Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Gospel

James 1:22

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Thought:
At times we have ourselves in such a routine that when we say it, it doesn't affect us.  Yet when someone else says it and we actually open our ears to hear it. Then it makes sense to us.  Recently I was questioning what I was doing wrong in my youth ministry at church that it all seems to be falling apart.  Then a friend of mine gave me the God's eye view of what was going on.   Youth were attending the meeting and I thought they were taking nothing away from each meeting.  Then it was pointed out to me that for some of them I was the only bible they were getting AT ALL in their lives. And that was making a difference because, those kids were still coming back.  I kept looking for the group to go out and reach to others about Jesus, but I forgot that they were coming to me to get the Word, to be hearers not doers.  Then once this group hears it they will learn to do it.  The mere essence of "LIVE IT OUT".

Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, in the rush of life we tend to miss the obvious.  Thanks for your angels that you put into our lives to speak to us through your very own Words.  Amen.
 

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Live it out



Thank you Seal for expressing my thought for today!
"A change is gonna come"

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Quick Gospel

Ezekiel 33:32

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
32 Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.

Thought:
O' brother Ezekiel I feel your pain.  You tell them till your "blue in the face" and they just dont get it.  Ever have one of those days or experiences?

Prayer:
Dear God, open up our eyes and ears to do thy bidding.  Open up our hands, and put our feet into motion to do thy bidding.  Amen.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Quick Gospel

Philippians 4:6

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Thought:
Lately I have been really struggling with my prayers.  I have felt disconnected with God.  I read an article this morning with this text in it and explaining how in all that we breathe should be with thanksgiving and praise.  Not so easy though, When we pray continuously and it all seems to fall on deaf ears.  But, then the voice of the Spirit moves in your thoughts and you begin to see that all that you have been praying for and about sounds a lot like gripes and complaints to God's ears.  So to Him it is not sounding so thankful for all that He is doing for you.  then you begin to understand that your prayers and petitions are being answered because God can't hear you when you approach him like that.  It's kind of just like when you tell your children to clean up their rooms and they do , but you tell them its not good enough...for you.  Never once do we consider that the child just might not understand what you need because we approach them with the complaining heart and words.  God, just might be reacting to you the same way your kids do when you approach them with that same attitude.

Here's hoping for all to have a calm, quite, restful, peaceful, and blessed weekend !

Prayer:
God, sometimes just shut my mouth, and let my heart speak.  Amen.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Tuned in Tuesday-Courageous

Casting Crowns with "Courageous" from the same titled movie that is released to the nation today on DVD.


An open invitation to all:
A showing of this movie will happen Friday Jan. 27th 2012 @ 7:30pm
at St. David's UCC- 142 Hobart Rd. Hanover Pa

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Thoughts from Reality

God bless my youngest son for his reactions to things.  I have grown so much by him in understanding the Father and Son relationship of God and Christ.  Today, all my son had to do was put on his shoes and jacket and get to the bus stop,  the bus was patiently waiting for him.  He just had a complete melt down as the  bus was waiting so I had to push and force him to get on the bus and get to school.  I could not not figure out what the big deal was.  Besides the rain and today being Thursday ( did you know that statically speaking Thursday's are the least likely day of the week to be a good day!!)  I could not figure out what the deal was.  Then driving to work today it hit me.  It was not about my son and his break down, it was about me and my break downs with God.  How many times in my life and yours does God just have to say enough is enough, it's time to get on the bus and go where I need you to go.  What do we do?  Kick and scream the whole way there...yet once we are on the bus and where God wants us to be it's all good, it's just getting past the break down point.  Don't you feel that God gets frustrated with us when we act like this?  Joshua 1:5 I will never leave you nor forsake you.  Get on the bus!!!!!

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Prayer

God...
It's me again, it ain't been getting any easier since last we spoke.  Life on Earth is pretty trying most days.  Most days I walk around mad at the world or even YOU God, cause I don't get it.  The apathy that has become the sickness in our culture.  Heck, it even rears it's ugly head at church, your worship center God.  Satan has us on the mountain top showing us what can be ours simply by following him.  God, I need you to take back control of me, my life, my house, my family, my friends, my church, my community, my country my world. 
What's that you say?
You can't do that until I relinquish the grip I have on this world.
God, give me the strength to open my hands up and let go of what has me bound to this world.  Give me the wisdom to know that by doing so you will take care of me.  Give me the courage to then take it into my life, my house, my family, my friends, my church, my community, my country, and my world.  This will be new territory for me this modern day Moses that you have called to set your people free.  Never leave me nor forsake me, that's what you promise me you'll do.  God you have given me no room to doubt that, so blessed I will be.
Amen.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Thoughts for Thursday

So along with a new year underway, in my time with God that I have been forcing myself to allow each day.  I have discovered a thought that I really feel has come form God for me to do and challenge others to do as well.  "Engage yourself", what is this about.  Well it kind of goes back to this past weekends sermons by my Pastor at church.  If you are going to have a resolution for the new year it should be something that changes you for the good in affecting other people!!  In today's electronic world it make sit sooo easy to converse with others.  So why not challenge yourself to do just that.  Engage in conversation with someone that you would not normally do.  The challenge I have laid on myself s to do this with one person each week.  A relationship may not be born in this, but getting out of my comfort box will be accomplished for sure.  In making myself accountable for this, I will meet others that who knows, might become someone I can mentor, or even, heck someone that might end up mentoring me.  The conversation do not even have to be specifically about God or your religion, just open up to someone and share with them your thoughts or commonalities in that is where the guard will be let down by you and them.  Getting the comfort zone to move a bit, and next thing you know its old habit for you to do this with more people.  One never knows exactly what will become of a simple conversation, but nothing will happen if you do not engage in that conversation.  May the love of God be with you in this challenge, because this just might be a big challenge for some, but He will see you through it if he brings you to it. 

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Welcome Back!

New Year, new you....yada, yada, yada right!  Why do we do that?  This year I'm gonna_____(fill in the blank).  Yet for the most part we never do.  Our sermons at church this past weekend kind of went along with that line of thinking as well.  We seem to talk alot, yet never commit to walking the talk.  So as a new year does begin for us, challenge yourself to commit to one thing this new year that will bring a change to SOMEONE ELSE.  One small commitment at a time will bring great change to a community.  In fact bringing change is what I want to tell you about with my blog.  My spring classes this semester are Wednesday mornings, so it will be hard for me to write for the blog on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays.  So I am changing the days to Tuesday's and Thursday's, and occassionally some extra thoughts thrown in here and there.  I wish all of my readers a great and blessed new year ahead.  Find God in your life, fight to keep Him there, and let Him take charge of your life. 
Peace and blessings.