Musings From Pastor Kevin Austin: Blog

May 29, 2008

Thu, 29 May 2008 20:18:30 GMT

I read a book this week entitled Broken Promises, Mended Heart by Joel D. Block, Ph.D. It is a really interesting book on trust within the contexts of relationships. As I was reading through this, I began to wonder what are the things within our relationship with God that help our trust in him. How do we work on trust within our relationship with God? I think that we think about trust in a way perspective a lot of times. What do I have to do? What does the person have to do? But Dr. Block so aptly points our in the midst of his book the two sided nature of trust and mending broken hearts. I encourage you to spend some time thinking about what trust looks like in the midst of your relationship with God.

May 22, 2008

Thu, 22 May 2008 18:15:57 GMT

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

I have to say this is a really exciting time here at Shepherd of the Hills. It is also a sad time in that we are in the process of saying goodbye to a man who has poured his heart and soul into SOTH and guided it for about half of its life (15 years) in Pastor Mike. It is going to be sad and difficult to say goodbye to Pastor Mike and Roberta as they have meant so much to so many people over their time here, but we will enjoy the time that we have left with them and wish them God’s richest blessing as they venture forth into new adventures wherever God may lead them. It is an exciting time though as it is a time to think and dream as individuals, as families, and a congregation about all that God already has in store for us. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “for I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” I believe this is true for Shepherd of the Hills as well, especially as we move through this time of transition. Even in the midst of transition, as hard and as difficult as it may be, we can rest assured in the knowledge that God already has plans for us. God knows the future. God already knows what He plans to do in our midst, and that is a beautiful and good thing. We also know that God has promised to “never leave us or forsake us” no matter what the situation might bring.

If God already has plans for us then what does that mean we should do? I believe that we as God's people in this place are called to be vigilant. We are called to be vigilant in prayer seeking God's face, seeking God's will for our lives, and listening. So often in the midst of prayer it is a one way conversation in which we talk and just expect God to listen. God does listen, but God speaks as well. We are called to listen to our God who will be speaking to us even in this time of transition even though it might be in that "still small voice". I believe we are called to come together as a community, a family of faith. Jesus says in Mark 3, "And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand." We are called to come together, band together as brothers and sisters in faith and unite as one that we may withstand the attacks of the devil even in the midst of this time of transition. I believe we are called to be in God's Word. God speaks to us through His Word which is living and active, sharper than a double edged sword. If God speaks, we are to listen. We are to be in His Word seeking to learn more and more about our Savior and to grow in our relationship with Him. God’s Word also serves as a guide to guide us through the midst of all that life might throw at us in the coming years. God's Word truly "is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." And finally, I believe we are called to not only pray, unite, and be in God's Word but also to follow God by faith wherever He may lead us. It is one thing to pray and unite and study but if we don't listen, obey, and follow by faith, are we being faithful to what God has called us to do?

I am truly excited to see what God has in store for all of us both as individuals, as families, and as a congregation at Shepherd of the Hills. I believe it is an exciting time and that God is already at work in us, among us, and through us as He has been throughout the 31 years of Shepherd of the Hills. God has been working through the Godly leaders that He has raised up within Shepherd of the Hills and will continue to work through His people here at this place to proclaim the name of Jesus and changes lives. As I look out over the next couple of years, I see God doing magnificent things that are beyond our wildest dreams and imaginations and I believe we have a lot of preparing to do as we anxiously anticipate God's work among us, in us, and through us in our homes, our community, and the world never forgetting those words from Jeremiah 29, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

A Letter to Wives

Wed, 21 May 2008 17:11:15 GMT

Dear Wives of Shepherd of the Hills,

I would like to take this opportunity to personally invite you to consider joining us for a Married and Alive weekend that I will be hosting at Shepherd of the Hills this summer. With all of the things that are going on in the midst of the hustle and bustle of life it is often difficult to find quality time to spend your spouse much less spend time concentrating on your marriage. These weekends will be a chance to spend some time together as husband and wife digging into God’s word and studying what God’s Word has to say about marriage and your role within your marriage. We will spend some time on some of the fundamentals of marriage. It will be a fun weekend with your husband and some other couples from Shepherd of the Hills. I promise you that I will do my best to make sure these weekends are not corny or cheesy or fluffy, but to make it productive and fun and relevant to your life and marriage.

Some have asked me who these weekends are really intended for. I tell them that these weekends are designed for couples at all stages of life. It is designed for the couple who has been married two weeks and the couple that has been married 50 years. It is designed for the couple that has a better relationship than they could have ever dreamed of, the couple who has their bumps and bruises, and everyone in the middle. Really, the only couple this weekend is not designed for is the couple that has already concluded that they are getting a divorce, because there is not much we can do in a weekend if the decision has already been made and if both partners are not committed to the relationship. You do not wait until you have problems with your car to go and get an oil change. You do not wait until your body is having problems to go in for your yearly check up with the doctor. The same should be true for your marriage. My hope is that these weekends would be a chance for you and your husband to spend some quality time together concentrating on and recharging your marriage whether there are issues that you are working on or if you couldn’t imagine your marriage being any better.

The Married and Alive Weekends will take place at Shepherd of the Hills the weekends of June 20-21, July 18-19, and August 15-16. The weekend will start on Friday night at 7 PM and run until Saturday night at 8 PM. The cost for the weekend is $50. Unfortunately due to the nature of these weekends and the length of time, childcare will not be able to be provided at church for this event. Registration for these weekends is required as they are limited to only 10 couples per weekend (so register soon). Registration can be done online at www.soth.org under the “Family” section (look for the link that says “Click here to register for a Family Life Cycle Course.” If you have any questions about these weekends please feel free to contact me or the church office at 909-989-6500 or by email at kaustin@soth.org.

I invite you and your husband to prayerfully consider attending a Married and Alive weekend together this summer. May God continue to richly bless your marriage and family.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Pastor Kevin Austin

A Letter to Husbands

Wed, 21 May 2008 17:10:36 GMT

Dear Husbands of Shepherd of the Hills,

Every spring baseball teams go to Arizona or Florida for a thing called Spring Training to prepare for the season. At Spring Training, guys who are some of the best baseball players in the world spend days and weeks going back to the very basics, working on the fundamentals of the game as well as getting themselves in shape for whatever the season might throw at them. They do not do this because they are bad players or because they have forgotten how to play or are that much out of shape (ok, some of them might be that out of shape but that is the beauty of baseball), but they know that in order to have a successful season they have to have the basics down if they are going to play well or even be better than the year before. The same thing is found across all sports whether it be the NHL, NBA, or NFL with their mini-camps and training camps.

I would like to invite you to consider a spring training for your marriage. I know what you are thinking: “Not another marriage weekend that my wife wants to go to that I really don’t think we need. Our marriage is really good already.” “I don’t want to go sit around with a group of people and talk about our dirty laundry. “I don’t want to go and get in touch with my feminine side and hear how bad a husband I am.” “I don’t want to go and talk about my feelings for an entire weekend.” Ok now that we have those over with (because they all sound miserable to me too), I would like you to put down your gut reactions and your excuses for just a minute and invite you to consider the Married and Alive weekend that I will be putting on at Shepherd of the Hills this summer. These weekends will serve like Spring Training for your marriage. Many of you I know have wonderful marriages and can’t imagine them being any better. Many of you are already experts in this field and don’t need “marriage counseling”. Many of you are entering into “a season” of life in which you might be able to use a little time refreshing on the fundamentals or just could use some time to reconnect with your wife from the hustle and bustle that is your life with a wife, kids, soccer, dance, school, and work. These weekends are designed for couples at all stages of life. It is designed for the couple who has been married two weeks and the couple that has been married 50 years. It is designed for the couple that has a better relationship than they could have ever dreamed of, the couple who has their bumps and bruises, and everyone in the middle. Really, the only couple this weekend is not designed for is the couple that has already concluded that they are getting a divorce, because there is not much we can do in a weekend if the decision has already been made and if both partners are not committed to the relationship.

These spring training weekends will offer you a chance to reconnect with your wife. It will be a chance to spend some time together digging into God’s word and studying what God’s Word has to say about marriage and your role within your marriage. We will spend some time on some of the fundamentals of marriage. It will be a fun weekend with your wife and some other couples from Shepherd of the Hills. I promise you that I will do my best to make sure these weekends are not corny or cheesy or fluffy, but to make it productive and fun and relevant to your life and marriage.

The Married and Alive Weekends will take place at Shepherd of the Hills the weekends of June 20-21, July 18-19, and August 15-16. The weekend will start on Friday night at 7 PM and run until Saturday night at 8 PM. The cost for the weekend is $50. Registration for these weekends is required as they are limited to only 10 couples per weekend. Registration can be done online at www.soth.org under the “Family” section (look for the link that says “Click here to register for a Family Life Cycle Course.” If you have any questions about these weekends please feel free to contact me or the church office 909-989-6500 or by email at kaustin@soth.org.

I invite you and your wife to prayerfully consider attending a Married and Alive weekend together this summer. May God continue to bless your marriage and family.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Pastor Kevin Austin

March 20, 2008

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 18:34:00 GMT

ESV Matthew 26:17-29

Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?" 18 He said, "Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, 'The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.'" 19 And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.

20 When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. 21 And as they were eating, he said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me." 22 And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, "Is it I, Lord?" 23 He answered, "He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born." 25 Judas, who would betray him, answered, "Is it I, Rabbi?" He said to him, "You have said so."

26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body." 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."

March 19, 2008

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 18:03:53 GMT

ESV 2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

March 12, 2008

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:56:16 GMT

At 6:18 PM on March 12, 2008 George Henry Austin was born weighing 9 lbs. 15.4 oz. and 22 inches long. Mom and baby are doing great. Thanks for all of your prayers and support. George can't wait to meet all of you.

Thanks,

Pastor Kevin

March 11, 2008

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 05:29:30 GMT

Hey just wanted to give you all an update on the homefront. Aldebaran will be induced tomorrow morning, so hopefully by tomorrow I will be writing to you with and update and joyous new. Stay tuned to the blog for pictures as well. We really appreciate all of your thoughts and prayers.

March 5, 2008

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 22:06:23 GMT

Here is another great NT Wright quote from the same book. THink of this in light of our coming celebration of Good Friday and Easter.

"He has become what we are, so that we might become what he is."

February 27, 2008

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 17:58:43 GMT

And we too are called to be Theotokoi, God-bearers. We are, in ways that we will explore later, called to be those through whom God’s redeeming love will still come to birth in the world. For that reason, and because of the model we have in Mary, we are not to be amazed if at the same time a sword should pierce our hearts also. This is by no means a sign we are on the wrong road. On the contrary. It is when we share the groaning of all creation that, according to St. Paul, we hear the Spirit groaning yet deeper within us, assuring us that we are the children of God, heirs of God, fellow-heirs with the risen Christ. Better to be puzzled, like Mary (in the temple in Jerusalem when she found Jesus there at the age of 12), at the strange things that Jesus is doing to me and in me than settle for an easily grasped half-truth with neither depth nor power. We are called to be the bearers of God-in-Christ to his world, pondering in our hearts the mysteries we do not yet understand, seeking him in and through our own sorrow, ready to search for our young Lord wherever he may be found, whether discussing with the learned, partying with the riffraff, or dying with the outcasts.

- N.T. Wright, The Crown And The Fire

February 26, 2008

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 22:52:07 GMT

Getting Ready

As many of you know, Aldebaran, Hannah and I are getting ready for a new addition to our family. It is an exciting time. The last few weeks and months have been spent in eager preparation and expectation. We have been getting the house ready. We have been getting the baby’s room ready. We have been preparing ourselves and Hannah for the changes that are to come. In the last few days things have even gotten crazier as I write this we are only about two weeks away from Aldebaran’s expected due date. This means that it could really happen at any point now. This means that life has changed for me. The time for preparing is really coming to a close for the baby could be here at any point now. Everywhere I go I carry with me my cell phone knowing that at any point I could get that phone call and half to drop everything and go. I have been working ahead at church knowing that when that time comes I am going to have to leave everything behind and go and be a dad. We do not know when that day will be. We do not know what surprise that day will bring. We do not know for sure what kind of changes that day is going to bring to our life, but what we do know is that we have to be ready and that what God does in our lives on that day will forever change our family and will be wonderful.

As I reflect upon this experience once again of preparing for the birth of a child, I am reminded of Christ’s call to the church to prepare for and be ready for His second coming. Christ tells us in Mark 13, "But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.” Christ is calling for all of us to always be about this business of preparing our hearts and lives for his arrival, just as we have been preparing our lives and our house for the arrival of our new child. We are to be watchful and vigilant anticipating his coming knowing that the time could come at any hour, knowing that when it comes we have to be ready and go. We are called to be ready and prepared. For me as I experience, the preparation for the birth of a child, I feel like I am experiencing first hand what our lives are supposed to be like as we prepare for and await the coming of Christ. After all we know that when Christ comes our life will be changed forever and even though we don’t know fully what that day will bring we know that it will be wonderful.

This call of Jesus to be watchful and prepared is not just one for us individually but one for us as a church as well. It is a call for us to all remember the urgency of the business we are about in all that we do. This forces us to evaluate where we are at and make decisions based upon our mission and ministry so that we might best prepare for the coming of our Lord. This last December the church took some time to evaluate where we are at and took steps to move forward in mission and ministry that we might further our work in spreading the Gospel as well as plan and transition into the future of Shepherd of the Hills. One of the steps that was taken at the December Voters Meeting was to decide to sell House 2. Another of these steps was announced this last fall as Pastor Mike announced his retirement at the end of 2008. Pastor Mike has already begun this transition as he has moved into a part-time role at Shepherd of the Hills. As we move through this time of transition and change at Shepherd of the Hills it is pivotal that we keep our mind and hearts on the mission and ministry that God has given each of us individually and as a church not losing sight of the urgency that Christ has given us. Please keep the church in your prayers as we move together through a time of transition into a future that is exciting and bright as we seek to spread the love of God by being a beacon of hope where people discover God’s love and share it in the home, community, and world. This is an awesome opportunity for us to unite as a congregation with urgency to prepare for the future that God has in store for us at this place as we seek to expand His kingdom through His work in, through, and among us. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11

February 15, 2008

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:50:41 GMT

I hope this post finds all of you doing well having had a wonderful Valentines Day.

1 Peter 2:25- For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Why sheep? Seriously. All throughout the Scripture we have examples of God being called the Good Shepherd and us being called sheep. I don't know about you but I don't have that much interaction with sheep on a daily basis, yet I am told that I am like a sheep. In the time in which the Scriptures were written people knew a lot about sheep. At the entrance to almost every town were Shepherds grazing their sheep.

So what do we need to know about sheep that helps us to understand who we are and better understand who God is? Sheep are some of the least intelligent of animals. They are always wondering off. They need someone to guide them wherever they are going or else you will have a herd of sheep going in about eight different directions. They are scared to walk into dark places including shade because they don't know what might be lurking. Without a shepherd, sheep would not be able to eat because the Shepherd is the one who leads them to water and to green pastures for them to eat.

Any of this sound familiar at all? I think the point Peter is making with sheep is that left to ourselves we are a lot like sheep. We go off on our own way. We do our own thing. We follow other people going off on their own. We are all in need of that Shepherd to come and rescue us from the precarious position we have put ourselves in. Peter is telling us that Christ rescued us and has brought us to pure food and pure water.

Spend some time today thinking about sheep. Google it or look it up on wikipedia and see what we might learn about ourselves from some animals.

February 13, 2008

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:29:09 GMT

1 Peter 2:24- He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

This is the time of year in which we spend a lot of time talking about love. Why? Valentine's Day of course. We come up with creative and new ways to show our love to our spouse or boyfriend or girlfriend. We take them out to dinner, by flower or chocolates or teddy bears. I even heard on the radio this morning an equation to show your love: detail + time spent = much credit (much love). Love is all around and on our brains this time of year.

As I think about the word love, I come to this passage as I believe it is the greatest act of love this world has ever seen. Jesus came to this earth not because He had to, not because we were so good, not because we deserved it, but because He loved us and could not stand the separation that was between us. Jesus came and not only lived among us but gave up his life in order that "we might die to sin and live to righteousness." That is love. That is true love. In the words of a popular commercial, talk is cheap. You can tell someone all the time that you love them, but Jesus did not just say that he loved them, He showed us and by that display of love, by his pain, by his suffering, by his death, by his wounds, we have been healed. That means that he has gotten rid of all of the garbage that we have filled our lives with. He has gotten rid of all the things we have done wrong. It means He has given us new life, a new beginning in Him. That my friends is love.

February 8, 2007

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 17:13:12 GMT

Happy Friday to all of you. I don't know about you but this week really flew by. I wanted to share a great quote with you this morning that I read last night. It is by Craig Groeschel in his book Going All the Way. If you are someone in high school or college or a single young adult or in a serious relationship thinking about marriage, I would encourage you to pick it up. There is some really good and candid discussion throughout this book.

"Sin is like a good sneeze. It feels good coming out. Then you get snot everywhere."

February 6, 2008 Ash Wednesday

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 17:30:11 GMT

Today is the day in the church year set aside to begin our Lenten journey to the cross. It is a time when we take a good look at our lives and we come in repentance to God acknowledging that we are sinner in need of forgiveness. Tonight you will have the opportunity come an experience something a little bit different with having ashes placed upon your forehead. This is a custom that comes out of the early church that reminds us that from dust we come and to dust we will return, that we are sinners in need of forgiveness, and that our hope is in Christ. I pray that this Lenten season may be a time of reflection and preparation for the great celebration we will have a little over 40 days from now.

Worship tonight and throughout Lent is on Wednesday nights at 3:00, 5:30, and 7:15.

February 5, 2008

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:16:41 GMT

As we are preparing for Lent and Ash Wednesday tomorrow, I have been spending some time looking at the hymn "Come To Calvary's Holy Mountain". As we prepare for worship tomorrow I want to invite you to spend some time reflecting on the words of Isaiah.

Isaiah 25:6-8

6 On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples
   a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,
of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
7And he will swallow up on this mountain
   the covering that is cast over all peoples,
the veil that is spread over all nations.
8 He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces,
   and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the LORD has spoken.

January 31, 2008

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:00:29 GMT

Every now and then I read something that I find truly profound. Not because it is something new or something that I didn't already know it. Yesterday I was reading something and ran across a sentence that really struck me and I would like to pass it on to you and all you chew on for I feel it is really helpful.

"The ascended Lord is the one who disturbs the comfortable and comforts the disturbed... the result is reckless adoration." -N.T. Wright

Enjoy!

Men's Bible Study

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 22:49:05 GMT

Join us for Men's Bible Study tomorrow morning at 6 AM. We will be finishing up our series and choosing our next study.

January 30, 2008

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:42:03 GMT

1 Peter 2:21-23- For to this you have been called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you and example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.

Who are the examples that you seek to follow in your life? I believe we all seek someone to follow in one way or another. This might sound kinda funny if you never thought about it because we live in a society in which everyone claims to want to be an individual, but if you look at the way our society works it seems like we all seek to follow and be like someone else. Don't believe me, take a look at advertising campaigns. Does Nike go out and get Joe Basketball Player off the local playground to handle the bulk of their advertising? Of course not. Nike spends millions of dollars a year paying high profile celebrities to endorse their products so that you can be just like Mike and go out and by Air Jordan shows. I think this is seen in the way that we look up to athletes, actors, and even politicians. I think it is sometime funny who we pick as our examples, but I believe it is part of being human to long for someone to be like.

Peter knew this well and so in our text for today is calling us to follow Christ as our example. In these words, Peter is telling us what kind of an example Jesus was and what it would look like to follow his example.

I want to encourage you to spend some time thinking about who the examples are in your life and what affect they are having upon you. Then consider Christ and what you might learn from Him.

January 28, 2008

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 17:30:28 GMT

1 Peter 2:18-20

18Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? Butif when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.

What an interesting and difficult calling? It is easy subject yourself to someone who has your best interest at heart. It easy to subject yourself to someone who is just and fair. It is to subject yourself to someone that you know is a person of God. But what about this? Peter is calling servants to be subject to their masters no matter what. If it is a good master great. If it is a bad master then Peter says it is our cross to bear just as Jesus bore the cross for us. This is difficult for I know there are a lot of great bosses out their in the world and those folks are easy to follow yet there are a also a lot of not so good bosses out there. It can be difficult yet we are called to follow them and see it as an of grace on our part in the sight of God.

January 24, 2008

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 22:32:13 GMT

As we ease back into the blog I want to share with you a story shared by Leonard Sweet.

One of our students received an appointment from a bishop, and the student did not feel the placement exactly suited his abilities. I overheard him complaining about it to another student, and then the other student said, "You know, the world's a better place because Michelangelo did not say, 'I don't do ceilings.' " Her comment stopped me dead in my tracks. I had to admit she was right. If you and I are going to be faithful to the ministry God is calling us to, then we had better understand that. I reflected on the attitudes of key people throughout the Scriptures and the history of the church. The world's a better place because a German monk named Martin Luther did not say, "I don't do doors." The world's a better place because an Oxford don named John Wesley didn't say "I don't do preaching in fields." The world's a better place because Moses didn't say, "I don't do Pharaohs or mass migrations." The world's a better place because Noah didn't say, "I don't do arks and animals." The world's a better place because Rahab didn't say, "I don't do enemy spies." The world's a better place because Ruth didn't say, "I don't do Mothers-in-law." The world's a better place because Samuel didn't say, "I don't do mornings." The world's a better place because David didn't say, "I don't do giants." The world's a better place because Peter didn't say "I don't do Gentiles." The world's a better place because John didn't say, "I don't do deserts." The world's a better place because Mary didn't say, "I don't do virgin births." The world's a better Place because Paul didn't say "I don't do correspondence." The world's a better place because Mary Magdalene didn't say, "I don't do feet." The world's a better place because Jesus didn't say, "I don't do crosses." And the world will be a better place only if you and I don't Say, "I don't do ..."

What is God calling us to do?

The Return

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 19:39:46 GMT

After a brief delay, I am glad to announce that the blog will return on Tuesday January 15, 2008. Let everyone know that the blog will be back at full force.

Break

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 18:31:12 GMT

The last few weeks have been absolutely crazy with preparations for Christmas and other exciting events. For this reason, I am going to take a break from the blog to prepare to have it ready to go in an every day fashion again on January 1. With that said, I would like to invite questions or topics that you would like discussed in the blog over the coming year to be submitted between now and the end of the year. I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas.

December 6

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:38:30 GMT

1 Peter 2:17 (ESV) Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

Don't you just love straight talk. It seems to be the conversations that drive us the most nuts in which we are just looking for a simple answer and we can't seem to get one. We like to ask simple questions and sometimes it seems impossible to come to an answer. In out text for today, Peter is summarizing all that he has just talked about and keeping it simple (so I will too and let Peter speak for himself). "Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor."

December 5

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 23:45:06 GMT

Sorry this is late but I just wanted to share with you some words of Scripture to think about today. I hope you enjoy.

ESV Ephesians 3:14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

December 3

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 19:04:28 GMT

ESV 1 Peter 2:16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.

One of the most common things I hear especially from youth who are coming to an understanding of the abundant grace of God is the thought that if Christ will forgive me for all of my sins, then I don't have to worry and I can do whatever I want. I think it is this very sentiment that Peter is dealing with in our text. This is not a new thought but one that Peter deals with here and Paul dealt with a few times throughout his letters. Peter is telling us that we are free. We have been set free from our bondage to sin and the law. Christ in his life, death, and resurrection set us free to live as His children, yet this freedom is a licence to sin. This freedom is not one that says you are forgiven so go do whatever you want. This freedom sets us free from the law and our bondage to sin in order that we might follow God in all that we do and live as His child. We are free to live life as it was meant to be lived, as God intended it to be lived. This is true freedom. This is what the Christian life is all about.

November 30

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 22:40:49 GMT

Sorry for the late post today, but I wanted to share with you the text I am preaching on this weekend and encourage you to spend sometime this weekend reading the first few chapters of Isaiah.

ESV Isaiah 6:1 ¶ In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!" 6 ¶ Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for." 8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." 9 And he said, "Go, and say to this people: "'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.' 10 Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed." 11 Then I said, "How long, O Lord?" And he said: "Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste, 12 and the LORD removes people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. 13 And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled." The holy seed is its stump.

November 29

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 17:48:01 GMT

ESV 1 Peter 2:15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.

There seems to be much talk inside and outside the church about the will of God. We hear people who say I am doing this because I believe it is the will of God. We hear people who won't do anything because they are waiting to definitively hear the will of God. The will of God seems to be a hot topic, so Peter deals with it putting it very plainly: do good and it will quiet the foolish.

What do you think that Peter is getting at here?

As I think of this, I think of one of the biggest complaint or excuse (take it as you will) that comes from outside the church of the church. The complaint says that the church is filled with a bunch of hypocrites. People say they believe one thing and act no differently. Where there is a lot of this that does happen within the church, after all we are at the same time saints (people made holy by the work of Christ) and sinners. I think Peter is saying to a certain extent this complaint is in a way foolish or ignorant. Peter is then suggesting not that we fix then but that we fix ourselves in order that we might remove the stumbling block even for those who are foolish. So Peter is calling us to live as we confess that we do and is calling us to live as God has called us to live.

November 28

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 18:04:10 GMT

ESV 1 Peter 2:13 Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.

I find it amazing how often I hear people say "I just wish God would be at work now." As I hear this, I think of passages like this one from 1 Peter in which Peter is telling us pretty much the same thing Jesus said and the same thing Paul said: God is at work through the governments and authorities that He has put in place. This is not something we think of often, yet God uses the government and authorities in order to keep order on earth. Think of what life would be like with no laws and no one to enforce laws. It would be absolute chaos.

Luther dealt with this idea of government and God's work in this way by talking about two kingdoms. He spoke of a kingdom of the right hand in which there are all the spiritual things and all the things of God. He then spoke of a left hand kingdom consisting of all the things of this world. Luther was quick to remind us that God was Lord over both but that there are two kingdoms or realms going on in the midst of our world.

So what does this mean for us? According to Peter, we are to follow and respect the human institutions as they were established by God to maintain order. This is the very essence of the fourth commandment: "honor your father and mother". We are to honor all those in authority over us as God has placed them there and uses them to keep the world running in an orderly fashion.

November 27

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 18:11:26 GMT

I want to start out by apologizing for the sad state of this blog lately. With the holidays and everything else going on I did not post like I normally would. I am going to be getting back into my daily devotionals beginning tomorrow but today I wanted to ask a question for response to those who are still checking this and receiving the RSS feed. What would you like to see from this blog? Are there any hopes and dreams or things you would like me especially to deal with? Should I continue our verse by verse walk through 1 Peter? Let me know what you think.

In the mean time I would like to give you some Scripture to chew on. I want you to spend some time dealing with the text I preached on Sunday. There is a ton here and I think you will be blessed by it.

ESV Colossians 1:13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

November 16

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 01:50:48 GMT

Yesterday I had you read about beautiful feet as we began a three day series on passages about mission. Today I want you to take some time and chew on Acts 1:6-11. Enjoy.

So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."

November 15

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 17:21:25 GMT

This weekend we are going to have the opportunity to have some of the Directors of Mission India with us to share what God is doing through their work in India. In preparation for this I would like to give you over the next few days some Mission texts to chew on.

Isaiah 52:4-12

For thus says the Lord GOD: "My people went down at the first into Egypt to sojourn there, and the Assyrian oppressed them for nothing. 5 Now therefore what have I here," declares the LORD, "seeing that my people are taken away for nothing? Their rulers wail," declares the LORD, "and continually all the day my name is despised. 6 Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here am I." 7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns." 8 The voice of your watchmen--they lift up their voice; together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the LORD to Zion. 9 Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem, for the LORD has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. 11 Depart, depart, go out from there; touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the LORD. 12 For you shall not go out in haste, and you shall not go in flight, for the LORD will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

November 13

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 22:53:03 GMT

ESV 1 Peter 2:12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

One thing that continues to fascinate me as a parent is the way that kids look up to you and will mimic whatever you do. I have found it is not just parrots that repeat whatever you say but kids do as well. It is really a humbling thing to have someone try to do whatever you do or to be watching every move you make. It makes your quickly realize the powerful influence that you have on other people.

In our text, Peter is speaking of that powerful influence that each and everyone of us has in our verse for today. Peter is telling us to watch what we are doing no matter what it is or when because people are always watching. He is especially cognizant of the fact that the Gentiles (specifically all who are not Christians) are always watching everything we do and ready to pounce on anything that we do is wrong.

I don't think a whole lot today has really changed. It seems like no matter what age we are in, one of the most common complaints against the church is the fact that it is made up of a bunch of hypocrites. People are always complaining that people will say they believe one thing and then live life as if what they believe in does not even matter at all. Peter is telling us not to give those outside the church the opportunity to find fault. This does not mean that we will not mess up and this does not mean that when we mess up we will not be forgiven. God truly does forgives us every time we sin. Peter is saying that we should live our lives in such a way that others see what we are going specifically our good deeds and praise our Father in Heaven. Hopefully this sounds familiar as Peter is really just brining us back to the words of Jesus in Matthew 5 when He says, "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

November 10

Sat, 10 Nov 2007 17:52:41 GMT

This blog goes out to my brothers of the Holy Smokers. Wow. What an incredible night. 13 hours later we have 130 pounds of beautiful, tasteful meat that is going to be awesome for tomorrow evening. Thanks for all of you who came and all that you did. I absolutely loved our time together and can't wait until next time. Get some sleep and see you Sunday.

For those of you who were not able to be with us last night for whatever reason and for really everybody, I want to give you a few verses to think about today.

ESV Psalm 37:1 Of David. Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! 2 For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. 3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. 6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. 7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!

See you in the morning.

November 9

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 20:18:58 GMT

Hey just want to let all the guys out there know that I am looking forward to Holy Smokers tonight and our time together. I want to give you a couple passages to consider. One today and one tomorrow. The first is one we have spent some time with throughout The Best is Yet To Come.

Acts 2:42-47 (ESV)

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 ¶ And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

HOLY SMOKERS

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 15:54:21 GMT

Tomorrow is the night for our First Holy Smokers night for the men of our congregation and community. See you there.

November 8

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 15:51:51 GMT

Once again I apologize for the lack of blogging this week but I am committed to getting back to the blog. I want to spend some time together today back in 1 Peter picking up where we left off.

1 Peter 2:11 (ESV) Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.

For those of you who are movie fans, I want to invite you to think about the Lord of the Rings trilogy. This is a great series of movie that I absolutely love, but the part that I want to think about is the very end of the final movie (The Return of the King). Throughout the trilogy, Froto and Sam and Gandolf and the whole gang go on a giant journey, a quest to destroy the ring that had brought them together. They were going through the journey through foreign lands and it was a pivotal journey for the world. But what happened when the journey was done? They couldn't go to home for they realized through this process that they were merely foreigners traveling in a foreign land and had to go to somewhere else to go home.

I think we can relate to Froto and Bilbo Baggins plight. Peter is telling us that we are on a mission, a journey. We are exile walking in a foreign land and that there is a war going on all around us. The journey is tough. We are to abstain from all that is waging war on us and to live life with the knowledge that: 1) we belong to Christ, 2) Jesus is preparing a place for us in Heaven, 3) we are not alone for the Holy Spirit is with us every step of the way and will strengthen us and help us to "Abstain from the passions of the flesh." What are those things in life that get your through your time as an exile?

November 5

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 17:33:23 GMT

Sorry that I have been so spotty with my blog posts the last few weeks. They have been crazy weeks and I am going to try to get back on track this week. Today I wanted to share with you the text I refrenced yesterday in my sermon from 1 Chronicles 29. This is an amazing text, enjoy.

10Therefore David blessed the LORD in the presence of all the assembly. And David said:^(A) "Blessed are you, O LORD, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. 11^(B) Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all. 12^(C) Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all.^(D) In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. 13And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.

14"But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.

November 1

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 16:19:05 GMT

Happy All Saints Day. Today is the day set apart in the church year in which we remember all those who have gone before us and have fallen asleep in the faith. Today is a day of sorrow as we miss those that death has separated from us yet also a day of celebration as we celebrate the victory we have over death through the resurrection of Christ. So we live in eager expectation of the return of Christ in whom we will either be raised up if we have not already died or if we have died experience the resurrection of the dead. I know we are a little off of our devotions through 1 Peter but I want to give you one more text to chew on this All Saints Day.

Psalm 116 (ESV) I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. 2 Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live. 3 The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish. 4 Then I called on the name of the LORD: "O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!" 5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; our God is merciful. 6 The LORD preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me. 7 Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you. 8 For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; 9 I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living. 10 I believed, even when I spoke, "I am greatly afflicted"; 11 I said in my alarm, "All mankind are liars." 12 What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits to me? 13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD, 14 I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people. 15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. 16 O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant. You have loosed my bonds. 17 I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD. 18 I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people, 19 in the courts of the house of the LORD, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!

October 31

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 17:53:28 GMT

Happy Reformation Day. Today is the day set aside in the church to celebrate the start of the Reformation for on this day in 1517 Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenburg. For this reason instead of a devotion I am going to give you a passage of Scripture to chew on that really served to change the life of Martin Luther.

Romans 3:21-26 (ESV) But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it-- 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Sorry for the lack of blog entries the last few days as I was out of town at the district office for New Pastor's Orientation and was not connected to a computer.

October 27

Sat, 27 Oct 2007 14:47:07 GMT

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend and get to spend some quality time with your family. I also hope you get to take some Sabbath time and get some rest as well. I wanted to let everyone know that in response to the Fires that have devastated our state this last week, we are going to be taking a door offering on Sunday. Prayerfully consider giving to this important cause that hits close to home.

I also wanted to give you the sermon text for Sunday so that you could spend some time on it before Sunday. It is a wonderful text with a lot of great stuff in there. Chew on it for a while.

2 Corinthians 5:11-21 (ESV) Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. 12 We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. 13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

October 26

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 16:54:43 GMT

1 Peter 2:10 (ESV) Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Dichotomy
Pronunciation: \dī-ˈkä-tə-mē also də-\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural di·chot·o·mies
Etymology: Greek dichotomia, from dichotomos
Date: 1610

a division into two especially mutually exclusive or contradictory groups or entities <the dichotomy between theory and practice>; also : the process or practice of making such a division <dichotomy of the population into two opposed classes>
the phase of the moon or an inferior planet in which half its disk appears illuminated
a: bifurcation; especially : repeated bifurcation (as of a plant's stem) b: a system of branching in which the main axis forks repeatedly into two branches c: branching of an ancestral line into two equal diverging branches
something with seemingly contradictory qualities <it's a dichotomy, this opulent Ritz-style luxury in a place that fronts on a boat harbor — Jean T. Barrett>

No this is not a lesson in vocabulary (although Dichotomy is a great word), but it is a lesson in who we are and the world we live in. Dichotomies exist all around us: black and wife, safe or out (just for those baseball fans among us), cold or hot, theory and practice. Think of all the dichotomies we live with everyday. Peter in verse 10 is setting up for us a great dichotomy showing us the tremendous difference between who we are without God and who we are after God's work for us and in our lives. Peter is highlighting the complete transformation that occurs in our life because of God's work. Once we were not a people, now we are. Once we were judged completely and utterly by the letter of the law now we are shown mercy. Peter is telling us that God changes everything. He turns our world upside down. Spend some time today thinking about this idea of dichotomy and especially the great dichotomy that exists between life before God and all that included and life with God (notice I didn't say after God because there is no life outside of Christ and there is not after as He is always at work transforming us until that transformation is complete in Heaven where we will always be with Him).

October 25

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 17:43:41 GMT

1 Peter 2:9 (ESV) But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

One could talk on this verse alone for a week (oh wait, we did at the National Youth Gathering this summer). This a tremendous passage filled with much hope, much expectation, much good news, and much direction. In this passage, Peter is saying that the church is the new Israel as we hear Paul say throughout his letters. Peter is giving us our identity in the opening words using those in contrast to those things talked about in the previous three verses. He is telling us what we are and that identity is found in no other place than Christ and His work for us in His death and resurrection. He tells us we are chosen. We all probably know what it is like to be that last one chosen in elementary school when we are choosing sides for kickball. That is not the kind of chosen he is speaking of but saying that God chose us and actually wants us to be his own. This idea of royal priesthood is interesting and to fully understand it we would need to spend much time in the Old Testament, but suffice it to say that we are invited to come before our Lord with our prayers and petitions without the need for a go between and we are invited to (and meant to) proclaim the work of the Lord to those around us. We are a holy nation and can only be a holy nation as we are covered with the blood of the spotless lamb and made holy. I think this last one is key and something that we can latch onto a little easier we are God's. We belong to God and all the wonderful things that go along with that.

What is interesting is that Peter goes from who we are and flowing out from that is what we are to do. If we are a chosen a race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, then we are to proclaim what He has done. If you shoot the best round of golf you have ever shot, what is the first thing you will do? Go and tell your buddies. If you get a promotion, what are you going to do? Call your spouse and share the good news. If you are going to have a baby, what do you do? You tell people. If we have been saved and belong to God, what are going to do? We are going to tell our story.

Spend a few minutes thinking through what your story is and write it down so that you might be prepared to share it with others. In that don't forget to talk about God and who He is. I think often we get wrapped up in our role in the story and forget to proclaim the excellencies of God. What are those excellencies of God and why do they make a difference in your daily life? I would love to hear what you come up with.

Men's Bible Study

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:17:09 GMT

Set those alarm clocks early and come spend some time together in God's Word with some other guys. 6:00 AM tomorrow. BE THERE.

Sign Ups also continue for our first Holy Smokers event to take place November 9th. Plan to come and have a good time and bring some friends. Sorry ladies guys only.