Walk it

Are you tired of people who talk about what they are going to do? Do you know people who have the greatest of plans for their future, or maybe yours? Those people have the answer for everything as they sit idly and watch the world go by. I know a lot of them, there are great and elaborate plans and wonderful results expected, but there is no action.
Proverbs 14:23 says, "All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty."
I worked for a guy in construction who had a plan and an idea for everything. He would come up with or repeat witty little sayings that he had heard. One he would say all the time was, "People say so-and-so is afraid of work, heck he'll sit down right next to it." I'm afraid that saying fits too well into the actions of a lot of people we know. They have plans, they know what to do, yet they just talk about it.
How interesting that Solomon talks about hard work in his descriptions of wisdom. He is in a sense telling us that wisdom is worthless if we don't use it. We have to use it, hone it and build it. We can't be content with having the answers or having wisdom, we must use it.
If we have wisdom it is from God, and if we are living in a 1 Corinthians 10 way we are doing everything to the glory of God. Well, you can't give God glory for something that people don't see you using. So let's work hard, share our gifts with those around us and edify one another with them. God puts us together with the people we are surrounded by in church and in ministries to complement one another with our gifts. So share them abundantly and watch what God can do for the kingdom through your efforts to use what He has given you.
Have a great day and God bless!

Where to place your trust

Over the past few weeks I have made for myself a new habit. When I first wake up, before I read my quiet time for the day, before I even pray, I read a chapter of Proverbs. I can't take credit for the idea, Dr. Ed Scott former director of Missions for our Association shared the idea with a congregation once. Well, I have been trying it out for 2 weeks now. I like it.
Proverbs is such a neat book, so much different from the rest. One of my top 3 favorite verses appears in Proverbs. In order my 3 favorites are Psalm 37:4, Ephesians 3:20 and then Proverbs 3:5-6.
I want to talk a little bit about Proverbs 3:5-6 today.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight."
Recently, I resigned from a position knowing that God had given me a peace about it. Had I used human reasoning, I would have never resigned. On the fleshly side, I was concerned about paying my family's bills, searching for a job and even leaving a place where I had been comfortable for over 8 years. But, I trusted in the Lord, he gave me the strength to do it and the peace that He would help me endure it. So, I resigned and before the end of one week I had more job offers than I care to even share. All sorts of jobs, all sorts of phone calls, even one job from a local church as a youth pastor, which is what I was at the time. So I sorted through them, allowed God to direct me and here I am working for the Homeless Coalition with the families and children. What an enriching experience it is when we trust in God with all we've got.
That is what it is all about. Letting God direct us, through life's bumps and curves and everything works out for the better. I am now in a position of preparing a sermon for a local church where I may be asked to be their pastor. It is a church located right in the heart of where God has lead me to start a new church. Also, interestingly enough I am preaching on the very same Sunday that I had planned to start a new church plant.Wow! What excitement has come from just taking my time and allowing God to work. I must admit, there have been a lot of voices calling or stopping by telling me what I should do. I have had moments of feeling like I knew exactly what to do. But, in the end I have taken a step back and asked God to direct me and here I am.
So don't trust in yourself or your friends and family more than God. When you're struggling or even when things are going extremely well, trust God to direct you and lead you and the results are far more than you can expect or imagine.
Thanks so much for reading and have an awesome Monday and week!

Love never fails

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
These words are the tail end of Paul's descriptions of love in its truest form.
If you are in love, if you love someone, if you are exemplifying the love of CHrist then you rejoice in the truth. You find your happiness and truly rejoice in the truth of knowing that God is all that His word says He is and will do all that the BIble says He will. With that knowledge you take no pleasure in evil or in evil things. You have no fellowship with evil thoughts or desires but you constantly rejoice in truth.
Love always protects, trusts, hopes and perseveres. I tell you what. In recent months it is no secret that my world has changed, it has even at times seemed like it was turned upside down. During these times I was going through trials, my integrity was questioned and I was beaten up over some things. Some of the people who "said" they loved me and cared for me were the ones who lead the attack. It hurt, it stung and it left scars. But, on the other hand I found out who really loved me. There were those who came to my defense, stood up for me and backed me 100% that is exactly what is meant by love never fails. When you're backed in a corner or really down you want to know that those who love you will stand right there. I can testify, they are right there with you. True love, Christlike love trusts, hopes, protects and perseveres.
In 1 Thesselonians we are told to give thanks in all circumstances. Not for all circumstances but in all circumstances. While I felt a little beat up, and a little down, I was able to rejoice and give thanks in the middle of the storm because I knew right then that I had a lot of people who truly loved me and supported me. That is the end result that Paul is looking for when he was describing true Cristlike Love.
Thanks for reading and have an awesome Friday and Weekend!

More love

As we study on in 1 Corinthians 13 we see that love is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered and it keeps no record of wrongs.
Self-seeking is an important aspect of a loving relationship. When I say that I love someone that is saying that I am putting their needs and their portion of the relationship above my own. I am not just putting myself in their shoes, but I am putting them in mine. Their needs are met first and then mine.
Easily angered is a tough one. THere are all kinds of formulas for containing your anger, take a deep breath, hold your breath, wait 30 seconds to react and so on. One reason that not being easily angered is found in Proverbs where Solomon tells us that out of the mouth comes the overflow of the heart. So if we say something hateful or mean out of anger we are making others feel like it is from the heart. I like to send emails. When angered I type out the email and let it sit for atleast 24 hours. This allows me to put my thoughts together and speak from my heart and not from my head or anger from my adrenaline.
Now, the toughest of all the attributes Paul leaves us with is keeping records of wrongs. We can't carry grudges in loving relationships, and we can't hang on to things that hurt us. If we do we set ourselves up for 2 things. First, we look for occasions to pay back the wrong and open the wounds even wider. Secondly, if we are mad about something done wrong to us, if we carry that around with us then we look for it to happen again and overreact to things that aren't relevant.
So when you think of your loving relationships, are you self-seeking, are you easily angered, are you keeping score?
Paul told us in2 Corinthians 5:17 "If anyone is in CHrist, he is a new creation." None of these things are possible without being a new creation in CHrist and letting the past be the past.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!

A little more love

Continueing where we left off yesterday discussing love. We learned that it is patient,kind, and does not envy. Today we're going to look at the next few attributes Paul gives it. Love does not boast, it is not proud, and it is not rude.
Love is a very complicated thing, yet it is the most powerful human force there is. If you love someone, truly love someone, there isn't much that can stand in your way.
The examples of not boasting and not being proud go hand in hand. Love is something that does not need to do anything but be itself. When you're in love with someone you don't have to boast about what you've accomplished or be proud or egotistical. All you have to be for someone to love you in return is yourself. If you are yourself and you love someone then odds are you'll get that love in return. But, trying to impress others and bragging about yourself are no attributes that lend to true love.
Love is not rude. Rudeness is something that no one likes. You don't like to have someone call your house and be rude to you. You don't like to get cut off in traffic, get honked at or get the #1 salute. You don't like to be blown off, ignored or overlooked when you have certain needs or feelings. Well, if we as Christians are to exemplify love, we can't do any of those things either.
Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. And the second was to love your neighbor as yourself. So, I ask you, do you love your neighbor in the ways that you want to be loved. Do you treat them in the ways you want to be treated? If we love the Lord then our love for others will be apparent as well.

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

A little love goes a long, long way

I am undergoing Domestic Violence training for my job at the Homeless Coalition. I am learning a lot. But, as I study and read and listen to the speaker I just can't help but feel like a little 1 Corinthians 13 would do a lot of good. If we read and apply these verses then all the stuff I'm learning about would be gone.
Love is patient. Paul says it all right there, when you love someone you realize that they are not going to do things exactly the way you would and that is okay. They aren't going to always do things right but that's okay. And in order to be patient with them through this you have to be kind. Love is kind, kindness goes a long way. A kind word at an awkward or even bad time can do so much to lift up a loved one.
It does not envy. Love is not concerned about who makes all the money, who has the most friends, or even who more people like. A relationship based on love doesn't keep score or concern itself with anything but uplifting the other person in the relationship.
We'll look at more of the verse tomorrow. I love my wife and my children and some of the things I am learning and witnessing in my courses are apalling. I can't imagine inflicting pain or emotional scars on them like what is going on in a lot of places.
So, that having been said. If you feel a little hostile toward someone you love, open your Bible and read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a. If you apply all of the things that Paul lists there, everything else will become automatic.
Thanks for reading and have and awesome day!

Audience of One

It's no secret that one of my favorite things to say and exemplify is audience of one. Big Daddy Weave wrote a song by the title. It is so great and by far my favorite song ever written. But, recently on the local Christian radio station they have been playing a song by Martina McBride that takes on the same meaning. She describes so many little struggles that we have here on earth and how meaningless they are compared to the fact that we can serve and do for God.
Some of the lyrics:
You can spend your whole life building something for nothing,
one storm can come and wipe it all away.
You can chase a dream that seems so out of reach,
and you know it might not ever come your way.

You can pour your soul out singing a song you believe in,
that tomorrow they'll forget you ever sang, sing it anyway.

The chorus says God is great but sometimes life aint good,
when I pray it doesn't always turn out like I think it should
but I do it anyway.

What a wonderful example of what Paul said, "Since,then, you have been raised with CHrist, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."

When we do things for Christ and not ourselves or for others we realize that God is in control of the results and we can't change them. There's no need to sweat the little things, just remember Who you are doing it for and why. You might pour your heart and soul into something that no one will remember for more than a day, but that's okay because you did it for the Lord and not for man's pleasure or gain. So just do it, keep doing it, and as Martina says, "Do it anyway!"


Have a great day! Thanks for reading!

Sunday, exciting Sunday

This Sunday morning we are going to baptize a young man. Tanner Worthington recently prayed and accepted Christ and is now wanting to partake in baptism. So this Sunday we are going to do just that. Baptism is one of two ordinances that God has left us with. The first is the Lord's Supper, the second is baptism. It is my thought that baptism should be a celebration. It is so signifigant in the life of both the baptizee and those in the congregation. It is the celebration of a changed life.
You see it symbolizes our death, burial and resurrection. It symbolizes us dying to ourselves and our old life and rising to a new life of service and commitment to Christ. It is professing to God and the world a life that has been changed. It should be the centerpiece of a worship service, not an add on.
Baptism is signifigant in the life of a church in that it shows fulfillment of the great commission.
Matthew 28:19 Threfore go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Colossians 2:12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
According to Paul we are buried with Him and raised with Him. It is also a symbol of our faith in the power of God. The very same person who made everything that is, and who raised Christ from the grave. This is all such powerful symbolism.
I used to do a childrens sermon at my former church. During that time I would try my best to find an object lesson that would fit with the pastor's sermon that day. I would used an object lesson to illustrate biblical truths. Well, in baptism God has left us with the ultimate object lesson.
Puritan writer John Owen put it this way " Baptism is the death of death, in the death of Christ"
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!

P.J.'s 4

Today my little girl is turning 4 years old. It scares me to think that I can't remember much about when she was a baby, or even 2. It flies by so fast and its so hard to think that as a parent I am going to face the teen years, college years and so much more.
I'm excited about my opportunities as a church plant and all that will come with that. I am excited about my future in the Lord, and the things He is going to accomplish through me and this new ministry. But, at the same time I am a little scared. I feel extremely inadequate for the job at times.
2 Corinthians 12:9 says, "My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness."
You see in these verses Paul was describing a thorn in the flesh that he had. He had asked God to take the thorn away. That isn't exactly how God works. Instead, God was offering His grace and the power to endure the thorn. Through this Paul was able to realize that the weaker the instrument of man, the stronger God's power shines through.
So, when you're feeling weak, when you're feeling inadequate, don't worry. God has a plan to help you, He is waiting for your weakness to take over so that His power can be more evident. God uses these situations to enable us to see His power, to fully trust in His power and to see the weaknesses that we actually contain.
So if you are in a situation where you feel hopeless. Be glad, because God wants you right there in that situation, and what's more comforting is that His power will be complete and it will overcome the situation, no matter what it is.
Thanks for reading, and have a great day!

perspective is everything

I shared a story last night in our bible study of 2 salesmen sent by a major shoe company to Africa to sell shoes. They arrived and one of them responded very quickly to the company not to worry, I'll be back soon. No one wears shoes here so there is no market. The second didn't respond nearly so quick so the company was concerned. A few days passed and finally the salesman responded and was obviously excited. He told them to pack up as many shoes as they could find and get them there ASAP because no one there had shoes.
Do you see the difference that perspective can make?
Who are you in the story? Do you see the lost as a mission field or a lost cause? Myself I see them as a missionfield and a calling. But, we've got to have the right perspective. Ministry means meeting needs with love. We have to see the lost as needy. We have to react to their neediness with the love of Christ.
This all falls into place however when we have the proper perspective. The proper perspective comes from joy and peace. Joy and peace are both ours for life if we will accept Christ as our Lord and Savior and allow Him to grow within us. The verses I shared on Friday are preceded by verses that Paul shared asking us to rejoice to let our gentleness be known to all, and not to be anxious about anything. All of these things lead to joy and peace.
You cannot know peace and joy like the Lord gives it until you give Him your heart. But, from that point on how great it is to be able to rejoice always, and to give all your burdens to Him and know that He will gladly accept them.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!!!!!!!

I'm humble, can I tell you about it

Are you humble? Do you constantly make sure that people think you are humble? Are people always commenting on how humble you are? Are the people who you associate most with humble? Can you openly sit down with the people who lead you and have their full attention?
Humility is not what we think it is. It is not thinking less of ourselves, or constantly looking humble. Paul talks about it some in Philippians 2. He states, "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. You attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being in the very nature of GOd did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross.
You see humility is giving up things that are all about yourself to better meet the needs of those around you. Jesus gave up his equality with God His own Father to become like us. What have you given up to become like those who look up to you? Christ gave up the perfect life in heaven, to come to earth, be unrecognized by many, beaten, accused, humiliated and then crucified. What a perfect picture of humility Paul paints.
Humility isn't just being humble, it's forcing others importance on themselves. It means that when someone shares something with you, at that very moment there is nothing more important to you than their feelings. It means that whatever was on your mind, or on your agenda is meaningless at that time.
William Temple put it this way in his book, “Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself than of other people, nor does it mean having a low opinion of your own gifts. It means freedom from thinking about yourself one way or the other at all.”
So I challenge you today. "Second guess Thursday" to make all of your relationships more meaningful by putting their needs and situations above that of your own and not once during the course of conversation thinking of yourself.
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!

Wednesday, Hump Day!

The noted English architect Sir Christopher Wren was supervising the construction of a magnificent cathedral in London. A journalist thought it would be interesting to interview some of the workers, so he chose three and asked them this question, "What are you doing?" The first replied, "I’m cutting stone for 10 shillings a day." The next answered, "I’m putting in 10 hours a day on this job." But the third said, "I’m helping Sir Christopher Wren construct one of London’s greatest cathedrals."
So that brings up the question. How do you face each day's endeavors? Do you see yourself as a part of the harvest. In Matthew 9:36-38 Jesus tells us that the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. In my current job there are times that I need to do things that I don't quite understand. I don't understand why I'm doing them or what they are for in the greater scheme of things. But, I have to remember that I am part of a far greater picture. I am a believer in Christ, on the winning team, and contributing to the building of God's Kingdom. This some times is the only thing that gets me through these jobs or odds and ends that come up through out the day.
If you are a believer in Christ you too are part of something a lot bigger than a business or a paycheck earning career. You're a part of Christ's team. Let that be your light at the end of the tunnel. Let that be your Hump each day that gets you through to the rest of the week. And rest assured that where ever you are, whatever you are faced with. Christ is right there with you in each part of it. How refreshing, how great!
Thanks for reading and have a great Hump Day!!!!!

Cracked Pots

This is actually an email that a close friend of mine sent me recently. I used to skip right over forwards and the such, but if it is sent to me by a godly friend in Christ then I usually find them useful in some way at some point. The point of this little story is a point that I want to emphasize in the early stages of a new church. I want to make it a point to find the gifts and talents of each and every person that comes through the doors and get them plugged in to a ministry that helps them use that gift.
An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole, which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, thevcracked pot arrived only half full.For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringingvhome only one and a half pots of water.Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, andvmiserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, itvspoke to the woman one day by the stream."I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house."The old woman smiled, "Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?""That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back,you water them."
"For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house."
The point here is that we have to understand that we all have faults and weaknesses. We have all done something in our lives that we aren't proud of, use that experience to help others avoid it.
Some of us have been through some really tough times, use those times and your experience to help others through those times.
Others of us have through all things thrown our way, grown closer and closer to God. We've grown our roots upward toward God rather than downward to earth, if that is you, then continue to grow that way and take others with you.
In my experience in youth ministry over the past 8 years is that the kids who have done the worst things or who have been through the toughest times turn out to be the ones who impact the kingdom of God with the most passion. So seek out the potential in others and not just their faults. God will use their faults to grow great flowers and produce great fruit if we continue to point them in the right direction.
Genesis 3:11 Moses said, " Who am I that I should go to Pharoah and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" Moses himself saw his own faults and weaknesses rather than his potential in Christ. So take your faults and your mistakes and give them to God. Then let God use them to allow you to glorify Him for them.
Thanks again for reading and keep on praying!!!!!

Apple tree illustration

I have for well over a year felt God calling me to be a part of a church plant. We are now full tilt on our way to planting a new church right here in St. Augustine. I have been involved in youth ministry for over 8 years now at a church right here in St. Augustine. Through the years I have found my self just more and more hungry to reach the lost. The verses in Matthew 9:36-38 where Jesus is explaining that the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few hit me like a ton of bricks every time I read them. God has given me a hunger and a burden to reach the lost.
That hunger and burden at times turn to a near depressing state as I feel so helpless in my efforts to be one of the workers in God's harvest.
A few years ago I listened to a sermon about Christ as the vine and us as the branches. As the branches we are to be fruitful and reproduce. The end, nothing else, nothing more and nothing less. Instead, we tend to attach ourselves to Christ as His branches and then we tend to produce fruit and at times seemingly eat the fruit.
Well, that illlustration hit me, but it wasn't exactly how I view things. So last night in our Bible Study I asked what is the true fruit of an apple tree?
1 - Many see it as the tree itself. It is the tree's chief responsibility to reproduce fruit and so the tree is the fruit.
2 - Many see it as the apples that are produced. They feel that the tree's chief end is to produce fruit, so the apple is the true fruit of such a tree.
3 - Many see it as the seed. The tree must reproduce and so the seeds will produce more trees, whereby producing more apples and more seeds.
These are all correct in the minds of those who feel that way. I don't feel like there is any one true answer to such a question. I however, see it much different than any of these choices. When I invision the true fruit of an apple tree I see an orchard. An orchard spanning miles in every direction, full of trees producing apples, seeds and the like.
Where did I get such a philosophy you might ask? From my second favorite verse in the Bible. Ephesians 3:20 Now unto Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to his power that is at work within us.
You see when we plant an apple tree we are expecting it to grow. We are wanting it to bear apples. But we never imagine an orchard. "Immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine"
It is my heart and my vision that through this new ministry, Truth Ministries, God is going to do immeasurably more than all we ask or can even imagine, if we will trust in Him, and make ourselves available workers of the harvest.
Thanks for reading and keep on praying for the harvest, right here at Truth Ministries or in your own church.

Sunday preview

President Abraham Lincoln stood at a severe disadvantage through much of the U.S. Civil War. His generals refused to fight, they would not engage the enemy. At the begining of the war, military leaders recommended a defensive plan. The believed guarding the Union territory and cotainment of their areas would eventually calm the conflict of the Civil War. Lincoln strongly disagreed. From 1861 to 1863 Lincoln replaced four successive generals-in-chief and, despite the roar of protests from important people, he finally settled on Ulysses S. Grant. His nickname amongst military leaders was "Unconditional surrender", he displayed courage and tactical skill through several commandig victories. When confronted later in the war by the military leaders, Lincoln simply said, "I can't spare this man. He fights!"
Today, we are fighting for the lost souls of those around us. Many of us are fighting within our own families as our loved ones don't know the Lord yet. God is looking for some Ulysses Grants, people who will fight for the Gospel and its spread. The great commission calls for action, not for nurturing or guarding our churches. Growth and discipleship are foremost in my heart and ministry but they cannot come at the expense of evangelism.
This is just a piece of my message for Sunday night. Hope to see you all then!
Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

Independence day!

Prisioners yearn for freedom, as do people who are enslaved by sin. They want to be free from the sins that make their lives miserable. Well, truth be known prisoners aren't the only ones who need to be freed. We all need to experience the freedom from sin that Jesus offers us.
Jesus tells of a way to have that freedom - "know the truth."Jesus is "the truth" (John 14:6). Truth is not an abstract concept; it’s a reality. When Pilate asked, "What is truth?" (John 18:38), the Truth was standing before him. Jesus came into the world to "bear witness to the truth" (John 18:37) and He was the Truth incarnate. The truth in Jesus frees us from the consequences of sin, from self-deception, and from deception by Satan. The truth in Jesus shows us the way to eternal life with God. The truth in Jesus will indeed set us free - free from sin’s death penalty - from the corrosive effects of sin in our lives and from the curse that to all of us via Adams original sin - the fall of man. Independence Day is here. In Jesus we are Free Indeed!Let’s look at what Jesus said in our text:
A.) "If you abide in My word..."1. It is our choice, thus the "If" - to abide in His word. Everyday we make the choice.2. "Abide" means to continue to learn, and to apply the word to our lives and live by it.
John 8:31-34. I will be out of town Tuesday and Wednesday. Reachable by cell phone only. I may not be able to get on the internet to update my blog daily, my apologies, but I will catch it up on Thursday for sure.
Thanks for reading and God Bless! Have a great 4th!