Making disicples - the way of the chainsaw!

A few years ago for Father's day, Bettina bought me my very own chainsaw! What a woman of God! She really knows what her man needs. :) The good thing is I knew how to run a chainsaw because a year or so earlier I was at my father-in-laws farm helping out and he, David, showed me everything about running a chainsaw: The best way to start it, how to hold it properly, how to stand, where to be when cutting a tree and how to properly fell a tree. (I gotta tell you - I get excited just typing the phrase "fell a tree" [insert "Tim the Toolman Tailor grunt" here] All of this leads up to our family devotion after breakfast this morning at my house with my wife and kids. We had just started going through 1 Timothy 1. I was talking about how Paul told Timothy - I left you in Ephesus to command people to not teach false doctrines. In verse 5, Paul says the goal of this command in "love"! Love comes from a pure heart (motive) and a good conscience (choosing what is morally right.) I talked about how we need to approach everything in love - the goal! Then in verse 8, Paul says, "We know that the law is good if one uses it properly." So I asked my children how does one use the word of God properly? Then came the chainsaw! Before they could answer, I said, 'if you had a chainsaw, how would you know how to use it?' Brenna quipped back, "I don't know how to use a chainsaw!" To which I said, then how would you use it. She said, "I guess, read the instructions." Good point, but not what I was thinking. I said, I have never read the instructions on how to run chainsaw. Then I said to Jalen, "Have you ever read the instructions on how to run a chainsaw?" He said, "No" (He grandpa, David, taught him this summer!) I said, "Grandpa taught Jalen and I how to properly do it." I think Paul's point is for Timothy to help others handle the word properly by showing them. And that is what we are supposed to do as well. We make disciples the same way, by showing people how to follow - leading them in love along the way! And that is how you make disciples - the way of the chainsaw!

The Way: Jesus' or mine?

I am working on my lesson for tonight's class (Wednesday) and I found another gold nugget in Scripture! We will be studying the familiar story of Peter confessing Jesus as the Christ (you know the one that we have methodically had people repeat for years when they accept Jesus, 'Repeat after me, I believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God...'). Interestingly enough, the beginning of this section, this event (Mark 8:27) "Jesus and his disicples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the Way he asked them, "Who do people say that I am?" This little phrase "on the way" repeats 5 more times as Jesus begins his direct focus to going to Jerusalem to die. (Luke says [9:51] that as he "resolutley set out for Jerusalem." Mark's gospel show a differing tone in Jesus' ministry from here on out. It is all about the Cross! This word 'way' is seen 10X in Mark's account. Three of them are pictures of people going 'their way' which was contrary to Jesus' way. 1X is the first occurence of 'way' being used - John the Baptist prophecy - "Prepare the way". The other six (the first in Mark 8:27) are focused on Jesus' way. All that leads me to a question for myself (and maybe for you too!) Whose way am I on: Jesus' or mine!? HIS is about denying self, taking up a cross and following while I loose myself in HIM every day while gaining my soul for eternity. Mine is about me, taking up the easy chair (spiritually speaking), following my desires, living for self and gaining this world. Mine looks attractive from an earthly perspective. HIS looks wonderful from a heavenly perspective. Will I allow my life to be about HIM or me? Continuing the journey (way) for HIM...

The dynamite power of the Holy Spirit!

The book of Acts - wow! The more I read and study it, the more I am amazed at all that God did through the power of the Holy Spirit. Equally amazed I see a terrible difference in the First Church compared to the church of today. I hear different answers for the reason why. One, that frustrates me most, is that the church of today can't be like the first church! Another reason I hear is that I want too much for the church today. I can't help it, I get excited about the church when I read the book of Acts! I do want more for the church. I believe that the church today can be like the first church, but along with this belief I also believe that we don't want to really live like that. We don't want to give up this life! That is a very very sad statement. I believe churches are full of people today who would be content if Jesus DIDN'T come back until we all die of natural causes. How sad is this to see a longing for here more than a longing for eternity! I want to live different. I am not satisfied with where I am nor am I satisfied with where the church is today...something has to change. Maybe I am the something!

there are no words...

Easter celebration has come and the eggs are now gone...(hopefully, they are not lost indoors! If so, the smell will get our attnetion soon!) But the celebration of Resurrection continues on - Praise the Lord! For FC3, our Celebration definitely continues on. We have an incredible service (and that is not a comment about the sermon. I don't rate my sermons outloud!) Every pew was full which is always wonderful to see, but greater things than that occurred! Several times during the worship through song time, I heard hundreds of voices being lifted up to the KING of KINGS - an awesome sound. (That truly makes me wonder what John heard when he heard thousands upon thousands of angels singing to the Lamb!) We had a young crowd which is exciting. We took up our "Special offerring" (1 of 2 each year - the other being Thanksgiving.) Our goal was $28,400. This was our biggest goal since I have been here. We brought in almost $41,000 and it is still growing! Hallelujah!!! God was praised, honored and glorified. When God's people really worship the Almighty, incredible things take place, lives are changed and HE is left on the throne where HE belongs! All glory to HIM who sits on the throne, to HIM be glory and power - forever! Again, as the title says, there are no words...