For the last several weeks, I've been praying through the book of Psalm, one chapter a day, then post a selection of verses from that chapter on my Facebook wall.
Here is a sampling from today:
[a prayer of confession AND a prayer for God's intervention]
Dear Lord,
...my health is broken because of my sins. My guilt overwhelms me— it is a burden too heavy to bear. I am exhausted and completely crushed. My groans come from an anguished heart. You know what I long for, Lord; you hear my every sigh. For I am waiting for you, O Lord. You must answer for me, O Lord my God. But I confess my sins; I am deeply sorry for what I have done. Do not abandon me, O Lord. Do not stand at a distance, my God. Come quickly to help me, O Lord my savior. (excerpts from Psalms 38:3-4, 8-9, 15, 18-18, 21-22 NLT)
As I pour out my heart to you like this, remind me of what Jesus did for me on the cross. Because of overwhelming sin in our lives, You DID intervene by sending Your Son, forgiving my sins, saving me from sin and death. I don't have to wait. You've already come!
Amen!
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Your VOICE Sharing The Love Of Jesus
I'm leading chapel for St. Paul School tomorrow morning and will be showing this clip from The Voice.
In Matthew 5:14, Jesus called His disciples (calls us) to be the light of the world. Paxton Ingram definitely did that! And sharing his love for Jesus even showed to all who watched Paxton's truest identity, his identity in Christ!
Note the judges comments:
Note the judges comments:
- Pharrell - "unleashing of power" (of course that was the power of Jesus working through Paxton), "seeing you the freest", "this is who Paxton is"
- Blake - "Never seen that smile on Paxton", "See what happens when you open up"
What about you? How may you share your voice, as in one who proclaims the good news of Jesus, and BE that light of the world?
Watch the power of Jesus unleashed in you!
Watch for a displaying of your truest self--your identity in Christ! Watch what happens and whom God will use to reach when you open up and be whom God created you to be!
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Group Life/CITYLIGHTS update at St. Paul
Praise God with me for all of HIS work in blessing the the growth of these ministries!
To not miss the text/stats found on the right side of the video, you may want to watch directly on YouTube. :)
To not miss the text/stats found on the right side of the video, you may want to watch directly on YouTube. :)
Friday, April 8, 2016
a challenge...
a challenge...
What if you as a Jesus follower met one person outside of your congregation a week?
What do you think could happen?
Doable?
Over the last month, this has become my goal--and this coming from a full-fledged introvert (maybe to your surprise). It may be challenging in the beginning, but watch how, as you go from week to week, it becoming easier and people you've recently met actually doing the introducing work as they wish you to meet their friends/customers.
Could pastors/church workers model this for our members and lead the charge? Or could our members gracefully inspire church workers to get out of their offices and do life "in" the community? Could this be a way we can "Go" as Jesus commissioned His disciples in Matthew 28:19? Would meeting someone new each week up the chances for someone joining you for worship on the weekend, experiencing Christian community, hearing the good news of Jesus?
Are you up for the challenge? If you are, I'd love to know. Send out a comment.
What if you as a Jesus follower met one person outside of your congregation a week?
What do you think could happen?
Doable?
Over the last month, this has become my goal--and this coming from a full-fledged introvert (maybe to your surprise). It may be challenging in the beginning, but watch how, as you go from week to week, it becoming easier and people you've recently met actually doing the introducing work as they wish you to meet their friends/customers.
Could pastors/church workers model this for our members and lead the charge? Or could our members gracefully inspire church workers to get out of their offices and do life "in" the community? Could this be a way we can "Go" as Jesus commissioned His disciples in Matthew 28:19? Would meeting someone new each week up the chances for someone joining you for worship on the weekend, experiencing Christian community, hearing the good news of Jesus?
Are you up for the challenge? If you are, I'd love to know. Send out a comment.
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Wow...Both Surprised and Refreshed
Watch this clip...
I don't know much about David Platt, so don't take this as big endorsement of what he believes/teaches. But he nailed this one!
Back in my early years, I had a friend who doubted/questioned my faith in Jesus because I had not bowed down and said the "sinner's prayer" (you know...the one found nowhere in God's Word). Having grown up in the church my entire life, going to Christian schools, being brought up by Christian parents, not knowing AT ALL what life was apart from my Lord and Savior Jesus...NONE of this weighed in enough for my friend because I never said verbatim the sinner's prayer. Sad and so wrong!
Now if I had a friend with whom I was discipling and who came to faith in Jesus, I would invite him to say a prayer. But...it would be a prayer of thanks for the faith 100% given to him by the Holy Spirit. The faith did not come from his own doing or decision. It was all given by God.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV)
May we NEVER discount God's saving work or fool ourselves that we have anything to do with earning our salvation! This is why Jesus needed to come! BOOM! (dropping the mic...walking away)
I don't know much about David Platt, so don't take this as big endorsement of what he believes/teaches. But he nailed this one!
Back in my early years, I had a friend who doubted/questioned my faith in Jesus because I had not bowed down and said the "sinner's prayer" (you know...the one found nowhere in God's Word). Having grown up in the church my entire life, going to Christian schools, being brought up by Christian parents, not knowing AT ALL what life was apart from my Lord and Savior Jesus...NONE of this weighed in enough for my friend because I never said verbatim the sinner's prayer. Sad and so wrong!
Now if I had a friend with whom I was discipling and who came to faith in Jesus, I would invite him to say a prayer. But...it would be a prayer of thanks for the faith 100% given to him by the Holy Spirit. The faith did not come from his own doing or decision. It was all given by God.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV)
May we NEVER discount God's saving work or fool ourselves that we have anything to do with earning our salvation! This is why Jesus needed to come! BOOM! (dropping the mic...walking away)
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Meet Jesus - 40 Day Devotional
Meet Jesus was written last summer. So to make it easy for those getting into the devotional now, below are quick links to each day's devotion. Blessings on this 40-day journey, as you meet Jesus and as you become equipped to share who Jesus is with others!
To download the devotional/small group study, go to St. Paul's Meet Jesus small groups page.
Thursday, February 4, 2016
Meet Jesus series promo video
Had so much fun putting this together with Andrew Tutwiler, Paul Bishop and Jesus Morales for our Lenten Meet Jesus sermon series!
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