What is my church like? It's filled with incredibly human people. Some of us are serious about being used of God, others just want to enjoy this life and feel good about our standing with Him. Some of us are warm. Some of us are not.
We are a big enough church that you can slip in and out and few people will notice. Which is good if you just want to check it out in secret agent kind of way. The drawback (if you call it that), is that it's large enough that if you actually want to be a part of the family, you'll have to be intentional about finding ways to connect with people there. Sure, we have greeters at the door. They'll smile at you. They'll shake your hand and they really are glad to see you, but they won't know you from Jack the bear.
Overall, I believe in the people in leadership. There are always issues, but I believe that their hearts are normally in the right place.
It took me over a year to find my place, but am glad that I have. I am very thankful for the men and women who walk with me; people who take the initiative to pray for me when they are aware of my needs. I hope that I do the same for them.
Your experience might vary, but if you are looking for a Christian faith family of you own, I'd encourage you to check it out.
Kevin
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Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Expecting
Psalm 139:13-16 (New International Version, ©2011)
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
My Heart Aches
I’m caught in between two worlds tonight. At supper this evening, I read a booklet called Quantum Faith. Don’t worry. It’s only 20 pages long. I didn’t want to pull an intellectual muscle or anything.
The premise of the book goes something like this, “You are the one giving substance to your world through words!” It seems to be all about getting God to do the miraculous things that you want Him to do. Through faith and the power of your words, you can do everything from keeping your car running perfectly to preventing your computer from crashing.
In the other part of my world, my friend from public school spends his days and nights watching as his son struggles for life itself. Unless God extends His strong right hand, it doesn’t look good.
I know I should be a little more diplomatic when I make reference to the literary efforts of a fellow believer. It sounds to me, little more than a Christian version of witchcraft. Get your words right, get the faith formula down and God is obligated to act in the way that you dictate.
I hurt for my friend. If Quantum Faith is right, then my prayers must be little better than that of the heathen, because the young man hasn’t been healed.
The way that I understand scripture, the promise of the Gospel isn’t that our luck will get better. The assurance is that we have been made right with The Father through Christ The Son. For many, the road is tough.
God does act amazingly on behalf of many who seek His face. The unfortunate reality, is that it’s not always the case.
Hebrews 11:36-40 (New Living Translation)
36 Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. 37 Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. 38 They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.
39 All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. 40 For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.
Keep this in mind. “None of them received all that God had promised” vs 39. If these people of faith did not receive all that God had promised, what are the odds that you and I receive all that He promises here in this present life?
Having a reliable vehicle, well behaved children and a stable computer isn’t the end result of our faith. Even nonbelievers desire after these things. My friend, if you are reading this, I hope you are encouraged. Faith in Christ is in itself the victory. If you are able to maintain your testimony for Jesus in this trial, I can think of few things nearly so miraculous.
The premise of the book goes something like this, “You are the one giving substance to your world through words!” It seems to be all about getting God to do the miraculous things that you want Him to do. Through faith and the power of your words, you can do everything from keeping your car running perfectly to preventing your computer from crashing.
In the other part of my world, my friend from public school spends his days and nights watching as his son struggles for life itself. Unless God extends His strong right hand, it doesn’t look good.
I know I should be a little more diplomatic when I make reference to the literary efforts of a fellow believer. It sounds to me, little more than a Christian version of witchcraft. Get your words right, get the faith formula down and God is obligated to act in the way that you dictate.
I hurt for my friend. If Quantum Faith is right, then my prayers must be little better than that of the heathen, because the young man hasn’t been healed.
The way that I understand scripture, the promise of the Gospel isn’t that our luck will get better. The assurance is that we have been made right with The Father through Christ The Son. For many, the road is tough.
God does act amazingly on behalf of many who seek His face. The unfortunate reality, is that it’s not always the case.
Hebrews 11:36-40 (New Living Translation)
36 Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. 37 Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. 38 They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.
39 All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. 40 For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.
Keep this in mind. “None of them received all that God had promised” vs 39. If these people of faith did not receive all that God had promised, what are the odds that you and I receive all that He promises here in this present life?
Having a reliable vehicle, well behaved children and a stable computer isn’t the end result of our faith. Even nonbelievers desire after these things. My friend, if you are reading this, I hope you are encouraged. Faith in Christ is in itself the victory. If you are able to maintain your testimony for Jesus in this trial, I can think of few things nearly so miraculous.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Alma Mater
Seeing ourselves through the eyes of someone else can be a wonderful blessing. I recently had the pleasure of meeting up with a friend of mine from public school. His name is Rob. Without him, I’d probably still be listening to the likes of WHAM! . He was the guy who introduced me to the music of Alice Cooper.
He found me on Facebook a few months ago and asked if we could get together. Sadly, I was kind of nervous getting together with him after all these years. I always admired him for the fact that he was so many things that I was not. He was tough, but he wasn’t a bully. He was funny, without being a prankster.
He’s still a pretty cool guy and has gotten really good at playing guitar. He still likes heavy metal. In our short time together he asked
me, “Do you remember when we met?”
It’s the kind of question you really want to have an answer for isn’t it? You don’t want to be on the forgetful end of the relationship. Unfortunately, I couldn’t remember.
“Kev. I remember meeting you while some guys were trying to stuff you in a locker. I liked you from that moment on.”
Funny I would forget a moment like that.
This weekend I’ll be catching up with some of my friends from university. There’s never a bad time to visit with someone who added value to your life. Do you want to bless someone? Remind them of your first memory of them.
It was good to see you again Rob. In the words of Alice Cooper…
“I hope….I hope you won’t forget me or nothin’.” Alma Mater, Schools Out
(That song chokes me up. Too bad I can’t find a good version on You Tube)
He found me on Facebook a few months ago and asked if we could get together. Sadly, I was kind of nervous getting together with him after all these years. I always admired him for the fact that he was so many things that I was not. He was tough, but he wasn’t a bully. He was funny, without being a prankster.
He’s still a pretty cool guy and has gotten really good at playing guitar. He still likes heavy metal. In our short time together he asked
me, “Do you remember when we met?”
It’s the kind of question you really want to have an answer for isn’t it? You don’t want to be on the forgetful end of the relationship. Unfortunately, I couldn’t remember.
“Kev. I remember meeting you while some guys were trying to stuff you in a locker. I liked you from that moment on.”
Funny I would forget a moment like that.
This weekend I’ll be catching up with some of my friends from university. There’s never a bad time to visit with someone who added value to your life. Do you want to bless someone? Remind them of your first memory of them.
It was good to see you again Rob. In the words of Alice Cooper…
“I hope….I hope you won’t forget me or nothin’.” Alma Mater, Schools Out
(That song chokes me up. Too bad I can’t find a good version on You Tube)
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Training for Unrighteousness
Every once in a while, you might find yourself in conversations where you talk about those kinds of parents who ‘shelter their children’. When we talk about vagrant parents like that, do you ever wonder who they are? Do they have names? Or are they merely an elite, ivory tower secret society.
I want to save you the time of trying to figure out this mystery. They’re probably talking about me. Last week, in conversation, my wife made mention of “The Finger”. You know what The Finger is right? If you are looking at the back of your right hand, it’s the second finger from the left. If you count your thumb, it’s the third from the left. If you are looking at the palm of your right hand, it’s the third from the left. It is often referred to as being the middle finger, which is only partially accurate. It really isn’t the middle finger unless you consider the opposable thumb to be a finger. If you are left handed…..Never mind.
Upon hearing mention of “The Finger”, my 12 year old daughter asked, “What is the finger?”
Unfortunately, it is true. There are some things that we have neglected to teach our children. This is one of those things. My wife and I looked at each other and I asked, “Is this the kind of thing that we need to teach her?”
I entertained the thought for a moment. No. I’m really not trying to intentionally shelter the poor girl from those valuable life skills such as flipping the bird. I didn’t take the time to pray about it, which might very well be the source of my error. The conclusion that I came to in those few seconds was this. No. I’m not going to be the one who teaches her that.
“Sorry my daughter. You can learn that somewhere else. I’m sure most of your friends know by now. Ask them.”
Innocence is a horrible thing isn’t it? I maintain the hope that my children will eventually pick up all of these essential life skills. I just pray that they don’t get them from me.
You’re right. The Bible doesn’t make mention of “The Finger.” What about those other valuable life skills? Would you intentionally teach your kids to lie? How can a person get through life successfully if they are honest?
I have a friend of mine who sold his car last year. He sold it to a young woman who was headed off to university in the fall. It was a very inexpensive vehicle, and likewise, he offered no warranty on it. Selling used vehicles is as risky, if not more so, than buying a used vehicle. No matter how thoroughly you go over and inspect a vehicle, there is no way to predict the future reliability of the vehicle you are selling.
About a week after selling the car, the young woman came back to my friend. A noise had developed in the rear brakes. Even though no warranty was given or implied for the vehicle, the young lady and her father expected my friend to repair it for free. After removing the wheels, he noticed that the brakes had been over heated. Here is the conversation that ensued.
My friend – “What happened to the brakes? It wasn’t like that when I inspected it last week.”
The daughter – “Oh. I left on the parking brake and drove around with it for a while. Could that have something to do with it?”
Giving his daughter stern glare, dad abruptly cut into the conversation saying, “She only drove it for a few feet in the parking lot. The brakes were obviously defective.”
It makes me wonder what kind of conversation they had with each other before they left home. “Come with me little girl, and I’ll teach you how to scam the used car dealer.”
I’m sure that my children will pick up enough junk without me being the one to intentionally train them. Unfortunately, enough of it comes from me as it is.
I want to save you the time of trying to figure out this mystery. They’re probably talking about me. Last week, in conversation, my wife made mention of “The Finger”. You know what The Finger is right? If you are looking at the back of your right hand, it’s the second finger from the left. If you count your thumb, it’s the third from the left. If you are looking at the palm of your right hand, it’s the third from the left. It is often referred to as being the middle finger, which is only partially accurate. It really isn’t the middle finger unless you consider the opposable thumb to be a finger. If you are left handed…..Never mind.
Upon hearing mention of “The Finger”, my 12 year old daughter asked, “What is the finger?”
Unfortunately, it is true. There are some things that we have neglected to teach our children. This is one of those things. My wife and I looked at each other and I asked, “Is this the kind of thing that we need to teach her?”
I entertained the thought for a moment. No. I’m really not trying to intentionally shelter the poor girl from those valuable life skills such as flipping the bird. I didn’t take the time to pray about it, which might very well be the source of my error. The conclusion that I came to in those few seconds was this. No. I’m not going to be the one who teaches her that.
“Sorry my daughter. You can learn that somewhere else. I’m sure most of your friends know by now. Ask them.”
Innocence is a horrible thing isn’t it? I maintain the hope that my children will eventually pick up all of these essential life skills. I just pray that they don’t get them from me.
You’re right. The Bible doesn’t make mention of “The Finger.” What about those other valuable life skills? Would you intentionally teach your kids to lie? How can a person get through life successfully if they are honest?
I have a friend of mine who sold his car last year. He sold it to a young woman who was headed off to university in the fall. It was a very inexpensive vehicle, and likewise, he offered no warranty on it. Selling used vehicles is as risky, if not more so, than buying a used vehicle. No matter how thoroughly you go over and inspect a vehicle, there is no way to predict the future reliability of the vehicle you are selling.
About a week after selling the car, the young woman came back to my friend. A noise had developed in the rear brakes. Even though no warranty was given or implied for the vehicle, the young lady and her father expected my friend to repair it for free. After removing the wheels, he noticed that the brakes had been over heated. Here is the conversation that ensued.
My friend – “What happened to the brakes? It wasn’t like that when I inspected it last week.”
The daughter – “Oh. I left on the parking brake and drove around with it for a while. Could that have something to do with it?”
Giving his daughter stern glare, dad abruptly cut into the conversation saying, “She only drove it for a few feet in the parking lot. The brakes were obviously defective.”
It makes me wonder what kind of conversation they had with each other before they left home. “Come with me little girl, and I’ll teach you how to scam the used car dealer.”
I’m sure that my children will pick up enough junk without me being the one to intentionally train them. Unfortunately, enough of it comes from me as it is.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
I'd Rather Join The Rotary Club
One thing I hear repeatedly about Jesus, is that He was tough on the religious Jews of His day, but went easy on the blatant sinners. True story. Today’s equivalent to the religious Jews would be the church. Would it not? So if Jesus were here, in the flesh today, He’d go easy on the sinners and play hardball with the church.
If that's the case, why on earth would anyone want to be a part of the church? A close friend of mine just led someone to Christ a couple of weeks ago. Is there a grace period where we continue being nice to new converts, at least for a little while? Maybe we should give them at least a month before we beat on them. How ‘bout a year?
In some ways, we are nicer to newcomers than we are to our own. We have block parties, barbeques, festivals, dessert nights and movie nights, sometimes in the hopes that we can at least get them on the property.
Was He hard on religious Jews? Or was He hard on the religious Jews who rejected Him?
If that's the case, why on earth would anyone want to be a part of the church? A close friend of mine just led someone to Christ a couple of weeks ago. Is there a grace period where we continue being nice to new converts, at least for a little while? Maybe we should give them at least a month before we beat on them. How ‘bout a year?
In some ways, we are nicer to newcomers than we are to our own. We have block parties, barbeques, festivals, dessert nights and movie nights, sometimes in the hopes that we can at least get them on the property.
Was He hard on religious Jews? Or was He hard on the religious Jews who rejected Him?
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
NOT Born This Way
Every once in a while, Lady Gaga makes me think about my own life. I suppose, as a Christian blogger, I should spend most of my time bashing her. Truth is, I do admire her flare for the theatric. I hope that it stems from her own creativity and isn’t something inspired by drug use. That would be completely lame.
Her latest album is called, “Born This Way”. I don’t know about you, but when I survey my life’s course, I wasn’t born this way.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (English Standard Version)
17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Over the past few months, I have had the privilege of connecting with several people from my public school days. I often feel like I owe many of my longstanding friends a bit of an apology. I mean, when they chose to invest themselves into my life, it’s not like they signed up for the person that I am now.
I’m not the same person that I used to be. If you have known me for over 15 years, whether you see it as an improvement or not, the difference is Jesus. My friends from University have been among the most gracious in accepting me for who I was without Christ, as well as who I am in Him.
Unfortunately, the phrase ‘born again’ seems to carry with it a lot of negative baggage. Having lived on both sides of the fence, there are worse things than being forgiven. I like who I am in Christ and don’t want to go back.
Whatever you have been 'born into', I want you to know that it doesn't have to dominate your future.
Her latest album is called, “Born This Way”. I don’t know about you, but when I survey my life’s course, I wasn’t born this way.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (English Standard Version)
17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Over the past few months, I have had the privilege of connecting with several people from my public school days. I often feel like I owe many of my longstanding friends a bit of an apology. I mean, when they chose to invest themselves into my life, it’s not like they signed up for the person that I am now.
I’m not the same person that I used to be. If you have known me for over 15 years, whether you see it as an improvement or not, the difference is Jesus. My friends from University have been among the most gracious in accepting me for who I was without Christ, as well as who I am in Him.
Unfortunately, the phrase ‘born again’ seems to carry with it a lot of negative baggage. Having lived on both sides of the fence, there are worse things than being forgiven. I like who I am in Christ and don’t want to go back.
Whatever you have been 'born into', I want you to know that it doesn't have to dominate your future.
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