2010 The Year We Made Contact

2010 promises to be a year of adventure as we, and several other families, move across the country to start The Branches @ Escondido. Currently we are working on identifying our mission, vision, values, and "planting strategy". This morning we spoke with a design company that will be working on our logo.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of things that remain out of our control: selling our home, the timing of moving, finding jobs in Escondido, and all of the lives that we will come into contact with that will be forever changed by the power of Christ.

2010 The Year We Made Contact

2010 promises to be a year of adventure as we, and several other families, move across the country to start The Branches @ Escondido. Currently we are working on identifying our mission, vision, values, and "planting strategy". This morning we spoke with a design company that will be working on our logo.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of things that remain out of our control: selling our home, the timing of moving, finding jobs in Escondido, and all of the lives that we will come into contact with that will be forever changed by the power of Christ.

The Christmas Story

Merry Christmas

HT: Tony Morgan

The Christmas Story

Merry Christmas

HT: Tony Morgan

Escondido Expedition

We made it back safely from our church planting expedition to Escondido, CA. Each day, it seemed, God had something special planned for James and I, to remind us that we were in the right place doing the right thing. We found some great venues that would work well for the church and the Lord sovereignly led us to people that are interested in being a part of starting The Branches @ Escondido.

In my last post, I asked you to pray that God would prepare the "spiritual soil" and show us favor on this trip; God is answering our prayers. One of the blessings that we experienced was a conversation that we had with a young woman that was showing us around one of the venues that we could possibly meet in. She was part of a small team of people showing us around the facilities and it seemed to both James and I that she may not be a follower of Christ yet. James and I took turns talking with her and answering her questions; she was intrigued about what we were talking about regarding coming to Escondido and spreading God's love. At one point toward the end of the tour she gave James her contact information and asked that we let her and her husband know when we get in town so that they can be a part of the church.

That was only one encounter of many that blessed us last week. This would be a very long blog post if I were to recount all of the blessings that God gave to us on our short week away. We will be traveling to Escondido in February and will be taking a couple of men from our church with us who are interested in moving their families to California to be a part of The Branches @ Escondido.

More than ever, I'm confident that God's hand is in this, and that He is ordering our steps and the steps of those that we will be ministering with and those that we will be ministering to.

Escondido Expedition

We made it back safely from our church planting expedition to Escondido, CA. Each day, it seemed, God had something special planned for James and I, to remind us that we were in the right place doing the right thing. We found some great venues that would work well for the church and the Lord sovereignly led us to people that are interested in being a part of starting The Branches @ Escondido.

In my last post, I asked you to pray that God would prepare the "spiritual soil" and show us favor on this trip; God is answering our prayers. One of the blessings that we experienced was a conversation that we had with a young woman that was showing us around one of the venues that we could possibly meet in. She was part of a small team of people showing us around the facilities and it seemed to both James and I that she may not be a follower of Christ yet. James and I took turns talking with her and answering her questions; she was intrigued about what we were talking about regarding coming to Escondido and spreading God's love. At one point toward the end of the tour she gave James her contact information and asked that we let her and her husband know when we get in town so that they can be a part of the church.

That was only one encounter of many that blessed us last week. This would be a very long blog post if I were to recount all of the blessings that God gave to us on our short week away. We will be traveling to Escondido in February and will be taking a couple of men from our church with us who are interested in moving their families to California to be a part of The Branches @ Escondido.

More than ever, I'm confident that God's hand is in this, and that He is ordering our steps and the steps of those that we will be ministering with and those that we will be ministering to.

Making Plans

On December 7th Pastor Pink and I will be flying to California to start laying some very important ground work for the church plant. We have in mind to meet with individuals interested in being part of a new church, meet with some church leaders in the area, look at potential meeting places, meet with a realtor, etc...

At times my head is swimming with all of the details that go into this church plant. There are numerous logistical issues, details about theology & philosophy of ministry, connections with people that need to be made, launch plan strategies, constitutions & bylaws to be written, and on and on. After I get done hyperventilating, I remember that I just need to take this one day at a time, having the faith that God will guide our steps along the way.

So many of the folks at The Branches @ Farmland have been very supportive and encouraging, and that has meant a lot to my family. Could I ask you to quickly say a prayer for this venture that God has laid on our hearts? Pray that God would prepare the "spiritual soil" of Escondido, CA. as we plant a church that leads people to Jesus Christ. Please pray that we find favor as we meet with individuals to seek financial and prayer support. Please pray that all the families that "put their hand to the plow" would not look back and that lives will be forever changed.

Thank you for praying.

Making Plans

On December 7th Pastor Pink and I will be flying to California to start laying some very important ground work for the church plant. We have in mind to meet with individuals interested in being part of a new church, meet with some church leaders in the area, look at potential meeting places, meet with a realtor, etc...

At times my head is swimming with all of the details that go into this church plant. There are numerous logistical issues, details about theology & philosophy of ministry, connections with people that need to be made, launch plan strategies, constitutions & bylaws to be written, and on and on. After I get done hyperventilating, I remember that I just need to take this one day at a time, having the faith that God will guide our steps along the way.

So many of the folks at The Branches @ Farmland have been very supportive and encouraging, and that has meant a lot to my family. Could I ask you to quickly say a prayer for this venture that God has laid on our hearts? Pray that God would prepare the "spiritual soil" of Escondido, CA. as we plant a church that leads people to Jesus Christ. Please pray that we find favor as we meet with individuals to seek financial and prayer support. Please pray that all the families that "put their hand to the plow" would not look back and that lives will be forever changed.

Thank you for praying.

You Don't Need This

You probably wouldn't have any need for this - so I'm posting this here for me. You can read it if you want.

From Perry Noble's blog...

"I remember the first time I read something negative about me on the internet. It literally destroyed me…seriously, it was like someone took a knife and jabbed it into my soul!!! I read it about four or five times…and for the next several days I hyper focused on that particular website and had this thought, “If this person and I could only meet and chat I think I could change his mind.”

It didn’t take long for me to realize that no matter what I did…no matter how many conversations I had…no matter how many olive branches I extended…that there were going to be people who hated me, slandered me and despised me…and there was literally nothing I could do about it.

Church leader…you CANNOT control what people think about you…and you can’t worry about it either. Jesus had a group of people who HATED Him and followed Him everywhere He went, pointing out His “faults,” yet He stayed true to the VISION His Father placed inside of Him and didn’t engage in trying to change their minds about Him.

If you want to silence your critics then you must…

Keep your eyes on Jesus (Craig Groeschel says that becoming obsessed with what people think about me is the quickest way to forget what God thinks about me.) Let HIM, not “them” define you!
Live a life of integrity!! (I Peter 2:15)
The rest is in God’s hands!!! You cannot shape the opinions of others…you can only be true to who God called you to be!!!"

HT: Perry Noble

You Don't Need This

You probably wouldn't have any need for this - so I'm posting this here for me. You can read it if you want.

From Perry Noble's blog...

"I remember the first time I read something negative about me on the internet. It literally destroyed me…seriously, it was like someone took a knife and jabbed it into my soul!!! I read it about four or five times…and for the next several days I hyper focused on that particular website and had this thought, “If this person and I could only meet and chat I think I could change his mind.”

It didn’t take long for me to realize that no matter what I did…no matter how many conversations I had…no matter how many olive branches I extended…that there were going to be people who hated me, slandered me and despised me…and there was literally nothing I could do about it.

Church leader…you CANNOT control what people think about you…and you can’t worry about it either. Jesus had a group of people who HATED Him and followed Him everywhere He went, pointing out His “faults,” yet He stayed true to the VISION His Father placed inside of Him and didn’t engage in trying to change their minds about Him.

If you want to silence your critics then you must…

Keep your eyes on Jesus (Craig Groeschel says that becoming obsessed with what people think about me is the quickest way to forget what God thinks about me.) Let HIM, not “them” define you!
Live a life of integrity!! (I Peter 2:15)
The rest is in God’s hands!!! You cannot shape the opinions of others…you can only be true to who God called you to be!!!"

HT: Perry Noble

Church Planting

I thought I'd try to answer some questions that folks might have about the future plans we have for church planting.

Why Escondido? We are confident that God has called us to California and to Escondido in particular. James a.k.a Pink is from Escondido and has a number of connections in the area. Many of them have no church home of their own and some are very far from God. Tammy and I have had specific confirmation that this is the right move and I would love to share that story one on one if you would care to ask me in person. Escondido is a great city and God has laid a burden on our hearts to be a part of that community and to love on people there.

Are you planting a Friends church? No.

What will the church be about? The Branches at Escondido will have the same kind of mission as The Branches at Farmland; seeing lives changed through faith in Jesus Christ. We want people to COME as they are - HEAR the word of God - DO what the word says - and TELL others how awesome He is.

When? I'm not sure. James and Tonya would like to wait until their kids are out of school. Tammy and I need to sell our home, and we want to be able to move out around the same time as the Pinkerton's.

If you have other questions that I didn't address, please leave a comment or catch me in person. We would appreciate your prayers that God would direct our steps and the steps of The Branches at Farmland Friends Church as we navigate the coming days so that we will see lives changed for the glory of God.

Church Planting

I thought I'd try to answer some questions that folks might have about the future plans we have for church planting.

Why Escondido? We are confident that God has called us to California and to Escondido in particular. James a.k.a Pink is from Escondido and has a number of connections in the area. Many of them have no church home of their own and some are very far from God. Tammy and I have had specific confirmation that this is the right move and I would love to share that story one on one if you would care to ask me in person. Escondido is a great city and God has laid a burden on our hearts to be a part of that community and to love on people there.

Are you planting a Friends church? No.

What will the church be about? The Branches at Escondido will have the same kind of mission as The Branches at Farmland; seeing lives changed through faith in Jesus Christ. We want people to COME as they are - HEAR the word of God - DO what the word says - and TELL others how awesome He is.

When? I'm not sure. James and Tonya would like to wait until their kids are out of school. Tammy and I need to sell our home, and we want to be able to move out around the same time as the Pinkerton's.

If you have other questions that I didn't address, please leave a comment or catch me in person. We would appreciate your prayers that God would direct our steps and the steps of The Branches at Farmland Friends Church as we navigate the coming days so that we will see lives changed for the glory of God.

Where's Waldo

I'm not quite sure but I think I spot Pink's hoodie around the 33 second mark?

Catalyst West 2009 | Highlight Video from Catalyst on Vimeo.

Where's Waldo

I'm not quite sure but I think I spot Pink's hoodie around the 33 second mark?

Catalyst West 2009 | Highlight Video from Catalyst on Vimeo.

Big News

This morning at church I let the cat out of the bag and shared what I believe God is calling me to do. God is leading myself and James Pinkerton (a.k.a Pink) to Escondido, California to plant The Branches. I wish I could give you a lot of details about when, how, etc., but I can not. All I know is that God has laid it on our hearts to start a new church out West. Currently we are learning as much as we can about church planting, taking assessments, reading books, making contacts, praying, and planning.

After making the announcement at both of our services today we received some great encouragement from a number of people, for which I am extremely grateful for. What the future relationship looks like between The Branches @ Farmland and The Branches @ Escondido still have yet to be navigated. It appears that James and I will be around well into next year, in the meantime we will be praying with the leadership at The Branches @ Farmland and ministering right here where God has us.

Big News

This morning at church I let the cat out of the bag and shared what I believe God is calling me to do. God is leading myself and James Pinkerton (a.k.a Pink) to Escondido, California to plant The Branches. I wish I could give you a lot of details about when, how, etc., but I can not. All I know is that God has laid it on our hearts to start a new church out West. Currently we are learning as much as we can about church planting, taking assessments, reading books, making contacts, praying, and planning.

After making the announcement at both of our services today we received some great encouragement from a number of people, for which I am extremely grateful for. What the future relationship looks like between The Branches @ Farmland and The Branches @ Escondido still have yet to be navigated. It appears that James and I will be around well into next year, in the meantime we will be praying with the leadership at The Branches @ Farmland and ministering right here where God has us.

Quick Update

Currently I'm at my parent's home near Indianapolis, as I will be speaking at my Father's church tomorrow night. I think this is my third year taking part in their spiritual emphasis weekend, and am looking forward to sharing with the folks at Providence Christian Church.

This Sunday at The Branches @ FFC we will be having just one combined service at 10:45. We are in week 2 of "Hope Epidemic" and our emphasis will be on creating and praying over the shoeboxes that we are filling with gifts for Operation Christmas Child. I'm looking forward to all of us getting out of our seats during the service and actually serving together by preparing these small gifts of hope. See you this Sunday!!

Quick Update

Currently I'm at my parent's home near Indianapolis, as I will be speaking at my Father's church tomorrow night. I think this is my third year taking part in their spiritual emphasis weekend, and am looking forward to sharing with the folks at Providence Christian Church.

This Sunday at The Branches @ FFC we will be having just one combined service at 10:45. We are in week 2 of "Hope Epidemic" and our emphasis will be on creating and praying over the shoeboxes that we are filling with gifts for Operation Christmas Child. I'm looking forward to all of us getting out of our seats during the service and actually serving together by preparing these small gifts of hope. See you this Sunday!!

Truth and Love

This thought came to my mind this morning while getting ready for work:

If you divorce truth from love you get liberalism - if you divorce love from truth you get legalism - you must tell the truth in love to truly love.

Truth and Love

This thought came to my mind this morning while getting ready for work:

If you divorce truth from love you get liberalism - if you divorce love from truth you get legalism - you must tell the truth in love to truly love.

Trolls

I read this today over at Seth Godin's blog and thought I'd post it here as well.

"Lots of things about work are hard. Dealing with trolls is one of them. Trolls are critics who gain perverse pleasure in relentlessly tearing you and your ideas down. Here's the thing(s):

1. trolls will always be trolling

2. critics rarely create

3. they live in a tiny echo chamber, ignored by everyone except the trolled and the other trolls

4. professionals (that's you) get paid to ignore them. It's part of your job.

"Can't please everyone," isn't just an aphorism, it's the secret of being remarkable."

I think the key is to identify those whose criticism is actually constructive and worthwhile and then applying their insight. It is also crucial to identify the critics that are simply trolls. Mr Godin has given some insight into identifying them: 1. this is their "M.O." 2. they rarely create and 3. others recognize their 'trollness'.

What are some other tell tale signs you are dealing with a troll?

Trolls

I read this today over at Seth Godin's blog and thought I'd post it here as well.

"Lots of things about work are hard. Dealing with trolls is one of them. Trolls are critics who gain perverse pleasure in relentlessly tearing you and your ideas down. Here's the thing(s):

1. trolls will always be trolling

2. critics rarely create

3. they live in a tiny echo chamber, ignored by everyone except the trolled and the other trolls

4. professionals (that's you) get paid to ignore them. It's part of your job.

"Can't please everyone," isn't just an aphorism, it's the secret of being remarkable."

I think the key is to identify those whose criticism is actually constructive and worthwhile and then applying their insight. It is also crucial to identify the critics that are simply trolls. Mr Godin has given some insight into identifying them: 1. this is their "M.O." 2. they rarely create and 3. others recognize their 'trollness'.

What are some other tell tale signs you are dealing with a troll?

What Might Happen?

What could God do with a community of believers that have died to themselves and were sold out to being remarkable for the fame and glory of our God? What could God do with simple acts of kindness to bring hope to our communities; how many lives can be positively impacted through an epidemic of hope?

What might happen, if for 8 straight weeks The Branches @ FFC blanketed East Central Indiana with remarkable acts of kindness. We are about to find out beginning on November 1st when we begin a new journey called, "The Hope Epidemic".

What Might Happen?

What could God do with a community of believers that have died to themselves and were sold out to being remarkable for the fame and glory of our God? What could God do with simple acts of kindness to bring hope to our communities; how many lives can be positively impacted through an epidemic of hope?

What might happen, if for 8 straight weeks The Branches @ FFC blanketed East Central Indiana with remarkable acts of kindness. We are about to find out beginning on November 1st when we begin a new journey called, "The Hope Epidemic".

Kindness

Matthew 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men."

When Jesus says you are the salt of the earth, He is saying that you need to live in such a way that you make a marked impact on the lives around you. Local churches are a gathering place of "the salt"; I think God has called the church at this time to get out of the saltshaker and to be remarkable to the world. Something is not remarkable because it says it is; something is remarkable because people are remarking about it. What will get the attention of the world is when we live with the values of Jesus Christ and raise the level of kindness that we show to the world around us.

That means you need to be kind at home, at school, at work, in public, in private, etc. When the kindness drifts from our life then it simply reveals the fact that people are not important to you. Romans 2:4 tells us, "God's kindness leads you toward repentance?" How’s the kindness level in your life? What if God’s kindness affected you and then you allowed it to get a hold of your heart and you were kind to others?

Jesus loved people and was kind to those far from God. What if we let God’s love invade our life and then let that kindness lead others toward repentance?

Kindness

Matthew 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men."

When Jesus says you are the salt of the earth, He is saying that you need to live in such a way that you make a marked impact on the lives around you. Local churches are a gathering place of "the salt"; I think God has called the church at this time to get out of the saltshaker and to be remarkable to the world. Something is not remarkable because it says it is; something is remarkable because people are remarking about it. What will get the attention of the world is when we live with the values of Jesus Christ and raise the level of kindness that we show to the world around us.

That means you need to be kind at home, at school, at work, in public, in private, etc. When the kindness drifts from our life then it simply reveals the fact that people are not important to you. Romans 2:4 tells us, "God's kindness leads you toward repentance?" How’s the kindness level in your life? What if God’s kindness affected you and then you allowed it to get a hold of your heart and you were kind to others?

Jesus loved people and was kind to those far from God. What if we let God’s love invade our life and then let that kindness lead others toward repentance?

For Your Viewing Pleasure

You may borrow the elbow dance if you happen to want to win a dance off!

Winning Dance from Catalyst from Chad Nygren on Vimeo.

For Your Viewing Pleasure

You may borrow the elbow dance if you happen to want to win a dance off!

Winning Dance from Catalyst from Chad Nygren on Vimeo.

The Result of Compassion

This was a "3 kleenexer" for me. I lost it in front of my family this morning as we watched together what unselfish love can do for a human being in need. Jimmy's story begins at 3:45 into the video.



"Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" Matthew 25

Do something.

The Result of Compassion

This was a "3 kleenexer" for me. I lost it in front of my family this morning as we watched together what unselfish love can do for a human being in need. Jimmy's story begins at 3:45 into the video.



"Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" Matthew 25

Do something.

Si Habla Espanol

Well, someday I can confidently say, "Si habla Espanol". Right now all I can say are things like "Los hombres beben" and "hola" Tammy, Shelby, and I have purchased Rosetta Stone in order to learn Spanish. We've only been at it a few days now, but I'm looking forward to the day when our family can carry on conversations in Spanish.

"Adios"

Si Habla Espanol

Well, someday I can confidently say, "Si habla Espanol". Right now all I can say are things like "Los hombres beben" and "hola" Tammy, Shelby, and I have purchased Rosetta Stone in order to learn Spanish. We've only been at it a few days now, but I'm looking forward to the day when our family can carry on conversations in Spanish.

"Adios"

Be Great

I'm totally stealing this blog post from my wife's blog today.

When I see this picture of my little one I think, "The sky's the limit for you!"

Nothing is holding you back.

You are still young enough to attempt great adventures.

You are not jaded enough yet to not think you can't do just about anything!

But today I want you to remember one thing...

Don't settle for just being good.

A good Christian...

A good daughter...

A good friend...

A good person...

Go beyond good.

GO and DO great things for God!

Go where He calls you to go.

Do what He asks you to do.

Do it even when it seems hard.

Go even if it means leaving where you love being.

GO and BE great for God.

Be Great

I'm totally stealing this blog post from my wife's blog today.

When I see this picture of my little one I think, "The sky's the limit for you!"

Nothing is holding you back.

You are still young enough to attempt great adventures.

You are not jaded enough yet to not think you can't do just about anything!

But today I want you to remember one thing...

Don't settle for just being good.

A good Christian...

A good daughter...

A good friend...

A good person...

Go beyond good.

GO and DO great things for God!

Go where He calls you to go.

Do what He asks you to do.

Do it even when it seems hard.

Go even if it means leaving where you love being.

GO and BE great for God.

Oops

Last Sunday I had an embarrassing moment - I was leading into my sermon and talking about the series title, "The World's Best Sermon", but instead of saying "The World's Best Sermon", I said the world's "breast" sermon. My six year old daughter, who happened to be in the service that morning, thinks it's the funniest thing ever. She asked me when I got home, "Daddy, did you preach the world's breast sermon today?" You can hear it for yourself by following THIS LINK and catching the first few seconds of the clip "The World's Best Sermon - Week 6".

That was embarrassing; but not as embarrassing as the day my microphone was on while I went to the restroom; or the day my zipper was down while I preached. You should really be at our church each week - it's quite entertaining.

Oops

Last Sunday I had an embarrassing moment - I was leading into my sermon and talking about the series title, "The World's Best Sermon", but instead of saying "The World's Best Sermon", I said the world's "breast" sermon. My six year old daughter, who happened to be in the service that morning, thinks it's the funniest thing ever. She asked me when I got home, "Daddy, did you preach the world's breast sermon today?" You can hear it for yourself by following THIS LINK and catching the first few seconds of the clip "The World's Best Sermon - Week 6".

That was embarrassing; but not as embarrassing as the day my microphone was on while I went to the restroom; or the day my zipper was down while I preached. You should really be at our church each week - it's quite entertaining.

New Creation

I heard this song yesterday during a baptism video during the Innovative Church Conference @ Granger Community Church. I had heard this song and seen the video below before - but yesterday I couldn't get the tune out of my head (it played in my mind ALL night). I've downloaded the song off of ITunes and have been playing it all day. I figured, if it's going to be in my head anyway I might as well play it through my speakers...

New Creation

I heard this song yesterday during a baptism video during the Innovative Church Conference @ Granger Community Church. I had heard this song and seen the video below before - but yesterday I couldn't get the tune out of my head (it played in my mind ALL night). I've downloaded the song off of ITunes and have been playing it all day. I figured, if it's going to be in my head anyway I might as well play it through my speakers...

Living a Life of Prayer

There's an account in the Bible where Jesus goes to the tomb of Lazarus, and Jesus is going to raise him up, and He prays. There is a crowd of people gathered around the tomb and Jesus prays a fascinating prayer. The text reads in John 11:41, "Jesus looked up." He was about to pray, and He looked up. In our day when people pray we bow our head and close our eyes. Jesus does something very different when He prays. Most often, when His posture is described in the Bible, He is looking up. That was common posture for Jewish people to pray in that day. Among other things, it was a good thing because it reminded them that God is right here, right now, in my real world. So Jesus looks up and He speaks. "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here so that they may believe that you sent me." John 11:42

"I knew," Jesus said, "You always hear Me." Not just when Jesus prays, but all the time, whenever He talks, God is listening. Whether the words are addressed to Him or somebody else. Jesus was always with the Father, and that meant that although He was often alone, He was never lonely.

The goal of prayer is not to get good at praying. The goal of prayer is not to try to set new records for how much time you spend praying. The goal of prayer is to live all of your life and speak all of your words in the joyful awareness of the presence of God. That's what it's for. It is about all of life, and the reality and the goodness of God's presence with us all the time. This is what Jesus did; He lived his whole life in the conscious awareness of His Father.

Living a Life of Prayer

There's an account in the Bible where Jesus goes to the tomb of Lazarus, and Jesus is going to raise him up, and He prays. There is a crowd of people gathered around the tomb and Jesus prays a fascinating prayer. The text reads in John 11:41, "Jesus looked up." He was about to pray, and He looked up. In our day when people pray we bow our head and close our eyes. Jesus does something very different when He prays. Most often, when His posture is described in the Bible, He is looking up. That was common posture for Jewish people to pray in that day. Among other things, it was a good thing because it reminded them that God is right here, right now, in my real world. So Jesus looks up and He speaks. "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here so that they may believe that you sent me." John 11:42

"I knew," Jesus said, "You always hear Me." Not just when Jesus prays, but all the time, whenever He talks, God is listening. Whether the words are addressed to Him or somebody else. Jesus was always with the Father, and that meant that although He was often alone, He was never lonely.

The goal of prayer is not to get good at praying. The goal of prayer is not to try to set new records for how much time you spend praying. The goal of prayer is to live all of your life and speak all of your words in the joyful awareness of the presence of God. That's what it's for. It is about all of life, and the reality and the goodness of God's presence with us all the time. This is what Jesus did; He lived his whole life in the conscious awareness of His Father.

Fall Vacation 2009

Here's a quick update of what we've recently done at Walt Disney World:

Enjoyed the Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, & EPCOT

Had a little breakfast with some princesses

Swam in the pool at Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas

Shelby made a new friend at the pool - she happens to live not far from us over in Ohio

and... we've eaten WAY too much food!

Tomorrow it looks like we will enjoy Blizzard Beach.

Fall Vacation 2009

Here's a quick update of what we've recently done at Walt Disney World:

Enjoyed the Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, & EPCOT

Had a little breakfast with some princesses

Swam in the pool at Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas

Shelby made a new friend at the pool - she happens to live not far from us over in Ohio

and... we've eaten WAY too much food!

Tomorrow it looks like we will enjoy Blizzard Beach.

Fall Vacation 2009

Tomorrow morning we are taking off for a vacation to Walt Disney World. Here's a few of the things that I'm looking forward to:

Mickey Ice Cream Bars

No counseling sessions

Watching Shelby interact with characters

No phone calls

Florida sunshine

No office hours

All you can eat buffets

No emails

Parades and fireworks

And the only drama is on a stage.

Fall Vacation 2009

Tomorrow morning we are taking off for a vacation to Walt Disney World. Here's a few of the things that I'm looking forward to:

Mickey Ice Cream Bars

No counseling sessions

Watching Shelby interact with characters

No phone calls

Florida sunshine

No office hours

All you can eat buffets

No emails

Parades and fireworks

And the only drama is on a stage.

Heart Song 09

On October 17 a group of song writers from our church will be sharing their music. This event will give us an opportunity to worship the Lord and raise funds for Marggy Hensley and Aaron and Melissa Black as they prepare to enter into fully released mission work.

I've been amazed at the incredible songwriters and other artists that God continues to send our way at FFC. I love it when creativity pours out of these individuals for the glory of God!

Join us; Saturday October 17 at 7 pm. Farmland Friends Church

You can read more about the event HERE.

Heart Song 09

On October 17 a group of song writers from our church will be sharing their music. This event will give us an opportunity to worship the Lord and raise funds for Marggy Hensley and Aaron and Melissa Black as they prepare to enter into fully released mission work.

I've been amazed at the incredible songwriters and other artists that God continues to send our way at FFC. I love it when creativity pours out of these individuals for the glory of God!

Join us; Saturday October 17 at 7 pm. Farmland Friends Church

You can read more about the event HERE.

Jealousy

Jealousy is insidious. Sadly, jealousy is alive and well among the "religious". In my devotions this morning I ran across an account where Paul and Barnabas are preaching in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch: "On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying." Acts 13:44,45. Later in the passage it says that the Jews stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas.

Have you ever had someone, or a group of people, jealous of you? Individuals who, no matter what, are constantly opposed to you? You say, "white" they say "black"; you say, "black" they say "white"; you say "gray" they say, "this isn't about color". They are what are referred to nowadays as, "haters". Well the Pharisees were "haters", they were jealous of Jesus and His transformational movement. Over and over again the Pharisees true colors come out: nitpicking what the disciples were doing (Mat. 12:2), questioning motives (Mat. 9:11), trying to trap Jesus (Mat. 22:15), making demands of Him (Mat. 12:38), false friendship (Luke 13:31), eventually murdering Him (John 19:6)... What was motivating all of this? Jealousy. Note John 12:18-19, "Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him. So the Pharisees said to one another, "See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!"

The Pharisees had a pretty good thing going there. They were top dog on the spiritual ladder. They had their religious system set up exactly the way they wanted it; and this Jesus and His followers were going to upset the apple cart. The last thing the Pharisees wanted was Jesus gaining followers and changing the whole system. Rather than getting on board with what God was doing among them, they chose to allow their jealousy and hatred for Jesus to destroy themselves and many of the people around them as well. Unfortunately, we will be seeing them, and the people they led to hell at the great white throne judgment.

Jealousy may seem small but it has the potential to lead to very unhealthy behaviors and serious consequences.

Jealousy

Jealousy is insidious. Sadly, jealousy is alive and well among the "religious". In my devotions this morning I ran across an account where Paul and Barnabas are preaching in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch: "On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying." Acts 13:44,45. Later in the passage it says that the Jews stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas.

Have you ever had someone, or a group of people, jealous of you? Individuals who, no matter what, are constantly opposed to you? You say, "white" they say "black"; you say, "black" they say "white"; you say "gray" they say, "this isn't about color". They are what are referred to nowadays as, "haters". Well the Pharisees were "haters", they were jealous of Jesus and His transformational movement. Over and over again the Pharisees true colors come out: nitpicking what the disciples were doing (Mat. 12:2), questioning motives (Mat. 9:11), trying to trap Jesus (Mat. 22:15), making demands of Him (Mat. 12:38), false friendship (Luke 13:31), eventually murdering Him (John 19:6)... What was motivating all of this? Jealousy. Note John 12:18-19, "Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him. So the Pharisees said to one another, "See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!"

The Pharisees had a pretty good thing going there. They were top dog on the spiritual ladder. They had their religious system set up exactly the way they wanted it; and this Jesus and His followers were going to upset the apple cart. The last thing the Pharisees wanted was Jesus gaining followers and changing the whole system. Rather than getting on board with what God was doing among them, they chose to allow their jealousy and hatred for Jesus to destroy themselves and many of the people around them as well. Unfortunately, we will be seeing them, and the people they led to hell at the great white throne judgment.

Jealousy may seem small but it has the potential to lead to very unhealthy behaviors and serious consequences.

Repentance and Humility

"John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham." Matthew 3:4-9

When we rely on our family history or even denominational history like the Pharisees and Sadducees, we claim a relationship with God without the need to personally come to a moment of repentance. This creates a feeling of pride, rather than the humility that should characterize our relationship with God.

Repentance is bowing and admitting that we cannot earn our way into heaven, acknowledging our sin, turning from it, and asking God to forgive us. There is a humility that comes into our hearts that cannot come in any other way. We are sinners and yet God has offered us forgiveness – that’s a humbling place to be, because we have received what we did not deserve. Those who receive mercy and grace can't be proud.

From "Prologue to the World's Best Sermon" Aug. 23, 2009

Repentance and Humility

"John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham." Matthew 3:4-9

When we rely on our family history or even denominational history like the Pharisees and Sadducees, we claim a relationship with God without the need to personally come to a moment of repentance. This creates a feeling of pride, rather than the humility that should characterize our relationship with God.

Repentance is bowing and admitting that we cannot earn our way into heaven, acknowledging our sin, turning from it, and asking God to forgive us. There is a humility that comes into our hearts that cannot come in any other way. We are sinners and yet God has offered us forgiveness – that’s a humbling place to be, because we have received what we did not deserve. Those who receive mercy and grace can't be proud.

From "Prologue to the World's Best Sermon" Aug. 23, 2009

New Sermon Series

It's coming...

Sep-Oct @ FFC

Prologue to the world's best sermon begins this Sunday and next.

New Sermon Series

It's coming...

Sep-Oct @ FFC

Prologue to the world's best sermon begins this Sunday and next.

Camping in the Backyard

This evening, Tammy, Shelby, and I are sleeping outside in our backyard. This is Shelby's first experience sleeping in a tent. I'm hoping it goes well because I wouldn't mind taking my family camping in the future. I'm going to be doing my best to make sure no nasty bugs come near my little girl, otherwise I can kiss camping goodbye :-)

Camping in the Backyard

This evening, Tammy, Shelby, and I are sleeping outside in our backyard. This is Shelby's first experience sleeping in a tent. I'm hoping it goes well because I wouldn't mind taking my family camping in the future. I'm going to be doing my best to make sure no nasty bugs come near my little girl, otherwise I can kiss camping goodbye :-)

Tolerance

"When the God of the Bible is rejected, people choose a new god. The postmodern age has anointed secular tolerance as its god. Tolerance once meant listening respectfully to all points of view, freely discussed in our common search for the truth. But the creed for the new god of tolerance is that knowing truth is impossible. So everyone is free to think and act as he likes, with one exception: those who have the audacity to believe that they know the truth, particularly if they think God has revealed it to them, are not tolerated. The result is that those who crowned the new god of tolerance have become the absolute arbiters of culture. The new god of tolerance becomes, in the guise of liberalism, an absolute tyrant." -Chuck Colson, "THE FAITH"

HT: Mike Messerli

Tolerance

"When the God of the Bible is rejected, people choose a new god. The postmodern age has anointed secular tolerance as its god. Tolerance once meant listening respectfully to all points of view, freely discussed in our common search for the truth. But the creed for the new god of tolerance is that knowing truth is impossible. So everyone is free to think and act as he likes, with one exception: those who have the audacity to believe that they know the truth, particularly if they think God has revealed it to them, are not tolerated. The result is that those who crowned the new god of tolerance have become the absolute arbiters of culture. The new god of tolerance becomes, in the guise of liberalism, an absolute tyrant." -Chuck Colson, "THE FAITH"

HT: Mike Messerli

Wrath & Grace part 2

Too often we think that life is like looking over the stats of a football game. The Colts passed for x number of yards = good. They had 4 penalties = bad. 3 Touchdowns = good; 5 turnovers = bad.

That sounds like the way we evaluate our lives. We do some good things and we do some bad things. The world tells us as long as the good deeds outnumber the bad, you’re OK. That’s not what God says. The Bible says if you commit a single sin you are lost and separated from God’s holiness. "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." Romans 3:23 Thankfully, because Jesus who did no wrong, has come and stood in our places and received our punishment on the cross, we can have a second chance that we don’t deserve. "... and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Rom. 3:24

One of the things that sets Christianity apart from every other religion on the face of the earth is the doctrine of grace. Other religions have gods appearing in human form, a need for salvation, life after death, etc. only Christianity is audacious enough to tell of God's grace.

The notion of God’s love coming to us free of charge, no strings attached, seems to go against every instinct of humanity. The Buddhist eight-fold path, the Hindu doctrine of Karma, and the Muslim code of law—each of these offers a way to earn approval of God and entry into heaven. Only Christianity dares to make God’s love unconditional.

Contrary to popular belief, Jesus didn’t come to earth primarily to model ethical behavior or to teach us great truths about God; He came first and foremost to suffer the punishment for our sin. He incurred the full wrath of God for our sin so that we can experience His grace.

Wrath & Grace part 2

Too often we think that life is like looking over the stats of a football game. The Colts passed for x number of yards = good. They had 4 penalties = bad. 3 Touchdowns = good; 5 turnovers = bad.

That sounds like the way we evaluate our lives. We do some good things and we do some bad things. The world tells us as long as the good deeds outnumber the bad, you’re OK. That’s not what God says. The Bible says if you commit a single sin you are lost and separated from God’s holiness. "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." Romans 3:23 Thankfully, because Jesus who did no wrong, has come and stood in our places and received our punishment on the cross, we can have a second chance that we don’t deserve. "... and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Rom. 3:24

One of the things that sets Christianity apart from every other religion on the face of the earth is the doctrine of grace. Other religions have gods appearing in human form, a need for salvation, life after death, etc. only Christianity is audacious enough to tell of God's grace.

The notion of God’s love coming to us free of charge, no strings attached, seems to go against every instinct of humanity. The Buddhist eight-fold path, the Hindu doctrine of Karma, and the Muslim code of law—each of these offers a way to earn approval of God and entry into heaven. Only Christianity dares to make God’s love unconditional.

Contrary to popular belief, Jesus didn’t come to earth primarily to model ethical behavior or to teach us great truths about God; He came first and foremost to suffer the punishment for our sin. He incurred the full wrath of God for our sin so that we can experience His grace.

Wrath & Grace part 1

A God of Wrath

Most people, both Christian and non-Christian, tend to view God as being a sort of cosmic teddy bear. They see him as big and warm and soft, full of infinite love and forgiveness. On the Day of Judgment, God will simply give everyone a big hug and wink at their sins. The only problem with this wonderfully comforting image is that it is a lie straight from the pit of hell.

Satan wants us to ignore an aspect of God and he has been very successful. The Bible teaches that God is perfectly holy. Because of this attribute of his character, He cannot tolerate sin. “The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.” (Num 14:18). The Bible says God must deal with sin, and He does so in one of two ways—grace or wrath.

Check this out, the Bible says… “God's wrath will fall when Jesus returns. (Jude 14-15) The passage in Revelation which pictures the return of Jesus says that he will return in righteousness to "judge and wage war." (Rev 19:11) The first time Jesus came, he came in loving compassion. But when He returns, He will come in vengeance (Rev 6:12-17), with eyes like a flame of fire (Rev 19:12). He will come to destroy the enemies of God (Rev 19:11) The presidents and kings and leaders of the world will get on their knees and cry out for the rocks and mountains to fall upon them, so great will be the terror of the Lord (Rev 6:15-17).

Does this make God a monster? No! It actually proves his goodness; how could a good God ignore sin and allow it to go unpunished? His wrath against evil will demonstrate His righteousness.

God's wrath is never motivated primarily by a desire to punish. Rather, it is designed to bring people to repentance so that they might be saved. God demonstrates his mercy in wrath by never pouring out his wrath without warning. He warned Noah's world through 120 years of preaching. He sent both Jonah and Nahum to warn the pagan city of Nineveh. He has sent numerous prophets and even His own Son to warn us of God's wrath and point us toward His mercy and grace.

We respect the character of a father who stands against disobedience or promiscuity, we admire the government official who is above reproach, so why shouldn’t we be pleased with a God who is just, and refuses to tolerate sin?

God’s wrath proves his power and it is not a loss of His temper . The wrath of God is directly connected with his character. He gets angry because his people whom he loves are endangered.

Martin Luther said, "If I were God and the world treated me the way it treated him, I’d kick the wretched thing to pieces." But fortunately, this God of Wrath doesn’t—for now. He wants all men to come to repentance.

Wrath & Grace part 1

A God of Wrath

Most people, both Christian and non-Christian, tend to view God as being a sort of cosmic teddy bear. They see him as big and warm and soft, full of infinite love and forgiveness. On the Day of Judgment, God will simply give everyone a big hug and wink at their sins. The only problem with this wonderfully comforting image is that it is a lie straight from the pit of hell.

Satan wants us to ignore an aspect of God and he has been very successful. The Bible teaches that God is perfectly holy. Because of this attribute of his character, He cannot tolerate sin. “The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.” (Num 14:18). The Bible says God must deal with sin, and He does so in one of two ways—grace or wrath.

Check this out, the Bible says… “God's wrath will fall when Jesus returns. (Jude 14-15) The passage in Revelation which pictures the return of Jesus says that he will return in righteousness to "judge and wage war." (Rev 19:11) The first time Jesus came, he came in loving compassion. But when He returns, He will come in vengeance (Rev 6:12-17), with eyes like a flame of fire (Rev 19:12). He will come to destroy the enemies of God (Rev 19:11) The presidents and kings and leaders of the world will get on their knees and cry out for the rocks and mountains to fall upon them, so great will be the terror of the Lord (Rev 6:15-17).

Does this make God a monster? No! It actually proves his goodness; how could a good God ignore sin and allow it to go unpunished? His wrath against evil will demonstrate His righteousness.

God's wrath is never motivated primarily by a desire to punish. Rather, it is designed to bring people to repentance so that they might be saved. God demonstrates his mercy in wrath by never pouring out his wrath without warning. He warned Noah's world through 120 years of preaching. He sent both Jonah and Nahum to warn the pagan city of Nineveh. He has sent numerous prophets and even His own Son to warn us of God's wrath and point us toward His mercy and grace.

We respect the character of a father who stands against disobedience or promiscuity, we admire the government official who is above reproach, so why shouldn’t we be pleased with a God who is just, and refuses to tolerate sin?

God’s wrath proves his power and it is not a loss of His temper . The wrath of God is directly connected with his character. He gets angry because his people whom he loves are endangered.

Martin Luther said, "If I were God and the world treated me the way it treated him, I’d kick the wretched thing to pieces." But fortunately, this God of Wrath doesn’t—for now. He wants all men to come to repentance.

Excuses

Over the years I've heard some pretty lame excuses for individuals not attending church regularly, or not attending church ever. I thought I'd make a list of some of the reasons people may give [legitimate or not] for not gathering with other believers. Feel free to add to the list - just a leave a comment. So here we go in no particular order...

I'm too tired

Sick

Lazy

I have to work

I'm on vacation

We are at our summer home

I forgot it was Sunday

Someone hurt my feelings

It's boring

The preacher is boring

The music stinks

The preacher isn't preaching this week

My parents always made me go

I burnt out

We let our kids decide if they want to go

I couldn't find my car keys

It's too early

It's too late

All they want is my money

Gas costs too much

It's too far to drive

We had company

I'm currently committing adultery and I feel too guilty

I got drunk last night and I'm hung over

There's no single guys/girls there

They don't have enough programs

They have too many programs

I went last week/month/Christmas/Easter

I'm mad at so and so

No one likes me there

I don't like anyone there

There all a bunch of hypocrites

I don't have anything to wear

Church depresses me

The pastor didn't visit me

I don't believe in God

I got hurt at church once

I don't like crowds

Someone looked at me funny one time

The pastor didn't shake my hand

I'm at the lake

I had to golf/fish/go to the race/chew on a leather shoe

They don't pay enough attention to me

They changed something I liked

They haven't changed something I don't like

It's raining

It's snowing

The weather is bad

The weather may possibly get bad

It's too hot to go to church

It's too cold to go to church

It's too nice out...

Your turn what did I forget?

Excuses

Over the years I've heard some pretty lame excuses for individuals not attending church regularly, or not attending church ever. I thought I'd make a list of some of the reasons people may give [legitimate or not] for not gathering with other believers. Feel free to add to the list - just a leave a comment. So here we go in no particular order...

I'm too tired

Sick

Lazy

I have to work

I'm on vacation

We are at our summer home

I forgot it was Sunday

Someone hurt my feelings

It's boring

The preacher is boring

The music stinks

The preacher isn't preaching this week

My parents always made me go

I burnt out

We let our kids decide if they want to go

I couldn't find my car keys

It's too early

It's too late

All they want is my money

Gas costs too much

It's too far to drive

We had company

I'm currently committing adultery and I feel too guilty

I got drunk last night and I'm hung over

There's no single guys/girls there

They don't have enough programs

They have too many programs

I went last week/month/Christmas/Easter

I'm mad at so and so

No one likes me there

I don't like anyone there

There all a bunch of hypocrites

I don't have anything to wear

Church depresses me

The pastor didn't visit me

I don't believe in God

I got hurt at church once

I don't like crowds

Someone looked at me funny one time

The pastor didn't shake my hand

I'm at the lake

I had to golf/fish/go to the race/chew on a leather shoe

They don't pay enough attention to me

They changed something I liked

They haven't changed something I don't like

It's raining

It's snowing

The weather is bad

The weather may possibly get bad

It's too hot to go to church

It's too cold to go to church

It's too nice out...

Your turn what did I forget?

Life is a Series of Sprints

I'm sure you've noticed this; there are times in life when we are very busy and it feels as though life were a sprint, at other times life is routine, almost boring and moving at a snails pace. I sat in a small group of ministers in a "pastor's practicum" with a very successful pastor a couple of years ago and he shared with us, "Life is not a marathon, it is a series of sprints". He is so right. Early in my ministry I used to feel guilty when I wasn't sprinting; over the years however, I've learned to relax and take a breather between the sprints. It is the gap between the sprints where we gather our energy and momentum again. The problem comes if we decide not to sprint anymore.

Life is a Series of Sprints

I'm sure you've noticed this; there are times in life when we are very busy and it feels as though life were a sprint, at other times life is routine, almost boring and moving at a snails pace. I sat in a small group of ministers in a "pastor's practicum" with a very successful pastor a couple of years ago and he shared with us, "Life is not a marathon, it is a series of sprints". He is so right. Early in my ministry I used to feel guilty when I wasn't sprinting; over the years however, I've learned to relax and take a breather between the sprints. It is the gap between the sprints where we gather our energy and momentum again. The problem comes if we decide not to sprint anymore.

Exclamation Living

I am corresponding with a young man in jail who has recently given his life to Christ. The other day I got a letter from him that really encouraged me; he explained how God had just used him to lead another person in jail to the Lord. He wrote, "I am not worthy to be used to bring people to God! I am so inexperienced as a Christian but God still saw me and was pleased with me enough to fill me with the Holy Spirit and give me the knowledge to bring this guy in! It's so awesome! I used to be in the army... and I thought jumping out of planes and helicopters was a rush! Well it doesn't compare! Not even close! God's Awesome and that's all there is to it! The feeling I get from the Holy Spirit working in me and through me is killer!"

Don't you just love that? Did you notice all of his exclamation marks? Remember the passion you had when you first came to Christ? Unfortunately, too many of us, including me, will put a question mark or a period where an exclamation belongs. Our christian living becomes routine, stale, hum-drum, anything but "killer!".

My prayer: Lord I want to live life with an exclamation mark. Break my heart for what breaks yours! Transform me! Use me! All for your eternal glory!

Exclamation Living

I am corresponding with a young man in jail who has recently given his life to Christ. The other day I got a letter from him that really encouraged me; he explained how God had just used him to lead another person in jail to the Lord. He wrote, "I am not worthy to be used to bring people to God! I am so inexperienced as a Christian but God still saw me and was pleased with me enough to fill me with the Holy Spirit and give me the knowledge to bring this guy in! It's so awesome! I used to be in the army... and I thought jumping out of planes and helicopters was a rush! Well it doesn't compare! Not even close! God's Awesome and that's all there is to it! The feeling I get from the Holy Spirit working in me and through me is killer!"

Don't you just love that? Did you notice all of his exclamation marks? Remember the passion you had when you first came to Christ? Unfortunately, too many of us, including me, will put a question mark or a period where an exclamation belongs. Our christian living becomes routine, stale, hum-drum, anything but "killer!".

My prayer: Lord I want to live life with an exclamation mark. Break my heart for what breaks yours! Transform me! Use me! All for your eternal glory!

FFC Baptisms 2009

FFC Baptisms 2009

Dissatisfied

The interesting thing about being a Christian is, the deeper we grow in our faith in Christ, the more acutely aware of our sins we become. I started to think about the spiritually mature people I know. These folks aren't at all prideful about their spiritual condition; if anything, they are fed up with their flesh and are dissatisfied with where they are at spiritually. They do not excuse away their sin and they strive to be more and more like Christ.

"What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?" Romans 7:24

Dissatisfied

The interesting thing about being a Christian is, the deeper we grow in our faith in Christ, the more acutely aware of our sins we become. I started to think about the spiritually mature people I know. These folks aren't at all prideful about their spiritual condition; if anything, they are fed up with their flesh and are dissatisfied with where they are at spiritually. They do not excuse away their sin and they strive to be more and more like Christ.

"What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?" Romans 7:24

Happy 9,460,800 Minute Anniversary

18 years ago today, Tammy and I began an adventure together that has taken us to 4 states, 4 colleges/universities, 8 homes, 2 full-time pastorates, 1 child, and roughly 9,460,800 minutes.

Happy anniversary Tammy - thanks for spending so many minutes married to me.

Happy 9,460,800 Minute Anniversary

18 years ago today, Tammy and I began an adventure together that has taken us to 4 states, 4 colleges/universities, 8 homes, 2 full-time pastorates, 1 child, and roughly 9,460,800 minutes.

Happy anniversary Tammy - thanks for spending so many minutes married to me.

Busy Sunday

This Sunday will be busy. During the service we have child dedications, and Aaron & Melissa Black will be sharing about the call that God has on their lives to become missionaries oversees. Following the service we will have our annual all church baptism and picnic.

I'm really looking forward to this Sunday. Seeing people give their life to serve the Lord in fully released missionary work excites me. Aaron and Melissa, as well as Marggy Hensley, I believe, are just the beginning of many more missionaries/pastors to answer the call to fully released ministry. In fact, beginning this weekend we have another couple exploring the possibilities of missionary work in another country.

I'm also looking forward to the baptisms. Seeing people publicly declare their faith in Christ through baptism is always such a moving experience. Here's the video from last year's baptisms...

Busy Sunday

This Sunday will be busy. During the service we have child dedications, and Aaron & Melissa Black will be sharing about the call that God has on their lives to become missionaries oversees. Following the service we will have our annual all church baptism and picnic.

I'm really looking forward to this Sunday. Seeing people give their life to serve the Lord in fully released missionary work excites me. Aaron and Melissa, as well as Marggy Hensley, I believe, are just the beginning of many more missionaries/pastors to answer the call to fully released ministry. In fact, beginning this weekend we have another couple exploring the possibilities of missionary work in another country.

I'm also looking forward to the baptisms. Seeing people publicly declare their faith in Christ through baptism is always such a moving experience. Here's the video from last year's baptisms...