09-14T09:54:00.000-04:00

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

2010-09-13T09:28:00.003-04:00

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

2010-09-07T13:45:00.000-04:00

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!!!

2010-08-24T09:36:00.004-04:00

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

2010-08-16T12:50:00.001-04:00

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

2010-07-30T11:04:00.002-04:00

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

2010-07-30T10:29:00.004-04:00

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

2010-07-16T12:36:00.004-04:00

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

2010-07-07T16:04:00.001-04:00

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

2010-07-02T10:00:00.002-04:00

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!!!

2010-07-01T09:59:00.003-04:00

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

2010-06-13T22:09:00.003-04:00

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

2010-06-08T11:39:00.004-04:00

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

2010-06-03T10:50:00.008-04:00

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

2010-06-03T10:37:00.003-04:00

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

2010-05-28T12:14:00.002-04:00

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

2010-04-09T09:10:00.003-04:00

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

2010-03-29T14:46:00.002-04:00

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

2010-03-24T13:05:00.002-04:00

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

Art of Imagination

2010-03-23T09:40:00.003-04:00

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

2010-03-22T12:03:00.002-04:00

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

2010-03-12T12:23:00.003-05:00

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

2010-03-09T13:12:00.002-05:00

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

2010-03-05T14:23:00.004-05:00

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

2010-03-03T09:08:00.003-05:00

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

2010-03-02T09:32:00.003-05:00

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

2010-02-26T12:30:00.004-05:00

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

2010-02-22T11:36:00.002-05:00

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

2010-02-21T06:00:00.001-05:00

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.

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

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

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

2010-02-20T10:00:00.001-05:00

“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

2010-02-19T10:02:00.003-05:00

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

2010-02-17T14:08:00.003-05:00

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

2010-02-16T10:17:00.002-05:00

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

2010-02-15T11:38:00.002-05:00

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

2010-02-09T10:03:00.003-05:00

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

2010-02-08T12:28:00.002-05:00

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

2010-02-02T10:48:00.003-05:00

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

2010-02-01T14:39:00.002-05:00

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

2010-01-28T13:15:00.001-05:00

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

2010-01-26T11:09:00.003-05:00

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!!!

2009-12-28T15:12:00.002-05:00

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

2009-12-28T09:05:00.004-05:00

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.

The Promise-Advent #4

2009-12-20T08:50:00.001-05:00

The Promise

Luke 2:25-33 (English Standard Version)
25Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, 29"Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;30for my eyes have seen your salvation 31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel."
33And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him.

Devotion
God is the keeper of His promises. If God says it then it must be true. It may be hard for some people to wrap their minds around those statements. After many disappointments in life it becomes easy to not trust anyone. Broken promises can harden our hearts towards people and even toward God.
Simeon lived a long time with only a promise to hang on to. The promise was he would one day see with his own eyes the salvation of the Lord. We don’t know how long he waited but we do know that eventually God fulfilled His promise.
No matter what anyone else says, we serve a perfect, all-knowing, faithful God. He always keeps His promises. He always has and He always will. He is not like anyone else.
Jesus said, “I am with you always.”
Jesus said, “Yes, I am coming quickly.”
This advent season we celebrate a God who refuses to leave us by ourselves and who promises that one day we will see Him face to face. We can believe these promises and because of this we can celebrate with hope, joy, peace, and love.
Let us listen to the promises of Jesus this season and know they are true.

Prayer:
Dear Father, Help me to be like Simeon, a person who is so excited about seeing you that no matter how long it takes for You to return, I can wait with a sense of eager anticipation. I pray that You will help me to wait in such a way that I don't ever become ho-hum, callused, or just give lip service to Your return. I also pray that You will use me as you did Simeon, to be an example to others. I ask that You give me the desire to be a "righteous" and "devout" person, and that others will recognize those qualities, benefit by my actions, and as a result come to a saving knowledge of Your Son, Jesus. Father, I thank You for Your faithfulness, Your promises, for loving me unconditionally, and always being with me. Help me to be a "light" for You as I eagerly wait for Your return.

In Jesus Name,
Amen.
(prayer written by Rev. Jim Crouse)

world of adventure

2009-12-16T13:28:00.002-05:00

I love this picture!!!! Right now it is the background on my computer. Others have seen it and love it also. It's just a really cool picture. However, today I realized that there's more to it than that.

At 3 years old my daughter has a lifetime of adventure and opportunity ahead of her. She will test some waters.
There will be times when she will dive right in.
There will be moments when the waves will be over her head.
There will be beauty.
There will be noise.
There will be places to go.

Through it all she will have a daddy that is right behind her.
Encouraging her.
Supporting her.
Loving her.
Watching her.
Enjoying the moments.
Guarding her.
Laughing with her.

I love being a dad. It seems like when I start having those overwhelming paternal feelings God taps me on the shoulder and says, "You're my child too."

Wow! Thank you God for always loving,
always encouraging,
always guarding,
always supporting,
always watching,
always being God.

Tiger Woods

2009-12-16T09:33:00.003-05:00

Everywhere you turn lately everyone seems to be reporting on Tiger Woods and his family. You hear more about them than what's going on in the Middle East with Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc...

I have to admit that I am becoming more and more frustrated. I don't really want to hear any more about it but every time I check the news there seems to be a new development that they can not wait to tell me about.

Then today I found the following two posts on one of my favorite blogs.
Here's the first one that brought back some memories of several years ago.

Now read the followup to that. I think we all need to read this one from time to time.

Wow! We all need a savior! This Christmas we celebrate His birth! Thank you, LORD!!!!!

The Community-Advent #3

2009-12-14T11:04:00.001-05:00

Luke 2:8-20 (English Standard Version)
The Shepherds and the Angels

"8And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 10And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"

15When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." 16And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them."

Devotion
One angel’s announcement made way for a host of angels praising God together. The news they shared that night was given to a group of individuals. Shepherds knew what it meant to be together. They worked together and ate together. They lived life, one day at a time, together. So when they received the good news that a Savior was born they immediately went to find Him and worship Him…together.

The Bible calls the church “the Body of Christ.” We can only be a body if we have many, multi-varied members. Raising our different voices together is to follow the example of the angels in a Holy Activity.

Together God uses us to bring glory to Himself. It may be in song, in corporate prayer, or even through lending a helping hand. Together we can celebrate this advent season by encouraging each other towards our Lord and Savior just as the shepherds did that starry night long ago.

Prayer-

Father God,

During this Christmas season may you instill in us a spirit of oneness that speaks to our love for you and bring glory to your name. As the body of Christ may you give us the vision to look beyond our personal needs, problems and opinions in order to see into the hearts and lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Show us how to encourage one another on towards love and good deeds, and may we do it as long as it's called today. Help us to remember that how we love and encourage one another is our greatest testimony to an unbelieving world.

In Jesus Name we pray,

Amen.
(prayer by Rev. Ken Latimore)

Way too many...

2009-12-11T10:01:00.002-05:00

Romans 10:14-17 (New American Standard Bible)

"14How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?

15How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!"

16However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, "LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?"

17So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ."

There are way too many people dying without knowing Christ. Sometimes we don't say anything because we label ourselves by what we think we are NOT.

Not a preacher.
Not an evangelist.
Not outgoing.
Not good in front of people.
Not one to intrude into other people's lives.

There are way too many people dying without knowing Christ.

We do our best every week to present the Word of God in a way that people can come to know Him or know Him better. Who have you invited to church lately? You may not be any of the things listed above but you can invited someone.
You CAN encourage someone.
You CAN point towards Christ.
You CAN bring someone to church.
You CAN overcome the excuses.
You CAN make disciples of those around you that God has placed there.

There are way too many people dying without knowing Christ!

Florida Christmas

2009-12-08T13:27:00.003-05:00

Do these pics really need a description? It's Christmas in Florida!!!

The Message-Advent #2

2009-12-07T14:07:00.001-05:00

The Message
Luke 1:26-38 (English Standard Version)

26In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" 29But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

34And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?"
35And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy— the Son of God. 36And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37For nothing will be impossible with God." 38And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

Have you ever felt honored and humbled all at the same time? From the first words of Gabriel’s message to the end Mary was informed that an impossible event was about to fall on her. She had been chosen to carry the Holy Son of God. How overwhelming, especially for such a young girl!

Every parent knows how huge the task is. How do I make sure this child is healthy? Am I feeding him enough? Is she getting enough tummy time? Is he sleeping too much? Is he sleeping too little? I’m sure Mary had all of these questions and more.

But Gabriel also offered words of assurance.
“The Lord is with you.”
“He will be great.”
“Nothing will be impossible with God.”

The message Gabriel poured into Mary was one of an overwhelming task surrounded by an almighty God.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 28 to “go and make disciples.” Our task is overwhelming. Our minds and hearts fill with questions. Where? How? When? But Jesus goes on to say “I am with you always.” This is not a task we figure out on our own. It is a lifestyle that happens while walking with our Lord and Savior.

What is the message you hear God telling you this Christmas Season? Whatever God is calling you to this season do not forget the Almighty God is with you.

Prayer-
Our Father,
Our lesson today is a link in the chain of promise. It assures us that we, too, have a job to do. While our task may seem overwhelming we are reminded that You are with us. Just as You prepared Mary for her task, You have prepared us for ours. Thank you for the tasks. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your assurance that you will “never leave us or forsake us.” Thank you for your promise to return for us soon, maybe today.

We humbly pray,
AMEN

(prayer written by Rev. Orville Harvey)

Friday randomness

2009-12-04T10:02:00.003-05:00

Be careful about taking things at face value. Check out Scot McKnight's post here.
What a difference a year makes...see here.
The coolest baby in the world here.
Stocking stuffer idea here...OK this one is for me but you may enjoy it too. :-)
This Sunday is the second Sunday of Advent. Look for this week's devotion posted here on Monday morning.

Is Zechariah 4:6 really true?

2009-12-04T09:36:00.003-05:00

I like to think of myself as a fairly competent person. If a problem arises I can think through it and come up with a course of action to solve it. I love information and learning new things. If there is something I don't know I can usually find someone who does so they can educate me in the matter.

I have put together enough furniture in our house to have a sense of accomplishment in that area. I am also certain this Christmas will provide several opportunities to install batteries, open difficult toy packaging, and simply "make it work Daddy".

In thinking through all of the above the word "I" keeps jumping out at me...reminding me of Zechariah 4:6...

Zechariah 4:6 (English Standard Version)
6"Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts."

Some times I realize that I have WAY too much confidence in myself and pay WAY too little attention to the real power of the universe...GOD's SPIRIT!!!!

What are you trying to accomplish today? What are you surrendering to the Holy Spirit today?
Notice a difference?

questions

2009-12-01T14:03:00.004-05:00

Asking questions is really an art form that way too many of us ignore. It's through asking questions that we really absorb as much around us as possible. When we ask...we get answers. When we get answers...we learn something new. When we learn something new...we grow. I'm all about growing but it does take a little bit of effort to get there.

Craig Groeschel has a great post here on asking the right questions. Do you have any productive questions you would add to his list?

The Silence

2009-11-30T12:34:00.004-05:00

This year I'm once again writing out our Advent devotions for the lighting of the Advent candles at church. I will be posting each devotion here on the site. If you need some ideas for Advent in the future or you want to just copy and use these feel free. I have the previous years available also. Just look under the "Christmas" tag. Merry Christmas.

THE SILENCE

Isaiah 7:14 (New International Version)
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Isaiah 9:6-7 (New International Version)
6 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.
7 Of the increase 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.

Micah 5:2 (New International Version)
2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times."

For years the people of God had heard the prophecies. A child will be born. He will be called Wonderful, Mighty, Everlasting. They knew He was coming. The prophets of God had spoken truth for years. The people believed these things. They taught their kids about the one who was coming. They taught their grandchildren to believe the prophecies. Year after year they waited.

After a time the prophecies ended. The silence was almost deafening. The old prophecies didn’t seem to hold the same punch as they used to. Are they still valid? Surely this “special one” would have come by now. The silence lead to questioning. The questioning lead to doubt. The doubt lead to complacency in their worship, their relationships, and their lives.
We have an advantage today. We know that He came and His name was and is Jesus. We know that He lived a perfect life. We know he died on a cross and rose again. Because we know these things we also know that He is coming again one day. It may not be as quickly as we’d like but it IS going to happen.

This is a great way to begin the season of advent. We remember the first coming. We look forward to the second coming. We celebrate in the in between time!

Prayer

Father God, I know that you are from everlasting to everlasting. You are the same yesterday, today and forever. But as I enter this Advent season, it seems but yesterday that we celebrated the same things last year, and the year before. One Advent season seems to flow into another.

Lord, as we enter this Advent may I see beyond the busyness, the glitz and the glitter to a renewed awareness of your message of Advent. May I see Jesus, Immanuel - God with us. May I once again celebrate the birth of Christ with the expectancy of a new believer and the hope of one who believes that this same Jesus is coming again to establish peace, justice, and righteousness upon this earth made new. In the name of Jesus, The Prince of peace, AMEN.
(prayer written by Rev. Frank Hall)

best of all

2009-11-20T09:33:00.002-05:00

This Sunday I am preaching on our identity in Christ. I'm kick starting the message by reading Max Lucado's children's book titled "Best of All". As I was reading this book it struck me that there were two types of people in this world.

1-People who need to know who they are.
2-People who need to know who others are.

One of the best ways to enter the Thanksgiving/Advent season is to realize that the ground at the cross is level. What I mean is, we all have the same access to a holy, almighty God that was provided by our gracious, merciful, savior Jesus. So I have no reason to look down on anyone else because we are all walking through this life together and need each other to continually point to our never ending need for that Savior.

Let's enter this season with an attitude of celebration. Celebrating the fact that God can and does use any or all of us to bring glory to Himself. Now that's a reason to be thankful.

Jesus wants the rose

2009-11-17T13:26:00.004-05:00

Today I really had the urge to blog something but I really didn't know what. I've been reading and studying several passages in the Bible today and God really spoke some good stuff to me. I thought "I'll share some of that". I've also listened to some good music. I've spent some time with my son Micah. All of these things were good experiences and very blog worthy. But as I was preparing for Sunday's message I came across this video clip. It may be a little offensive to some. It may be a little distracting to others. However, the last few lines are worth the 4 minutes it takes to watch it. This video is not meant to promote anything or anyone other than Jesus himself and how much He loves you and me.

I hate that this type of thing happened in a church setting. I love church and as a pastor I am always trying to be creative in my attempts to communicate the gospel. My prayer for all of us is that in our efforts to be creative we would not distort the true gospel message. Jesus wants the rose!

Friday's randomness

2009-11-13T09:26:00.003-05:00

Check out Mark Batterson's 5 creativity equations...good stuff.
This is, in my opinion, Perry Noble's post of the week for pastors and church leaders check it out here.
If you ever get the chance to look at Ed Young's blog at http://www.edyoungblog.com/ you will notice that under other bloggers he has his wife Lisa listed before TD Jakes. Good move! I always knew he was a smart man.
Leadership/team lessons we can learn from the rock band U2...mmmm....check it out here.
Finally...here is a video about managing money that is priceless...enjoy it and your weekend.

Elijah Offering Video from Elevation Church on Vimeo.

Leadership check

2009-11-12T09:50:00.003-05:00

Just this morning God brought up two thoughts that compliment each other as I had some very needed quiet time.

As I was reading Isaiah 58 I found these words, "They delight in the nearness of God." (vs.2) This, to me, describes a life that is flowing in the waves of the Holy Spirit. God is always with us. God is always at work around us. A submitted life will see this and delight in it while a life that is in rebellion will resent it and even fight against it. One who delights in the nearness of God is one who has nothing to hide and doesn't want to hide anything because they know that God is love and grace and does not reject His own.

The other moment that connected with this was when a friend talked about pastors/leaders wanting accountability. His thoughts were that any pastor or leader with any decency about him/her would welcome accountability. This is especially true when the goal is not our own personal glory but the glory of God and the betterment of the organization/church.

Here's my encouragement today. Just take a few moments and "delight in the nearness of God". Then write down what He is telling you today. God is good and that never changes.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." (Romans 15:13 ESV)

Seriously????

2009-11-10T07:00:00.001-05:00

Wow...and I thought men played rough...check out this story.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Monday morning thoughts

2009-11-09T12:28:00.004-05:00

Great service yesterday! We walked through Psalm 30 yesterday and talked about different things to be thankful for.
My Bible has this Psalm labeled as one used in the dedication of the temple.
2 Corinthians 6:16 say that "we are the temple of the living God."
So is it far to say that this Psalm is not only "for" the temple but also "to" the temple?
God never ceases to amaze me at how He sets things up some times. It's almost like He really is in control like He says He is....mmmmmm :-)
It's that time of year where budgets are being combed through for the next year and people are getting more and more stressed about money...personally, corporately, and otherwise.
Lord, help us to live and move and have our being as if You really are sovereign...Lord thank you for having a plan long before we realize we need one.
Pastors and church leaders...it would benefit you greatly to read this post from Perry Noble...click here.

Clayton on fasting

2009-11-06T12:29:00.003-05:00

Here are some highlights from a message Clayton King gave this year at Newspring Church in S.C. this year. Clayton does a great job of just laying things out there for people. Here's a sampling...

Lincoln Brewster

2009-11-06T12:12:00.003-05:00

Here's Lincoln Brewster's album version of "Salvation is Here"...enjoy!!!

It's Friday!!!!

2009-11-06T12:03:00.003-05:00

Today is Friday...it's been a good week overall...here are some thoughts for today...

Check out Perry's blog on leadership here...even if you don't agree with all of his points he at least makes you think...
There is nothing in the world that sounds like a baby laughing...Micah rocks!!!
This morning when we found the shirt Natalie wanted to where her response was a loud "Hallelujah!"...never a bad time to praise the Lord.
I can not wait 'til Sunday. We are going to walk through Psalm 30 and God WILL be praise and He WILL be exalted!
There are a few video clips that I want to share so keep checking back for those.
Tomorrow some friends are running in a race to help end human trafficking. You can read more about it here. beherfreedom.com
If you get the chance read Psalm 30 in whatever translation you usually use...then read it out of the Message Bible...good stuff!

Monday Morning reflections

2009-11-02T13:03:00.003-05:00

Yesterday's service ROCKED THE PLANET! There is nothing in this world like the love of Jesus!!!!
We switched our service time and Sunday School time yesterday. With the later service time we actually saw some folks that haven't been in a while because the earlier time was too difficult for them. It was great to see them.
There is nothing like Trick or Treating at the mall. Lots of people. Lots of costumes. Lots of security.
The Candy Store at the mall gave out little peppermints to all the kids. YOU"RE A CANDY STORE...GET A LITTLE CREATIVE!!!!!
Sorry about that last line...I'm not bitter...not at all...:-)
November is here and that means Thanksgiving is coming up. YEAH!!!
Here's today's quote..."It's kind of fun to do the impossible."-Walt Disney

What are you listening to...

2009-10-27T10:40:00.003-04:00

Just thought I would share what I'm listening to while I work today...

Quote of the day

2009-10-27T10:22:00.000-04:00

“In the total expanse of human life there is not a single square inch of which the Christ, who alone is sovereign,does not declare,'That is mine!'”
Abraham Kuyper quote

Monday morning thoughts

2009-10-26T09:45:00.004-04:00

Yesterday the church had a time of pastor appreciation during the service. Several people had very encouraging and kind things to say about myself and Logan. Everyone was very gracious and you will probably never know just how much your expressions of gratitude mean to the both of us and our wives. Thank you.

Yesterday I preached on the flow of the Holy Spirit in and through our lives. I was so excited to get to preach that message. As I was preparing it this question kept coming to mind. What if we are not only saved by Grace but we are to live by Grace as well?...and how does that look?
I have started writing this years advent devotions for the Advent season and God is showing me some cool things in the process. (Each one is based out of the Gospel of Luke)

Today we had our second funeral in three days. I can not wait until Jesus comes and there will be no more death!
Allison went back to work today. That means Micah is with me and so far we are having a fine day bonding. I think he kinda likes my office. (He should...it's looking more and more like his place anyway:-)

This Wednesday is the fall festival at church. This is going to be a great time of celebrating with the whole church together. Everyone please come out and be ready to have a good time.

This year Halloween is going to be a trip. I know some people are against Halloween for one reason or another. That's fine...but I'm excited because my little girl is going to be Supergirl...and that pumps me up!

Friday

2009-10-23T12:34:00.003-04:00

Today is Friday and I'm looking at the next few days thinking..."Wow, what a weekend." Over the next three days we have 2 funerals and our Sunday morning service. I know this is not the busiest schedule out there by any means. However, when you think about how much each of these things means to people it can be over whelming. Death hurts. It is an enemy. Thank goodness it has an end. In the mean time we must all endure the separation we experience when our loved ones die. These funerals will be more about the celebration of life than the tragedy of death but we could still use your prayers as we walk these families through this.

Sunday's sermon is one that has been on my heart and mind for a while now and I am absolutely pumped to bring it. God is at work and we need to recognize that He will accomplish His purposes. The question is...how can we ride the waves of His Spirit?

Here are a couple of quotes that I came across recently that tie into this whole weekend.

"The Bible without the Holy Spirit is a sundial by moonlight."-D.L. Moody

"In commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy Him."-C.S. Lewis

Have a great weekend and please pray for us that we would be open channels to God's Holy Spirit.

Darkness

2009-10-20T09:22:00.003-04:00

I just finished reading Matthew 26-28. I don't know that I have ever read those three chapters straight through together...without stopping. Although, I have to admit, I was tempted several times to stop...take a break...it's so much to take in...really you can come back to it.

The story is dark. To say that it is difficult to read is an understatement. The emotions. The betrayal. The neglect. The abuse. The lies. The mocking. The isolation. The hopelessness. The Crucifixion. The pain. The bitterness. The punishment. The suffering.

The obedience. The grace. The love. The victory. The resurrection. The celebration. The good news. The commission. The promise. The King. The Lord. The Savior.

My description can not even begin to accurately describe all that Jesus went through and accomplished because He loved us and still loves us that much today.

It overwhelms me. I don't deserve it. I never have. Yet He generously pours out His love and grace even today. Wow!!!!!!

I encourage you to read Matthew 26-28 today. Don't stop. Keep reading it. It will be hard to read. It will be difficult to watch as Jesus is punished. However, when you reach the end you will witness a hope and joy victory that is like nothing else. The eternal. The everlasting. Amen and amen.

Monday reflections

2009-10-19T14:53:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was Youth Sunday and the youth ROCKED THE HOUSE!!! They did a great job at presenting the gospel through greeting, drama, music, and the Word of God.
Aunt Jo's surgery went well this morning but she is in a great deal of pain so they are keeping her in the hospital overnight. Please pray that her pain will ease soon.
Getting back in the office when you have been gone for a week is harder than it looks.
Vacation is over and the 1600 calorie/day diet officially begins today...ugh!
I can not wait for this coming Sunday. I have been rolling this message around for over a month and this week I'm putting the polish on it. I'm am pumped about how God's grace works in and through our lives!
Traveling with a 3 year old and an infant can add HOURS to your travel time. (...but you get to see a lot of bathrooms along the way...)

seriously??????

2009-10-15T16:01:00.000-04:00

So I've been on vacation this week and we have had a great time seeing family and friends. We even had the chance to see some of the fall leaves throughout the mountains. I have actually worn long sleeves all week. The temperature dipped down to the 50's the other day and Natalie was convinced it was about to snow. Ahhh my poor little Florida child.

In any case I was having a great week relaxing when I came across this news story. My first reaction was "SERIOUSLY???". Then I couldn't help but just shake my head and be reminded of other well meaning people who are sooooo guilty of taking things out of context. Whatever your reaction is to this story please pray for these folks because I'm sure there is something more productive they could be doing to build God's kingdom.

Here it is...

The Journey of Giving-3/3

2009-10-12T07:43:00.002-04:00

So God woke me up in the middle of the night with a question. I had been working and studying the concept of giving, especially as it relates to our giving to God and His ministry. Most of my thinking up to this point had centered around how much I should give or with what type of attitude I should give. However, here is the question that God brought to mind that really rocked my world.

"What if it's not about you?"

What???? At first I was a little stumped. Of course it's not about me. However, I soon realized that while I agreed that it was not about "me" it was only "me" that I was thinking about. How do I give? How much should I give? What's the best way for ME to give?

I was dumbfounded by my own selfishness.

What if it's really about a Holy and Almighty God who is always giving and refuses to stop giving? What if He is the best at giving and pours out generously based on His love and not our efforts? What if He is simply inviting us to be open to Him so that He may not only pours in us but through us as well?

Then I began to read familiar passage of scripture in a new way as God's giving jumped off the pages.
Read Romans 8:28-39.
Read 2 Corinthians 5:17-21.
Notice how God gives. Notice what He gives. Notice who He gives. Notice and recognize the giving God.

When I realized that it is actually God who is the true giver and... when I recognized what a holy activity giving was and...when I admitted that my efforts were not adequate to be considered sufficient and...when I confessed and submitted to my Almighty God...He opened a whole new world of giving that I had not known before.

I'm not saying that I have this perfected today but I am saying that God is at work in me, molding me into His image...the image of a giving God.

The Journey of Giving-2/3

2009-10-07T08:55:00.001-04:00

Many people take Malachi 3:10 to heart when it comes to their giving. They faithful give their 10% every week or every month or every year. They give it out of obligation, duty, fear, or maybe even worship and love. However, recently there has been a thread of teaching that sees giving a little differently.

People are beginning to point out that Malachi is actually in the Old Testament and we are living in a post-cross, post-resurrection world that is not bound strictly to the letter of the law and the 10% that Malachi speaks of.

At first this line of thinking made me nervous...until God took me a step further in my journey of giving.

In 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 the Apostle Paul is relaying what has been happening in the Macedonia churches. They have been giving what they can and then giving even more! They are so consumed with the idea of giving that they can not even stop themselves. Paul sees this and it is his desire to see that same passion flow through all the believers. In verse 8 he even tells them that he's not commanding them to give but wants to see the desire flow out of their hearts.

Don't give because you HAVE to. Give because you WANT to! Don't be so consumed with the idea of giving 10% to the point where if you don't have it you don't give anything. Give out of your love for Jesus Christ no matter the amount. Give what some would call a "love gift" to God.

Wow! That is so freeing in some ways. To not be consumed with the logistics and calculations figuring up 10% every week. That is awesome! That sounds so much easier to me.

Then in the middle of the night God asked me a question about my giving that rocked my world and I still can not shake. This question took me yet another step forward in my journey of giving...

The Journey of Giving-1/3

2009-10-06T09:20:00.000-04:00

When it comes to giving, especially in the context of church, I believe my earliest understandings came from Malachi 3:10. God instructs his people to bring their tithe (or a tenth) into the storehouse. It's the only place that I have seen where God tells the people to test Him and see if He doesn't open up the very windows of heaven and pour out blessing.

Ever since I became serious about tithing I kind of took the approach of "why not". Why wouldn't I give a tenth of my money. After all if God really is almighty and can do anything then let's see what He can do with just 10%. What do I have to lose? I still have 90% to work with.

Even though God has always supplied for my needs I have to admit that I am tempted sometimes to give God less than a tithe. I start to think..."I could make more progress in paying off ______ bill." "I could make an extra car payment." "I could put that much more towards the house payment." The funny thing is that even while all of that is true God brings me back to the fact that He tells me to "test" Him with the tithe and He has never, ever failed any test before and never will. Do I really trust Him to do what He says? Do I really trust that God can do far more above and beyond all that I can imagine?

Sometimes I don't want to give to God. Sometimes I do it out of habit. Sometimes I do it out of obligation. Sometimes I just do it because I'm afraid not to. Sometimes it really is an act of trust and worship. But this is where I started the journey of giving.

Then God took me a step further...

Monday morning reflections

2009-10-05T11:47:00.003-04:00

Yesterday we experienced a great God service. God's word. God's music. God's generosity. God's people. God's timing. WOW!
Saturday was a great day in the life of WJACC as so much of the church came together for the purpose of celebrating a wedding and a marriage. Congratulations Marshall and Sarah!
My brother and sister-in-law were visiting this weekend and we had a blast together. Natalie took about 1 1/2 seconds to warm up to both of them.
I will be blogging some of my thoughts from yesterday's sermon on giving soon so keep watching.
Quote of the day...this one is for all pastors and worship leaders. "The hour on Sunday can be a time of wonder, a time of transformation, maybe even a time of awe."-Nancy Beach
Check out this blog from Clayton...it should make all of us pause.

Back to the Basics

2009-09-30T09:51:00.002-04:00

I've heard people from time to time say, "we need to get back to the basics". When asked to define what the basics are many definitions surface. A lot of times people define the "basics" as their own personal preferences. However, I do think the basics are not only needed but necessary. What basics do I mean? I think Ed Young does a great job of describing it here.

Who's growing what?

2009-09-30T09:21:00.002-04:00

"So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth."

1 Corinthians 3:7 (English Standard Version)

We get so caught up a lot of times on what we are producing. "I have to do this or it won't get done." "If I don't do it no one will." It can become as if we don't think God is actually at work. It's almost as if He has left everything up to us to accomplish here on earth. However, I keep being reminded in God's Word that it is not about me.

God is the one who makes things grow (physically, spiritually, mentally, etc.). He invites me to play a part in it. I may get to water or plant a seed or maybe even be present for the harvest but it is God that does the actual growing. If I don't play a part God will use some one else in the process. He does NOT need me. He wants me. So that we walk in this process NOT out of obligation but out of the privilege of being used by the Almighty God of the Universe.

What is God inviting you to be a part of today?

Monday morning thoughts

2009-09-28T10:30:00.002-04:00

Yesterday's service was "off the chain"! Terry brought a great message, the music was flowing, the people were celebrating and the food was good and plentiful.
We saw at least 16 people baptized between the two churches yesterday. Yeah God!
We are seeing groups come together for Bible study and fellowship more and more throughout the church. Who knows what all God is up to...
I found out that an MP3 player does not fair well in the washing machine.
A 3 year old IS able to sleep through the night without waking Mommy or Daddy...now if we can do this on a consistent basis...
Next weeks sermon is going to be a mind-bender. We are going to look at money and finances in a way that I have never preached before. Come next week and check it out.
Going to a birthday luncheon today...Happy Birthday Uncle Robert!

Random stuff

2009-09-23T13:50:00.001-04:00

Here's some links and random thoughts for the day...enjoy.

Here's some special words about the flow of life here.

John Ortberg answers who the Spirit is up to here.

Read Phillipians chapter one today. Ask yourself, "Is the Apostle Paul thankful for the individuals in his life or the work of Christ that he sees in others around him?"
This coming Sunday we are going to see people baptized! That is Awesome!
Happy Birthday today MOM!!!!

The Chasing Song

2009-09-18T13:53:00.002-04:00

We all chase something in our lives. We chase deadlines. We chase toddlers. We chase dreams. We chase each other. Today God reminded me that even in the midst of my chasing everthing HE chased me and caught me and loves me and will not let go.

Here is a song by Andrew Peterson that I think sums up a lot of what I'm trying to say today. Enjoy.