Balancing Ministry N' Work

Life can be absolutely crazy. We all have those ups that make us feel like we are soaring like an eagle and those downs that make us wonder how to carry on. When I think of the good times, I remember the first night I danced with my wife, our wedding, the birth of our children and many more. We all have those times that 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 feel like life is out of control. We have all experienced things like this. It could be a medical issue that feels like you been punched in the gut, financial struggles that are holding you back, the loss of a loved one, housing problems, problems at work, you name it. No matter if you are a lifelong Christian or someone who is sitting here this morning wondering who Jesus is, life is going to be challenging. There will be times you want to celebrate and times you will break down and cry. We went through a major challe...

Things don’t always go the way we plan or would like them to. During our lives, there has been very little time of true peace. Whether it is a military conflict or a flat out war, there has always been somewhere that our troops have been serving our country and risking their lives in another country. Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan to name a few of the more recent places our troops have lost their lives. We have most likely read or heard the statistics of how many of our brave young men and women have died. It is something we do not like, but it does not always hit close to home as we hurry about our lives. What about the persecution of our brothers and sisters in Christ? The Middle East is a dangerous place for Christ Followers… Egypt, Iraq, and Iran. China persecutes believers. Not the level of persecution we talk about here in the USA where we are concerned about if our free speech is going to be limited. Our fellow believers are facing life and death decisions when they...

Not too long-ago Pastor Don preached on the Parable of the Lost Son. As we read through the Parable something jumped out at me that I thought would be a good follow up to his message. Most of us have read these verses many times and been taught the meaning behind them many times, so you will be familiar with them as we read. Luke 15:11-24 “ 11  He also said: “A man had two sons. 12  The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.’ So he distributed the assets to them. 13  Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his estate in foolish living. 14  After he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing. 15  Then he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16  He longed to eat his fill from the pods that the pigs were eatin...

Let’s start by reading a verse that most of us have probably heard before. Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” These words are the final command given by Jesus before He ascended into heaven. He was telling all believers to go out and be His witnesses. Starting in their local communities and letting it spread from there. I remember reading about Canaan Baptist in St. Louis. They broke down this command from Jesus into segments and focused on each part. For their Jerusalem they focused on the St. Louis area, they had trunk and treats, VBS, egg hunts, and more. They viewed the state of Missouri as their Judea and support the Missouri Baptist Convention and other ministries such as Disaster Relief. For their Samaria they send teams to Mexico and for the end of the Earth they minister in Africa. Now they are a big church with a lot of peopl...

Going to start by reading a few verses. Galatians 5:13-14 “ 13  For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.  14  For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement:  Love your neighbor as yourself. ” Romans 12:10 “ 10  Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters. Outdo one another in showing honor.” Colossians 3:17 “ 17  And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” As I read these verses recently I was reminded of what I have seen here at Crossroads Cowboy Church. Galatians 5:13 told us to ‘serve one another in love.’ Romans 12:10 said ‘Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters.’ Colossians 3:17 reminds us to ‘do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus’ Over the last 5 months I have seen ...

Here is the complete email interview with the Fireside Guard published on March 29, 2017.  1.  Discuss the qualifications you offer to the citizens and staff of the city of Centralia.  Example: your educational background, previous community service, work experience, etc. I graduated with honors on both a Bachelors degree (2004) and a Masters in Business Administration (2010). I have over 25 years of progressive professional experience in Materials Management. I have led teams, reduced costs, and drove overall improvements. Currently I oversee more than $90 Million in purchases and negotiate multi-million dollar contracts. As a Pastor, I have led church revitalization projects that brought new life to the church and outreach to the community. In 2016 I was part of the City of Centralia Comprehensive Plan team focused on Economic Development and want to be part of the future of our great city. 2.  What ideas do you see as being important to the continue...

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...