Dec 16, 2009
Dec 15, 2009
Dec 13, 2009
Dec 10, 2009
Dec 3, 2009
Dec 2, 2009
Nov 29, 2009
Nov 26, 2009
Nov 21, 2009
Nov 1, 2009
Oct 31, 2009
Oct 29, 2009
Oct 28, 2009
RT @UOsportsdude Somebody Go Get the Officiant: I’m in Love With Oregon Football - http://ping.fm/E493m
Oct 26, 2009
Oct 16, 2009
Oct 14, 2009
Oct 9, 2009
Oct 6, 2009
Oct 5, 2009
Oct 3, 2009
Sep 29, 2009
Sep 26, 2009
Sep 19, 2009
Sep 16, 2009
Sep 15, 2009
Sep 14, 2009
Mt Hood Huckleberry Campout
Mt Hood Huckleberry Campout ... the berries were mostly gone, however beautiful weather and great camping and road trip! 
Sep 10, 2009
Sep 7, 2009
Sep 6, 2009
Sep 5, 2009
Sep 4, 2009
RT @GeorgeSchroeder Column: Blount gives Oregon a massive black eye. http://tinyurl.com/l9hsgw ... Chip Kelly faces big decision. Will he do right thing?
Sep 3, 2009
Sep 1, 2009
“We owe that team a whuppin.” (LaGarrette Blount when questioned about this game in SI’s College Football Preview issue) If the whole Oregon Ducks team plays like they owe the Broncos a whuppin, they can deliver it. (http://ping.fm/vnc4F)
Aug 30, 2009
Aug 29, 2009
Aug 28, 2009
Aug 25, 2009
Aug 23, 2009
Aug 22, 2009
Aug 21, 2009
Aug 19, 2009
Aug 17, 2009
http://ping.fm/USN43 Remembering Kyle...a friend I still think of often. My sermon "Real Relationships in a FB World" speaks of him also.
Aug 16, 2009
Aug 15, 2009
Aug 14, 2009
Aug 13, 2009
DeWalt Nail Gun? Sweet!
New DeWalt Nail Gun?
By J.R. Bluett
Just thought I would show you a picture of the new nail gun DeWalt just came out with…this baby is a Man’s Tool!
It can drive a 6-D nail thru a 2 X 4 at 200 yards.
This makes construction a real breeze — you can sit in your lawn chair and build a fence.
Just get the wife and kids to hold the fence boards in place while you sit back, relax with a cold drink — when they have the board in the right place, just fire away.
With the hundred-round magazine, you can build a fence with a minimum of reloading.
After a day of fence-building with the new DeWalt rapid-fire nail gun, the wife won’t ask you fix or build anything else.
We likey. Just make sure the fam is wearing safety goggles, and some Kevlar.
Aug 6, 2009
Aug 5, 2009
Aug 4, 2009
Aug 3, 2009
Proverbs 3.13-18
How blessed is a man who finds wisdom
And the man who gains understanding.
For her profit is better than the profit of silver
And her gain better than fine gold.
She is more precious than jewels;
And nothing you desire compares with her.
Long life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are pleasant ways
And all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those
who take hold of her,
And happy are all who hold her fast.
And the man who gains understanding.
For her profit is better than the profit of silver
And her gain better than fine gold.
She is more precious than jewels;
And nothing you desire compares with her.
Long life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are pleasant ways
And all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those
who take hold of her,
And happy are all who hold her fast.
Aug 2, 2009
Aug 1, 2009
Jul 20, 2009
In Honor of Ed Freeman
You're a 19-year-old kid. You're critically wounded and dying in the jungle in the Ia Drang Valley , 11-14-1965, LZ X-ray, Vietnam . Your infantry unit is outnumbered 8-1 and the enemy fire is so intense, from 100 or 200 yards away, that your own Infantry Commander has ordered the MediVac helicopters to stop coming in.
You're lying there, listening to the enemy machine guns, and you know you're not getting out. Your family is half way around the world, 12,000 miles away and you'll never see them again. As the world starts to fade in and out, you know this is the day.
Then, over the machine gun noise, you faintly hear that sound of a helicopter and you look up to see an unarmed Huey, but it doesn't seem real because no Medi-Vac markings are on it.
Ed Freeman is coming for you. He's not Medi-Vac, so it's not his job, but he's flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire, after the Medi-Vacs were ordered not to come.
He's coming anyway.
And he drops it in and sits there in the machine gun fire as they load 2 or 3 of you on board.
Then he flies you up and out, through the gunfire to the doctors and nurses.
And he kept coming back, 13 more times, and took about 30 of you and your buddies out, who would never have gotten out.
Medal of Honor Recipient Ed Freeman died on Wednesday, June 25th, 2009, at the age of 80, in Boise , ID. May God rest his soul.
Medal of Honor Winner Ed Freeman! Since the media didn't give him the coverage he deserves, send this to every red-blooded American you know.
THANKS AGAIN, ED, FOR WHAT YOU DID FOR OUR COUNTRY.
RIP
[Received via e-mail forward from Mitch Wofford. -Cory]
Jul 1, 2009
TV and the American Household
The following is part of a letter I heard read on the The Dr. Laura Show. It is a VERY sad commentary on the change TV brought to the common American household. We must be careful the Internet doesn't do the same to us...
Dear Dr. Laura:
When I was a girl, we had no television. When we got home from school and work, my mom (stay-at-home type mom) would sit us at the table and we got our homework done while she cooked dinner. When my dad got home, we ate and talked about our day. If the phone rang, we asked our callers to call back after dinner. Then the kids cleaned up the kitchen (no dishwasher, either) while Mom and Dad spent a little time together and did whatever grownups do.
In the summertime, we all went outside and the kids played while the grownups sat on the porch and enjoyed the long summer evenings. Our neighbors (who also had no TV) would often stop by and join the grownups on the porch while their kids played kick the can or Annie over.
We never were bored. There were books to read, chores to do, friends to visit, and we had "music parties" where everyone brought an instrument and played, and we danced. We had taffy pulls (bet nobody knows what that is). We rode our bicycles. We had fun!
Then, when I turned about 14, everyone in our little town got TVs. When Dad got home we ate on TV trays and watched Bonanza and Rifleman and Grand Ol' Oprey. If we tried to talk during the programs, we were shushed. Nobody came to visit any more, because they, also had TV. When they did visit, the TV was on, so nobody could concentrate on talking. ...
Thanks for listening.
Trish
http://www.drlaura.com/letters/index.html?tmpl=printer&mode=view&tile=1&id=17379
Jun 28, 2009
FATHER'S DAY SERMON: Where Have All the Fathers Gone?
This being Father’s Day I thought I would talk a little bit about fatherhood. However, I have found this to be a daunting task. There is so much that can be said about this topic.
From a practical standpoint?
From a Biblical standpoint?
From a literal point of view?
From a spiritual point of view?
Talk about fatherhood or talk about God the Father?
And being a father myself and having taught parenting seminars, I have my own thoughts of what is up.
So lets simply work through some of these thoughts.
WHERE HAVE ALL THE FATHERS GONE?
Our culture is a sad state of affairs:
1960-2006 single mother homes have gone from 8%-23%
34% children live w/o biological fathers
40% of single mothers live in poverty (only 8.8% with mom & dad)
80% of black children can expect to live part of childhood w/o father
One study reports that $100 Billion of tax payer money is spent because of fatherless homes on things such as child support enforcement, anti-poverty programs, and other programs.
There is a dramatic increase in all of the following because of fatherless children:
Health problems
Crime
Jail time
Teen pregnancy
Abuse
Drugs
Obesity
HS drop-outs
In thinking about this message I went to a couple bookstores to see what kind of books they have for fathers.
Here is what I found: The Know-how Book for Dads, The Man’s Book-The essential Guide for the Modern man, An Accidental Guide to Fatherhood, Father for Life, The Book of Dads, The Little Big Book for Dads, Parent for Dummies, The Ultimate Survivor Guide Man’s Survival Guide, Man Crafts-Leather tooling, Fly tying, Ax Whittling, and other Cool Things to do, 7 Secrets of Effective Fathers, Dad Labs-Guide to Fatherhood, Fatherless In America, Coaching for Fatherhood,
And another
The Greatest Gift I Could Offer-Quotations from Barak Obama on Parenting & Family
Now, you might not agree with the President on political issues but one thing is true, in public, he has set a good example in his marriage and fathering and we should appreciate that.
As I look at the titles for all these books for fathers, my thought is … “Aren’t these topics things a father should have taught his children”?
WHERE HAVE ALL THE FATHERS GONE?
Bill Cosby, America’s favorite TV dad, has a book on Fatherhood, which I used to have in my library and is a pretty good read. He was a good dad on TV because he would sit down and talk with his kids, he spoke with wisdom, he was fun (but also goofy), and he disciplined fairly. He was the dad we all secretly wanted.
A side note: TV sitcoms, besides The Coz, since the 1970s why is it that almost all the fathers on TV are bumbling fools???!!!! Dads that need saved by their wives (and sometimes kids) who have more wisdom than them? How has this benefited out culture? It has not, its terrible for our culture. Why have TV writers done this? The only answer that I can come up with is that it’s Satan. And this is directly related to the promotion of anti-family feminism.
Back to Cosby’s book in the Prologue or Introduction to his book a question is asked, “Many men have wondered: Just what is a father’s role today?”
I believe we have the answer … it has been the same since God created the family.
It’s here in the Scriptures …
1. We have great examples in the Scriptures:
A. Abraham & Isaac – Gen 22.2-14 – it’s a story of a father’s obedience and faithfulness to God.
Genesis 22:2-14 (New American Standard Bible)
2He said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you."
God makes a point of saying, “Your only son, whom you LOVE”. What does Abraham do? Obeys. A father faithful to God, no mater what the cost…
3So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.
4On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance.
5Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you."
Note he says, “WE will return to you.” He trusted God to be faithful!
6Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together.
7Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." And he said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"
Isaac is starting to catch on … “what is going on here, dad?” However, he obeys his father, does whatever he says… he is faithful to his faithful father.
8Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." So the two of them walked on together.
9Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.
10Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
11But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."
12He said, "Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."
13Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son.
14Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, "In the mount of the LORD it will be provided."
B. There is also the father in John 4.46-54 – here is a humble faithful father seeking God
John 4:46-54 (New American Standard Bible)
46Therefore He came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine And there was a royal official whose son was sick at Capernaum.
What kind of man was this? Royal Official! Someone important. Someone with clout. And he humbly seeks out a poor prophet from a small town and places his faith in Him. In fact he walked or rode probably a days travel to get there. From Capernaum he would travel around the sea of Galilee and then through the hill country to Cana. It was probably at least a days travels. He sacrificed a day or two of work to seek out Jesus.
47When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and was imploring Him to come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death.
48So Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe."
49The royal official said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies."
50Jesus said to him, "Go; your son lives." The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started off.
Total faith. He believed Jesus. By leaving he proves his faith, because there would not have been time to go to his son and then back to Jesus to implore for him to come in person … the boy would have died. He trusted Jesus and it happened that very hour!
51As he was now going down, his slaves met him, saying that his son was living.
52So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. Then they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."
53So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives"; and he himself believed and his whole household.
Note: He and his whole household believed. He went home and declared we are now followers of Jesus. We are Christian. He evangelized his family. Taught them about Jesus!
C. We also have the example of Father God in the Scriptures.
As I have stated before I am somewhat of a Social networking Junkie … so I asked my online “friends” the following questions and here are their responses:
FATHER'S Day Sermon - Q: Creator God is called Father, how do you relate to this? Is it helpful to you...knowing you have a perfect Father?
Victor Knowles II at 9:11am June 20
No equivalent for "Father" in the Koran's "99 beautiful names of Allah." Christianity stands alone in that aspect. "Father" found over 100 times in gospel of John alone.
Erik Neilson at 9:41am June 20
Father means that God's providence, benevolence, protection, and even discipline are extended to me. Me? Crazy.
Kevin Bullock at 1:18pm June 20
Who are we that He is mindful of us! That the Creator of this Massively Huge Universe would care to move His Mighty and Loving Hand in my direction - to answer my prayers, or to provide me with blessings is amazing, let alone blessings that I by the merits of my actions I am not deserving of!
And yet he tells me not to call him something that separates His Class from my class in life -- He says, call him "Abba!" (Daddy!) That is intimacy that shows His love for me.
Earthly analogy: Most people call him Mr. President, but his kids still call him Daddy. And he responds to that, whether Demo. or Repub., conservative or liberal. Mr. President will Always respond when his own call him "Daddy."
Della Lee at 3:37pm June 20
I like Kevin's comment.
For me, I know that God is my Father. I am absolutely sure of that. But I don't think of Him as Daddy. That seems presumptuous almost. Daddy is the one you jump on when he's taking a nap or take off his glasses when he's reading the paper. This is probably a lack of spiritual maturity on my part.
2. We Also Have Good Teaching In The Scriptures!
I have been reading in Proverbs and Psalms during June. It has been my habit over the last few years to read the book of Proverbs in June. I mentioned this and challenged my online readers to do the same. Silas Shotwell wrote me telling how he reads both Psalms and Proverbs every month and that he has done this for 25 years! That inspired me to read both Psalm and Proverbs this June, we’ll see after that. It has been a good experience thus far.
The Psalms are songs of thanks and praise to God. Ps 48.13 “That you may tell it to the next generation”. Tell what God has done!
Proverbs are wisdom statements. Some like Prov 1.1-22 are written by Solomon to his son.
1The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:
2To know wisdom and instruction,
To discern the sayings of understanding,
3To receive instruction in wise behavior,
Righteousness, justice and equity;
4To give prudence to the naive,
To the youth knowledge and discretion,
5A wise man will hear and increase in learning,
And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,
6To understand a proverb and a figure,
The words of the wise and their riddles.
7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8Hear, my son, your father's instruction
And do not forsake your mother's teaching;
9Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head
And ornaments about your neck.
10My son, if sinners entice you,
Do not consent.
11If they say, "Come with us,
Let us lie in wait for blood,
Let us ambush the innocent without cause;
12Let us swallow them alive like Sheol,
Even whole, as those who go down to the pit;
13We will find all kinds of precious wealth,
We will fill our houses with spoil;
14Throw in your lot with us,
We shall all have one purse,"
15My son, do not walk in the way with them
Keep your feet from their path,
16For their feet run to evil
And they hasten to shed blood.
17Indeed, it is useless to spread the baited net
In the sight of any bird;
18But they lie in wait for their own blood;
They ambush their own lives.
19So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence;
It takes away the life of its possessors.
20Wisdom shouts in the street,
She lifts her voice in the square;
21At the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings:
22"How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded?
And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing
And fools hate knowledge?
Prov 2.1-3
1My son, if you will receive my words
And treasure my commandments within you,
2Make your ear attentive to wisdom,
Incline your heart to understanding;
3For if you cry for discernment,
Lift your voice for understanding;
These Proverbs are truths fathers are to teach their children.
Look at Prov 1.7 again: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” What does this mean to you?
Overall we are to continually seek knowledge & wisdom and are to pass them on to our children, grandchildren, and those we mentor or disciple.
Speaking of passing on knowledge and wisdom …
I have been reading a book called From Age-ing to Sage-ing: A Profound New Vision of Growing Older. Written by a Jewish rabbi, presenting a paradigm shift in our thinking of aging. Hear are a few quotes from the introduction and Chapter One:
“People are searching for a new approach to aging. Most of us have grown up with a deep-seated fear and loathing of old age. Our youth-oriented culture, while touting aerobically perfect bodies … focuses obsessively on the physical diminishments associated with old age. In the popular imagination, old age means wrinkled skin and chronic disease, we fear being institutionalized in nursing homes, losing our autonomy, and becoming emotional and financial burdens on our love ones, rather than the wisdom, serenity, balanced judgement, and self-knowledge that represent the fruit of long life experience.”
Called the “conscious aging movement” or “successful aging” or the “third age”.
“This book proposes a new model of late-life development called sage-ing, a process that enables older people to become spiritually radiant, physically vital, and socially responsible “elders of the tribe.””
The author calls this “spiritual eldering.”
“Throughout most of history elders occupied honored roles in society as sages and seers, leaders and judges, guardians of the traditions, and instructors of the young. They were revered as gurus, shamans, wise old men and women who helped guide the social order…”
“Once elders are restored to positions of leadership, the will function as wisdomkeepers, inspiring us to live by higher values …”
“Whether you are a retired person, someone midlife, or a younger person contemplating your future, I salute you all as pioneers in search of a more fulfilling old age. Contrary to conventional thinking, aging is a great success, a result of strength and survivorship. Aging doesn’t mean diminishment or exile from the ranks of the living. As the period in which we harvest the fruits of a lifetime’s labor, it gives us the panoramic vision from which spiritual wisdom flows.
“Like mountain climbers who have scaled a high peak, we have achieved a vantage point in old age from which to observe the path of our ascent and to appreciate the personality that we have created with discipline and devotion. We can survey the struggles for career, marriage, and financial security that occupied much of our time and see why they are all so necessary. Putting the puzzle pieces together, we can glimpse the larger patterns that crown our lives with deeper meaning. To you who stand triumphantly at the summit, I say, “You made it!” And to you who are still climbing the mountain of life’s promises, I say in all sincerity, “keep climbing. You have so much to look forward to in aging.”
There is much work ahead to make this paradigm shift in thinking in our culture, “to restore the honored elder in Western society.” But what we can do is start here, start with our own families, and our own church, changing the way we think about aging and wisdom.
Another sidenote related to gaining wisdom from our elders … I am not sure when it started … 1960s or 1970s … there was this saying “Question Authority!” it was on bumper stickers and probably t-shirts and … This was the worst idea ever for our society! Should it instead have been … “Question Sinful Behavior!” or “Respect Authority & Your Elders and Question Sinful Behavior!” This, “Question Authority!” was especially a bad idea to teach young people … “Question Sinful Behavior!”
Back to the Scriptures…
Psalm 78.1-8
1Listen, O my people, to my instruction;
Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings of old,
3Which we have heard and known,
And our fathers have told us.
We should thank our fathers for all they did teach us.
Some of my FaceBook friends wrote me about their fathers:
Mike McNew at 9:51am June 18
When I think of my dad, I remember him giving me a big thumbs up with a big smile on his face as I got my BBC degree when I graduated.
Michele Lee VanOrsow Stroh at 10:23am June 18
when i think of dad- besides the long talks .. was the unending labor and hard work.... his strong work ethic is where i got it --nothing better than a job well done.... :)
Kelli Wright Couch at 1:11pm June 18
My best friend growing up. Always knew he loved me no matter what. Showed me what kind of guy I should look for in a man to marry. Full of character...and he also was/is one, too : )
Della Lee at 1:14pm June 18
I didn't have a great relationship with my dad (he was alcoholic), but when I think of the kind of dad I wish I had had, it would be someone like Marlin in Finding Nemo. Always loving, never giving up, willing to go all the way to help me, even when I did dumb things and wandered off. That's the kind of dad I wish I had had.
Lynn Crispin McNew at 4:29pm June 18
Quiet, behind the scenes kind of guy, but with a great sense of humor. Always there when I need him. His words are few, so when he has said/written he is proud of me, I get choked up. :)
None of us had perfect fathers, but they did do their best, and we can all think of things they did teach us.
Let’s look forward to what we can do, not back to our failures. There is only one perfect Father! Eph 5.15-17 reminds us to “make the most of your time” you can only do that looking at today and planning for tomorrow.
4We will not conceal them from their children,
But tell to the generation to come the praises of the LORD,
And His strength and His wondrous works that He has done.
Tell of what He has done to the next generation!
5For He established a testimony in Jacob
And appointed a law in Israel,
Which He commanded our fathers
That they should teach them to their children,
It is commanded for fathers to teach their children what God has done!
6That the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born,
That they may arise and tell them to their children,
7That they should put their confidence in God
And not forget the works of God,
But keep His commandments,
So they will not forget! So they will keep His commandments!
8And not be like their fathers,
A stubborn and rebellious generation,
A generation that did not prepare its heart
And whose spirit was not faithful to God.
The rest of this chapter goes into recounting what the Tribe of Ephriam should have been teaching their children about what God had done to save Israel from Egypt and in the wilderness … all the miracles He performed to save them. However they did not and God rejected them and found favor with Judah instead.
Fathers … we are to remind and to teach what God has done, lest they forget. The tribe of Ephriam was rejected by God because they forgot to remind and teach and the next generation walked away and chose sinful lifestyles over godly ones.
Talk about what God has done …
Joel 1 -“tell your sons, let your sons tell their sons.” Pass it on even to the second generation.
Ps 48.12-14 -“tell it to the next generation”
As a church, weekly, as we gather we are to tell what God has done. The author of Hebrews reminds us:
Heb 10.24-25
24and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
And not just on Sunday mornings either:
Heb 1.13
13But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
Note the author says encourage each other every day, because of sin. Build each other up, tell what God has done, so they will not sin!
What can you share “today” that God is doing, that will encourage others? Think about that … I will start:
1. My work this winter and spring has been very sporatic. Work most weeks, but not enough work. However starting in the next couple weeks through August and possibly September I am overflowing with work. I thank God!
2. Last night (June20) my family and I went to the Cottage Grove Speedway to watch a young friend race. He is only 13 yrs old and races Limited Sprint Cars, for the last 3 weeks he has lead the points standings! Last night he had his first into the wall roll-over crash, right in front of us and his parents. We are thanking God he is alright!
3. Like I said before, the last few years I have made it a habit of reading through the Proverbs in the month of June. I challenged my online “friends” to the same and I was challenged by Silas Shotwell to add Psalms to the reading this month. He related that he has been reading through the Ps & Prov every month for 25 years! Talk about a good and healthy habit! I am thanking God for the blessings of reading the Ps & Prov in June!
What is God doing in your life?
To conclude I am going to read of an event that happened at a church on an Easter morning
It happened on Easter Sunday morning--the one morning when as a “preacher” you want everything to go "just right." Praise filled the large sanctuary, the preacher welcomed with delight the many guests, and began his "made-for-Easter" Resurrection sermon.
Now you must understand that we have an incredible preacher who can handle anything with grace--sound system breakdowns, service emergencies, whatever--he's just good! And so--when a mom had to quickly exit with a very disturbed little boy yelling "Daddee--Daddee" all the way down the long aisle to the exit, he stopped the sermon, enjoyed the moment with everyone, worked it into his sermon theme, and went on to a wonderful conclusion. Many people came to Christ that Easter. Sunday night we learned the "rest of the story."
What brought one specific man to Christ at the end of that Sunday morning’s message? The preacher related to us, "This is amazing -- it was NOT my sermon that DID it!" When the chuckles died down, he explained, "In the service was a man who never knew his dad, was put into an orphanage at the age of five, and all his life just "winged" it on his own, determined to get through life the best he could. He told the preacher, "When that little boy was removed from the service in the middle of your sermon, his cry, "Daddee...Daddee!" all the way down the aisle rang in my ears. God spoke to me, "I want to become the Father to you that you never knew!" The unplanned interruption of a little child was what brought a man to Christ! A new name is now written down in in the family's rosters--by a Father who welcomed a forgotten son home--to a real home where he is loved, accepted and will never be forgotten again!
Do YOU need to hear the warm words of YOUR Father today? Whatever's happening, get that troubled heart still enough and you will! He loves you. He wants you to feel His special love flowing into your life today too. Just call "Abba, Father!" - "Daddee!" - and HE'LL be there! Believe it!
Jun 25, 2009
Jun 23, 2009
RT @oregonbuzztap The Oregonian > Oregon is becoming the running capital of the nation... http://ping.fm/FQFeK
Jun 21, 2009
Jun 20, 2009
Jun 19, 2009
Possibly the best HS female middle distance runner ever headed to UO and Track Town USA> http://ping.fm/ZOe6K Go DUCKS!
Jun 18, 2009
Jun 15, 2009
Golfers wanted ... next Tuesday (30th) ... great tournament raising money for scholarships. http://ping.fm/cZ0gy
Jun 13, 2009
Jun 12, 2009
Celebrating 16 blessed years today - http://ping.fm/5SIgg - Prov12 "An excellent wife is the crown of her husband."
Jun 10, 2009
Jun 9, 2009
Jun 4, 2009
Zack Spaulding is the 13 yr.old Limited Sprints points leader @ http://ping.fm/i1yMd www.spauldingmotorsports.com
Jun 2, 2009
May 30, 2009
Peace is Shalom --- well-being of mind, heart, and body, individually and communally. It can exist in the midst of a war-torn world, even in the midst of unresolved problems and increasing human conflicts. Jesus made that peace by giving his life for his brothers and sisters. This is no easy peace, but it is everlasting and it comes from God.
May 29, 2009
May 25, 2009
May 20, 2009
May 17, 2009
http://ping.fm/dyLnl Go Ducks! Pac10 Champions! Amazing performances, I wish I could have been there.
http://ping.fm/j5orH ... "Real Relationships - True Relationships in a FaceBook World" sermon from today.
REAL RELATIONSHIPS – TRUE RELATIONSHIPS IN A FACEBOOK WORLD
*The following is a sermon I presented at DaySpring Fellowship meeting today. It is written as I would speak, try and ignore the incomplete sentences, poor grammar, etc.
[James 2 – Luke 10.29 – Col 3.12-14 – 1 Cor 13.4-8 – Matt 7.12 – Eph 4 – Mt 28.18ff]
Recently I have been thinking a lot about relationships. I talked briefly a few weeks ago about “Real relationships – True Relationships” in a communion talk I gave. It is a topic, which I am working at and trying to figure out myself ... I am a work in progress.
How does God want us to live?
How does He want us to interact?
To take care of one another?
To care?
To love one another?
There is so much in the Scriptures about relationships. Today I would like us to think about relationships in general. Not husband-wife, not parent-kid, not boss-worker, not any specific relationships – what we are going to talk about transcends all these.
Real Relationships – True Relationships IN A FACEBOOK WORLD
A lawyer asked Jesus about relationships … after he correctly quoted from the OT law that we should “… love our neighbor as ourselves” he asks Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”
Jesus answers with a parable about the Good Samaritan. In the story … the religious people walked by … too busy to care, too hurried to stop and help. Good Sam was a guy who broke tradition, broke the rules to take care of someone in need. He helped the man get help and paid for the health care of this person in need, someone he did not even know, someone he was not supposed to even talk to – someone different from him!
Real Relationships – True Relationships is caring, giving of time, don’t be so rushed you can’t help those in need.
A friend of mine used to always leave home early for church meetings and other events so that if on the way he came across someone with car trouble he would have time to stop and offer assistance. Don’t be so rushed you can’t help those in need.
Let’s stop and talk about neighbors. Who is your neighbor? How about = people in close proximity to you. What about where you live … your neighbors in your neighborhood. We live in what has become a strange society … growing up I lived at the same house in West Eugene for about 12 years … our neighbors, the 4 houses directly around us, the same people lived there during that time and I only knew the names of the family to our North. I never even knew the names of the other 3 families.
Being a home Designer (and someday soon) Builder I blame part of this on the houses. The majority of houses built since the late 1950s promote isolation. A person drives into their driveway, opens the garage door, parks and does not come out again but once a week to mow the front lawn (unless they hire someone else to do it). What happened to the front porch for sitting, lounging, and entertaining neighbors? My home designs include an inviting front porch to encourage interaction with neighbors. Poor home designs are a pet peeve of mine.
Today my family is slightly better at knowing our neighbors. At least we know the names of our neighbors and my wife arranges nice gifts, which we deliver as a family for various holidays during the year and try and stop and talk with them when we get the chance. Our neighbors are … there are two widows on either side of us (Mary & Hope), a single nurse across the street (Cheryl), and also across the street a retired couple (Mr & Mrs … opps, almost forgot Dale & Carol).
So, there is your neighborhood. Who else is your neighbor? The people who sit in the pews around you at church? The people in your support group? The people you work with? The people at the coffee shop? Your friends on Facebook?
FaceBook, speaking of FB. I must admit I am a social networking junkie. You might think this weird but I have profile accounts on MySpace, Facebook, Plaxo, Linkedin, Blogger, Classmates.com, Twitter, and ping.fm, which links most of them together.
There are many relationship opportunities through these sites and it has been fun to reconnect with HS acquaintances after 20 years. Ministry also takes place through the contacts on these social networking websites, in fact I have been asked to post this message when I am done with it. However, with 430 “friends” on FB, how deep of relationship can I have? Not very deep!
How deep are the relationships in your life. With your co-workers, with your community groups, with your Bible study group? Do you really know them? What are they dealing with this week? How are they spiritually, REALLY?
Real Relationships – True Relationships – God wants us to go deeper, to know greater, to care, to have compassion for what each other is going through
Look at James 2.1-13 - it is about relationships.
1My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.
2For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes,
3and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,"
4have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judgeswith evil motives?
5Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
6But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?
7Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?
8If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you are doing well.
9But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
11For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT COMMIT MURDER." Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
12So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.
13For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.
Sometimes we get hung up on how he says we are to treat the poor, but it is really about treating anyone who is different. Many of us would have no trouble being nice to a poor person.
But maybe it’s the ultra rich or celebrity, would you interact with them? A couple weeks ago I listened to some business CDs and the speaker was talking about marketing ideas, one being sending small gifts to people who give you business referrals, basically when they recommend your business. At the time he was sending $30 gift certificates to a nice local restaurant. Also during this time he received a referral from a very wealthy acquaintance, a guy worth $30 million. So he had a dilemma, it was his practice to send out a thank you and a $30 gift certificate, but this guy does not need a $30 gift, he could buy the restaurant if he wanted to. Thinking to himself, “do I send a whole stack of gift certificates?” No. “Do I send one? He does not need $30.” He finally sent one with his normal thank you note. When the $30 mil man got the note and gift he called right back and said, “thank you, that was so nice of you, I have never received such a nice gift for a referral. I’ll have more referrals for you.” You see this rich man was just like you and me, we are all alike, and we all have the same felt needs of significance and recognition.
Many today have no problem talking with the poor or treating the poor well, but what about you … think about it … what kind of people do you dislike the most? Who makes you blood boil?
How would you treat them if they came to one of our meetings?
James compares this partiality with murder, with adultery … it is sin. “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
How do you want to be treated?
How do you want to be loved?
Do you want people to care about YOUR life and struggles?
Do you want people to have compassion about YOUR situation?
Then have compassion about THEIRS!
In the later part of this chapter James links what we do with our faith. He says if you are not doing anything with your faith you don’t have real faith. Do you really believe? Then like Garth Blake said last week, “walk the talk”. James says even the Demons believe in God, if you are not helping your brothers and sisters in need, when you see a need you can meet, you are no better than the Demons. Our belief in God, our faith should lead us to help others.
James 2.14-20
14What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?
15If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,
16and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?
17Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
18But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works."
19You believe that God is one You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.
20But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?
Don’t be so rushed you don’t take time to help others …
This year I have been getting reacquainted with a very good friend from HS. We have met occasionally to talk business and have enjoyed reminiscing some about past and he has given me some great business advice. A couple months ago we went and got burgers and he shared some very personal family struggles he has been dealing with and that he has very few people to talk with about it. We talked awhile about the issues and then I went home. Over the weekend I was praying for him and planned to call and check with him within a few days. Well … I got busy with my family and business and did not call. A couple weeks went by and I gave him a call asking if I could stop by and show him my new work truck … and I was planning on asking about how he was doing … however, he was too busy. A few more weeks went by I gave him a call asked if I could stop by and show him my truck … He was available. So I stopped by and showed my truck and we talked business for a while and then he stopped me and explained how hurt he was - by me. He had shared how he had opened up and shared his most vulnerable aspects of his life and how he had very few people he could talk to about it and I did not even give him a call for 6 weeks! He told me that he could not trust me with his personal life and that we could continue as business associates, but he could not trust me with the personal. I tried to explain that I meant to call … I meant to ask … I meant to check back with him, I meant to ask how he was doing … it was too late.
Don’t be so busy … so rushed you don’t take time to help others.
About a month ago I saw a picture of a teenage friend on a FaceBook. I thought to myself I should call on him, I should check in with him. You see his parents divorced a year (1 1/2) ago. I had met with him when they were first going thru that process and he seemed to be handling it fine. He is a very well liked Christian kid with lots of friends, a loving family, and a lot going for him. At the end of our visit I told him to call me if he ever needed any thing or wanted to talk. Two weeks ago, I went to a memorial service with more than 800 others who went to remember this nice kid. He died of an apparent suicide.
Until heaven, I will be reminded don’t be so busy … so rushed I don’t take time to call.
Real Relationships – True Relationships … make time; take the time to care - to show you care and that you are there for them.
As I see it there are 3 levels of commitment for the Christian:
1. Show you care about the welfare of your brothers and sisters and neighbors. When you ask, “How are you?” Really mean it. Look them in the eye and expect an answer, a real answer. Be willing to give the time to listen to a real answer.
And be willing to take relationships to another level of commitment.
2. Developing in-depth relationships with brothers and sisters and neighbors. Where you know what they are rejoicing about and what they mourn, what they struggle with and how they are victorious. This takes time and you can effectively only have this type of relationship with a dozen or so people.
Time given to real relationships – true relationships. Matthew writes in chapter 18, if your brother sins confront him in private. Also, when our brother or sister is allowing God to work in his life the opposite should be true – celebrate in public, praise the Lord!
These types of close relationships the Church desperately needs to develop.
3. Becoming a mentor. In disciple-making and mentoring relationships even more commitment is required. Jesus told His disciples to make disciples. Time is required; effectively you can only have this kind of relationship with a handful of same-gender people. It takes time to teach a neighbor about sin, salvation, God’s plan, Jesus, heaven, the Church, the Scriptures, etc. Think about this … Jesus took three years to disciple His original disciples and He is God.
Mentoring within the church takes time; effectively you can only have this type of relationship with a handful of same-gender people. Paul writes to Titus to teach the older women to teach the younger women to love their husbands, to be pure, to be sensible, etc. Younger men are to be mentored to be examples of good deeds, dignified, and to have self-control , etc.
Speaking of good deeds. This is what the church is to be teaching and practicing. Church leader are to, “equip the Saints for works of service” according to Eph 4.
Often when we talk about hiring a Preacher/Minister we want him to do hospital visits and in-home visits (and this is true). But is not the greater truth that church leaders should equip the Church to be doing these works of service/good deeds?
If our goal is real relationships shouldn’t we-the-people be checking on each other? Shouldn’t every member be known enough by other members to know when they have needs?
This is my challenge to you … this week and every week. Make the phone calls, handwrite the personal notes, send the e-mail of encouragement, take a friend to coffee or lunch or breakfast, or invite a friend over to your house for dessert or for a BBQ.
Ask serious questions of your brothers and sisters:
What is God doing in your life?
What is God teaching you this week?
How can I pray for you?
How can I help you in your relationship with God?
Don’t wait another day - because you don’t know how much time you have.
James writes, “Come now you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit”. Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes and goes away. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills we will live and do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. Therefore the one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.”
I would like to close with reading, Ephesians 5.1-16; sad to say I don’t see many living lives like this, including myself most of the time. Don’t tune out yet; listen to what the Scriptures are saying to you. How are we to live in this dark world?
Ephesians 5.1-16
1Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;
2and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
3But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints;
4and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
5For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
7Therefore do not be partakers with them;
8for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light
9(for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),
10trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
11Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;
12for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.
13But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.
14For this reason it says,
"Awake, sleeper,
And arise from the dead,
And Christ will shine on you."
15Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,
16making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
[James 2 – Luke 10.29 – Col 3.12-14 – 1 Cor 13.4-8 – Matt 7.12 – Eph 4 – Mt 28.18ff]
Recently I have been thinking a lot about relationships. I talked briefly a few weeks ago about “Real relationships – True Relationships” in a communion talk I gave. It is a topic, which I am working at and trying to figure out myself ... I am a work in progress.
How does God want us to live?
How does He want us to interact?
To take care of one another?
To care?
To love one another?
There is so much in the Scriptures about relationships. Today I would like us to think about relationships in general. Not husband-wife, not parent-kid, not boss-worker, not any specific relationships – what we are going to talk about transcends all these.
Real Relationships – True Relationships IN A FACEBOOK WORLD
A lawyer asked Jesus about relationships … after he correctly quoted from the OT law that we should “… love our neighbor as ourselves” he asks Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”
Jesus answers with a parable about the Good Samaritan. In the story … the religious people walked by … too busy to care, too hurried to stop and help. Good Sam was a guy who broke tradition, broke the rules to take care of someone in need. He helped the man get help and paid for the health care of this person in need, someone he did not even know, someone he was not supposed to even talk to – someone different from him!
Real Relationships – True Relationships is caring, giving of time, don’t be so rushed you can’t help those in need.
A friend of mine used to always leave home early for church meetings and other events so that if on the way he came across someone with car trouble he would have time to stop and offer assistance. Don’t be so rushed you can’t help those in need.
Let’s stop and talk about neighbors. Who is your neighbor? How about = people in close proximity to you. What about where you live … your neighbors in your neighborhood. We live in what has become a strange society … growing up I lived at the same house in West Eugene for about 12 years … our neighbors, the 4 houses directly around us, the same people lived there during that time and I only knew the names of the family to our North. I never even knew the names of the other 3 families.
Being a home Designer (and someday soon) Builder I blame part of this on the houses. The majority of houses built since the late 1950s promote isolation. A person drives into their driveway, opens the garage door, parks and does not come out again but once a week to mow the front lawn (unless they hire someone else to do it). What happened to the front porch for sitting, lounging, and entertaining neighbors? My home designs include an inviting front porch to encourage interaction with neighbors. Poor home designs are a pet peeve of mine.
Today my family is slightly better at knowing our neighbors. At least we know the names of our neighbors and my wife arranges nice gifts, which we deliver as a family for various holidays during the year and try and stop and talk with them when we get the chance. Our neighbors are … there are two widows on either side of us (Mary & Hope), a single nurse across the street (Cheryl), and also across the street a retired couple (Mr & Mrs … opps, almost forgot Dale & Carol).
So, there is your neighborhood. Who else is your neighbor? The people who sit in the pews around you at church? The people in your support group? The people you work with? The people at the coffee shop? Your friends on Facebook?
FaceBook, speaking of FB. I must admit I am a social networking junkie. You might think this weird but I have profile accounts on MySpace, Facebook, Plaxo, Linkedin, Blogger, Classmates.com, Twitter, and ping.fm, which links most of them together.
There are many relationship opportunities through these sites and it has been fun to reconnect with HS acquaintances after 20 years. Ministry also takes place through the contacts on these social networking websites, in fact I have been asked to post this message when I am done with it. However, with 430 “friends” on FB, how deep of relationship can I have? Not very deep!
How deep are the relationships in your life. With your co-workers, with your community groups, with your Bible study group? Do you really know them? What are they dealing with this week? How are they spiritually, REALLY?
Real Relationships – True Relationships – God wants us to go deeper, to know greater, to care, to have compassion for what each other is going through
Look at James 2.1-13 - it is about relationships.
1My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.
2For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes,
3and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,"
4have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judgeswith evil motives?
5Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
6But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?
7Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?
8If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you are doing well.
9But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
11For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT COMMIT MURDER." Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
12So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.
13For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.
Sometimes we get hung up on how he says we are to treat the poor, but it is really about treating anyone who is different. Many of us would have no trouble being nice to a poor person.
But maybe it’s the ultra rich or celebrity, would you interact with them? A couple weeks ago I listened to some business CDs and the speaker was talking about marketing ideas, one being sending small gifts to people who give you business referrals, basically when they recommend your business. At the time he was sending $30 gift certificates to a nice local restaurant. Also during this time he received a referral from a very wealthy acquaintance, a guy worth $30 million. So he had a dilemma, it was his practice to send out a thank you and a $30 gift certificate, but this guy does not need a $30 gift, he could buy the restaurant if he wanted to. Thinking to himself, “do I send a whole stack of gift certificates?” No. “Do I send one? He does not need $30.” He finally sent one with his normal thank you note. When the $30 mil man got the note and gift he called right back and said, “thank you, that was so nice of you, I have never received such a nice gift for a referral. I’ll have more referrals for you.” You see this rich man was just like you and me, we are all alike, and we all have the same felt needs of significance and recognition.
Many today have no problem talking with the poor or treating the poor well, but what about you … think about it … what kind of people do you dislike the most? Who makes you blood boil?
How would you treat them if they came to one of our meetings?
James compares this partiality with murder, with adultery … it is sin. “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
How do you want to be treated?
How do you want to be loved?
Do you want people to care about YOUR life and struggles?
Do you want people to have compassion about YOUR situation?
Then have compassion about THEIRS!
In the later part of this chapter James links what we do with our faith. He says if you are not doing anything with your faith you don’t have real faith. Do you really believe? Then like Garth Blake said last week, “walk the talk”. James says even the Demons believe in God, if you are not helping your brothers and sisters in need, when you see a need you can meet, you are no better than the Demons. Our belief in God, our faith should lead us to help others.
James 2.14-20
14What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?
15If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,
16and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?
17Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
18But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works."
19You believe that God is one You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.
20But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?
Don’t be so rushed you don’t take time to help others …
This year I have been getting reacquainted with a very good friend from HS. We have met occasionally to talk business and have enjoyed reminiscing some about past and he has given me some great business advice. A couple months ago we went and got burgers and he shared some very personal family struggles he has been dealing with and that he has very few people to talk with about it. We talked awhile about the issues and then I went home. Over the weekend I was praying for him and planned to call and check with him within a few days. Well … I got busy with my family and business and did not call. A couple weeks went by and I gave him a call asking if I could stop by and show him my new work truck … and I was planning on asking about how he was doing … however, he was too busy. A few more weeks went by I gave him a call asked if I could stop by and show him my truck … He was available. So I stopped by and showed my truck and we talked business for a while and then he stopped me and explained how hurt he was - by me. He had shared how he had opened up and shared his most vulnerable aspects of his life and how he had very few people he could talk to about it and I did not even give him a call for 6 weeks! He told me that he could not trust me with his personal life and that we could continue as business associates, but he could not trust me with the personal. I tried to explain that I meant to call … I meant to ask … I meant to check back with him, I meant to ask how he was doing … it was too late.
Don’t be so busy … so rushed you don’t take time to help others.
About a month ago I saw a picture of a teenage friend on a FaceBook. I thought to myself I should call on him, I should check in with him. You see his parents divorced a year (1 1/2) ago. I had met with him when they were first going thru that process and he seemed to be handling it fine. He is a very well liked Christian kid with lots of friends, a loving family, and a lot going for him. At the end of our visit I told him to call me if he ever needed any thing or wanted to talk. Two weeks ago, I went to a memorial service with more than 800 others who went to remember this nice kid. He died of an apparent suicide.
Until heaven, I will be reminded don’t be so busy … so rushed I don’t take time to call.
Real Relationships – True Relationships … make time; take the time to care - to show you care and that you are there for them.
As I see it there are 3 levels of commitment for the Christian:
1. Show you care about the welfare of your brothers and sisters and neighbors. When you ask, “How are you?” Really mean it. Look them in the eye and expect an answer, a real answer. Be willing to give the time to listen to a real answer.
And be willing to take relationships to another level of commitment.
2. Developing in-depth relationships with brothers and sisters and neighbors. Where you know what they are rejoicing about and what they mourn, what they struggle with and how they are victorious. This takes time and you can effectively only have this type of relationship with a dozen or so people.
Time given to real relationships – true relationships. Matthew writes in chapter 18, if your brother sins confront him in private. Also, when our brother or sister is allowing God to work in his life the opposite should be true – celebrate in public, praise the Lord!
These types of close relationships the Church desperately needs to develop.
3. Becoming a mentor. In disciple-making and mentoring relationships even more commitment is required. Jesus told His disciples to make disciples. Time is required; effectively you can only have this kind of relationship with a handful of same-gender people. It takes time to teach a neighbor about sin, salvation, God’s plan, Jesus, heaven, the Church, the Scriptures, etc. Think about this … Jesus took three years to disciple His original disciples and He is God.
Mentoring within the church takes time; effectively you can only have this type of relationship with a handful of same-gender people. Paul writes to Titus to teach the older women to teach the younger women to love their husbands, to be pure, to be sensible, etc. Younger men are to be mentored to be examples of good deeds, dignified, and to have self-control , etc.
Speaking of good deeds. This is what the church is to be teaching and practicing. Church leader are to, “equip the Saints for works of service” according to Eph 4.
Often when we talk about hiring a Preacher/Minister we want him to do hospital visits and in-home visits (and this is true). But is not the greater truth that church leaders should equip the Church to be doing these works of service/good deeds?
If our goal is real relationships shouldn’t we-the-people be checking on each other? Shouldn’t every member be known enough by other members to know when they have needs?
This is my challenge to you … this week and every week. Make the phone calls, handwrite the personal notes, send the e-mail of encouragement, take a friend to coffee or lunch or breakfast, or invite a friend over to your house for dessert or for a BBQ.
Ask serious questions of your brothers and sisters:
What is God doing in your life?
What is God teaching you this week?
How can I pray for you?
How can I help you in your relationship with God?
Don’t wait another day - because you don’t know how much time you have.
James writes, “Come now you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit”. Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes and goes away. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills we will live and do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. Therefore the one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.”
I would like to close with reading, Ephesians 5.1-16; sad to say I don’t see many living lives like this, including myself most of the time. Don’t tune out yet; listen to what the Scriptures are saying to you. How are we to live in this dark world?
Ephesians 5.1-16
1Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;
2and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
3But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints;
4and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
5For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
7Therefore do not be partakers with them;
8for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light
9(for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),
10trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
11Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;
12for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.
13But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.
14For this reason it says,
"Awake, sleeper,
And arise from the dead,
And Christ will shine on you."
15Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,
16making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
May 15, 2009
May 11, 2009
May 10, 2009
May 7, 2009
May 2, 2009
Apr 29, 2009
Apr 25, 2009
Apr 19, 2009
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