Balancing Ministry N' Work

If you hang around church or church people long enough you are going to hear about something called prayer. They are going to talk about prayer meetings and suggest you pray about things in your life. Prayer will probably sound like something that is really important. Think about it for a moment, to a non-believer the thought of praying seems kind of odd. Who in their right mind is going to sit there and talk to themselves expecting this God person to actually listen. If you catch someone talking to themselves as passionately as some of us pray, you might question if they are all their, if you know what I mean. Prayer is something that does take a little getting used to. I remember a dear bother in Christ, who had been saved for many years never felt comfortable praying out loud. I remember his son, who was our associate pastor at the time, being really excited when his father volunteered to pray during our Good Friday service. It took him years to feel that comfortable with...

When the word 'Real' is put in front of something it tends to get our attention. Marketers use it to sell us things and others use it to try to convince of things. Coke used to be the 'real thing'; real leather is better than fake leather, and they say real men wear pink. This morning we are going to look what James has to say about real faith. We will be looking at James chapter 2, which are probably some of the most misunderstood passages in the book of James, and can be quite controversial. There are a lot of people out there that think they are Christians and really are not. In this passage James, the brother of Jesus, and the man who tells it like it is, talks about the difference between real and counterfeit Christians. The entire New Testament teaches us that we are saved by faith alone. 'By Grace, through faith'. James comes along and says, 'it's not just faith but faith and works.' What is James talking about? Paul teaches faith a...

Thank you for having us back this morning. When we were here last I mentioned that I have a message that is kind of my go to when I visit churches for the first time. It is a message that I believe is utterly important for every single one of us, and it helped me through a challenging time in my life.  Life can be absolutely crazy full of ups that make you feel like you are soaring like an eagle and those downs that make you wonder if you can carry on. Each one of us can look back over our lives and see those good times and bad times. Good times like the first night I danced with my wife at the Disneyland Hotel, our wedding, the birth of our children and so many more. Those are the times we like to think about. Then there are the things we don’t like to talk about, those challenges that knock us on our knees, that seem to make us think life is out of control. Back in 2010 I went through one of the scariest things I have had to face so far in this life. In February of...

I have been praying about what to speak to you about this morning. Part of me thought about sharing what I call ‘my story’ about how Jesus saw me through a very challenging time in my life and the impact it had on me. But, I kept coming back to, if I only have this one opportunity what does God want me to share with you this morning. Needless to say, my usual walk through Colossians chapter 1 has been tabled for another time, if the opportunity arises.  If you have your Bible, please open it to Hebrews chapter 12. This message has been something that has been stirring in me for a couple of months. I have written bits and pieces of it on my blog, but this is the first time it has all come together. Hebrews 12:1-3 “12 Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us,  2  keeping our eyes on Jesu...

Those that know me well, know that I love celebrating Christmas and everything it really stands for. They also know that I don't start celebrating it until the day after Thanksgiving.  Don't get me wrong, I love my Savior, I love that His birth was the beginning of so many great things that changed me and saved my life. But for the past 40 plus years I wanted to celebrate one holiday at a time and Thanksgiving is one of my favorite. Good food, family, and friends and I did not want to skip over it, I want to enjoy every minute of Thanksgiving.  That being said, I think the world needs more Christmas.  Turn on the news and you will hear about people being shot, police officers being targeting, crime on the rise, and so much more. The hatred that is being spewed by one group of people because you don't agree with them, and the hatred that is being shot back. The tension is high due to race, violence, sexual orientation, religion, politics, and just about anythi...

I read the following at this link the other day. Link Like the apostle Paul, it is every minister's business to glory in his infirmities. The world says, "Pshaw! upon your oratory; it is rough, and rude, and eccentric." Yet, 'tis even so, but we are content, for God blesses it. Then so much the better that it has infirmities in it; for now shall it be plainly seen that it is not of man or by man, but the work of God, and of God alone. It is said that once upon a time a man exceedingly curious desired to see the sword with which a mighty hero had fought some desperate battles; casting his eye along the blade, he said, "Well, I don't see much in this sword." "Nay," said the hero, "but you have not examined the arm that wields it." And so when men come to hear a successful minister, they are apt to say, "I do not see any thing in him." No, but you have not examined the eternal arm that reaps its harvest with th...

Bethel Music sings a song titled ‘Pieces’. The chorus is “You don’t give Your heart in pieces, You don’t hide Yourself to tease us.” What it is telling us is that God gave us everything He has. His love knows no boundaries. His love has paved the way to eternity in Glory. When He created us He gave us His entire heart. Not bits and pieces, but the WHOLE thing! “He did not even spare His own Son but offered Him up for us all; how will He not also with Him grant us everything?” – Romans 8:32 HCSB God gave us His only Son. What more could we ever need? Jesus died for us to pay the price of our sin. As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, He paid our debt in full . Not some partial payment where we have to earn the rest. He paid all of it. He did not give us a piece; He gave us everything. If we look back in Genesis humankind was created to rule over the world. He gave us everything our eyes can see and even the stuff we cannot see. He has not held anything back; God did n...