The Washing of the Word
I start my day by reading 1, 2 or 3 different devotionals. Some mornings I’ll listen to praise and worship as well and even other mornings I’ll have the opportunity to catch a sermon online. I find it sooths and energizes my spirit and helps me enter the day with a fresh perspective. When the Lord speaks something He’d like me to share, I type it in my devotional and post it for all to read.
Often I’ll need to do a little research so I can reference portions of scripture or ensure I’m using a phrase or word in the proper context. When I have time, I like to read of others experiences and how their walk with the Lord has impacted their lives and those around them.
Unprofitable Anger
Ollie Horne, a friend and co-worker in ministry, graduated to heaven this past week after a courageous battle against cancer. He was a true blessing to everyone who came in contact with him. His life caption, the last few years was, ‘Watch me live’…and live he did.
The service was a great celebration of the life of a mighty man of God. One by one, the speakers rose and told of the impact Ollie had on them and those around him. He was a man that loved his wife, loved his children and loved people just like Jesus told us to do. The impact of how he lived his life at home, work (he was a flight attendant for Delta airlines) and through his ministry was evident during the service and will continue through the many people who’s lives he touched.
He Has Risen!
I remember the first time I saw this video, it was such an encouragement that our Lord is at work all over the globe. This dance has been repeated numerous times around the world by groups small and large from all backgrounds and nationalities. The one uniting factor is our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Only God could bring together such a diverse group of people to glorify Him…only God.
Hallelujah
The Passion of the Christ is a movie about the last days of Jesus. I have been able to watch the movie once. It is so real in the depiction of His death and resurrection it’s difficult to watch. I was amazed at the number of people moved by the movie in the theater when we went to see it. There were a lot of people openly weeping…never heard or saw anything like it.
Even today, when I think about the beatings, pain and humiliation Christ suffered for us, it brings me to tears. To think our Father would sacrifice His only son so that we could be reunited with Him is overwhelming. Can you imagine, in your wildest dreams, allowing your son or daughter to be offered up as a sacrifice for someone else? My mind can’t even go there.
Today is the beginning of the Easter celebration. The video below is a reminder of what our Father allowed and what Christ did for all of us. The blessings it’s brought to our lives are immeasurable.
Kelley Mooney’s Lyrical Adaptation of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah.
There’s More Where That Came From, Consider the Source – Week 2
We work hard to make a living, and many of us are not sure how or why we should give any of it away. Besides, after the mortgage and the bills and the tuition payments, there really isn’t much left over. But Scripture tells a very different story when describing what belongs to us and what belongs to God. In part 2 of our series Consider the Source, Pastor Steven challenges the way we approach our giving, and why our generosity says a lot about how we view God.
Wanted: Dead or Alive!
Last year we watched a sermon series about spiritual warfare by Chip Ingram titled, ‘The Invisible War’. In one part of the series Chip talked about how the enemy will come against you at so many angles, that once you see it, it become laughable. Last weekend was a great example of just that, spiritual warfare that got to the point where all Joanne and I could do was laugh about it.
I mean seriously, move 3 times, deal with one silly hurdle after another. It seemed like we got one thing taken care of and we had something else come up. If we took all of last year and looked at the few times we had to work through something, it doesn’t add up to the challenges we faced last weekend.
Dumbing Down Sin
Sin, is sin, is sin. Some how man has managed to give sin degrees or should I say, there is little sin and big sin. As a society we have lost the absolutes of what is right or wrong, especially if it impacts your life in particular. I hear people all the time say that truth is realitive to who you are and what your situation is…I just shake my head in disbelief.
The biggest lie we tell ourselves is the Lord wants us happy, so we throw away marriages instead of working through our problems or live in adulteress relationships or gluttony or greed or laziness or insert your favorite sin here _________ . We are better than anyone at convincing ourselves that we should do or be because it’s what God wants us to do. Jeremiah put it best 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”