So yesterday I let my habits get the best if me. I way over ate. Really I guess it's ok because I at broccoli. But come on really five stalks of broccoli in one sitting that is rediculous. It was nit hunger but something else.
Then this morning I got this article. "Check Your Fuel Gauge Before You Fill Up"
It worth a read if you struggle with eating the way I do.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Courage to make it to the top.
This past weekend the HHBC youth group went "rock" climbing. What I mean by that is that we went to a climbing club in town and climbed artificial rock walls.
So, I am a little afraid of hights, when I first tried out the climbing wall, my wife Layney was on belay. Now I trust my wife. I would never say otherwise. However she is very tinny and I…well I am not. So when I got halfway up the wall I began to fear. All the scenarios I could come up with that ended in death played through my head. I convinced myself that it was too hard I was too tired, Layney didn't want to belay, I would have another chance, anything else that would work and I stoped climbing half way up the wall. I gave up. Despite all the safety gear despite the trust I have in my wife I gave up.
We too often in life allow our reason and fear mix and talk ouselves out of taking risks. We let our fear stop us from going where God wants us to go. We give up when the blessings God has for us is right around the next corner.
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The awesome truth is that we are more than conquerors because of Jesus. We have the ultimate safty harness, weapon, friend, guide, master, Lord, protector, provider, the ultimate God. There is nothing we should ever fear when it is directed by God. In fact our only fear should be getting out of His will.
I did get back on the wall and I fell. And then I got back on the wall and I climbed all the way to the top. (pictured below) I didn't have to fear I had safety. And it took a couple of tries but reaching the top was awesome.
In your life there are things that you have wanted to do things that you have dreamt of. Maybe it invovles your job, asking for a raise or trying a new project. Maybey you have wanted to chang something about yourself your weight or the number of books you read. Maybe you know there are risks that you need to take. Don't fear. If you are following God you can not fail. You may fall but he will always catch you.
Step out. Be bold. Climb to the top.
So, I am a little afraid of hights, when I first tried out the climbing wall, my wife Layney was on belay. Now I trust my wife. I would never say otherwise. However she is very tinny and I…well I am not. So when I got halfway up the wall I began to fear. All the scenarios I could come up with that ended in death played through my head. I convinced myself that it was too hard I was too tired, Layney didn't want to belay, I would have another chance, anything else that would work and I stoped climbing half way up the wall. I gave up. Despite all the safety gear despite the trust I have in my wife I gave up.
We too often in life allow our reason and fear mix and talk ouselves out of taking risks. We let our fear stop us from going where God wants us to go. We give up when the blessings God has for us is right around the next corner.
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The awesome truth is that we are more than conquerors because of Jesus. We have the ultimate safty harness, weapon, friend, guide, master, Lord, protector, provider, the ultimate God. There is nothing we should ever fear when it is directed by God. In fact our only fear should be getting out of His will.
I did get back on the wall and I fell. And then I got back on the wall and I climbed all the way to the top. (pictured below) I didn't have to fear I had safety. And it took a couple of tries but reaching the top was awesome.
In your life there are things that you have wanted to do things that you have dreamt of. Maybe it invovles your job, asking for a raise or trying a new project. Maybey you have wanted to chang something about yourself your weight or the number of books you read. Maybe you know there are risks that you need to take. Don't fear. If you are following God you can not fail. You may fall but he will always catch you.
Step out. Be bold. Climb to the top.
Monday, March 22, 2010
God is working at Happy Hill
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us... Ephesians 3:20
I never cease to be truely excited and amazed when God works. It's not that I don't expect it or know that God is going to work according to his will, but it always instills a sence of awe in me. It is impossible to become bored with what God can do because he "is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine."
God is working at Happy Hill. This past weekend we got an extention on our parking lot. For free! Not because of anything we did but because God is powerful and is preparing this church for growth.
Check out these pictures and as you do think about the things that God is doing in your life that instill awe in you. Thank him today for how he is working in your life.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I never cease to be truely excited and amazed when God works. It's not that I don't expect it or know that God is going to work according to his will, but it always instills a sence of awe in me. It is impossible to become bored with what God can do because he "is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine."
God is working at Happy Hill. This past weekend we got an extention on our parking lot. For free! Not because of anything we did but because God is powerful and is preparing this church for growth.
Check out these pictures and as you do think about the things that God is doing in your life that instill awe in you. Thank him today for how he is working in your life.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Who do you influence.
John Sawyer, one of our youth, and I have spent several hours together today while I have been teaching him the art of sermon writing. John is doing a great job and I am looking forward to the day he preaches at HHBC.
As he works I am reminded of the importance of leading by example. In first Corinthians 11:1 Paul tells the Corinthians to follow him as he follows Christ.
It is a monumental responsibility to say follow me, but the truth is that all of us are leading someone whether we know it or not.
There is always someone watching how you live and looking to you as an example. If you have kids they are watching, the people that you work with they are watching, who ever you are there is someone watching.
Pay attention to how you live because you never know when you are being watched and what you might be teaching those who are watching.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
As he works I am reminded of the importance of leading by example. In first Corinthians 11:1 Paul tells the Corinthians to follow him as he follows Christ.
It is a monumental responsibility to say follow me, but the truth is that all of us are leading someone whether we know it or not.
There is always someone watching how you live and looking to you as an example. If you have kids they are watching, the people that you work with they are watching, who ever you are there is someone watching.
Pay attention to how you live because you never know when you are being watched and what you might be teaching those who are watching.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Monday, March 15, 2010
HHBC Sunday School Retreat
This past weekend several from Happy Hill got away to Latham Springs Baptist Camp for our SS retreat. The camp and weather was incredible and we had a fantastic time. We were almost all up until 2:00 Friday morning playing games and getting to know each other better.
We introduced the group to the 3D Sunday School concept which we are adopting at HHBC. A Sunday School class should have three health dimensions working together. They should invite others to come to class and be excited about the class and there meetings, they shold discover God's word together, and they should connect to each other developing close relationships.
Pray with us that as we implament this strategy God will bless our efforts and blow our mind with how he uses us to reach people with his love.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Thursday, March 11, 2010
It is good to have fun.
With our endless todo lists, long days, lack of vacation time, and overpowering stress we often forget that we are intended to have full and abundant lives.
Having fun is a good thing. As Darren pointed out in our Men's Abassadors for Christ (MAC) meeting tonight, God created us for relationship. Relationship with Him first and second with our fellow man. One of the natural ways that we build relationship is through having good times together.
If I were completely honest much of the reason I am serving Christ today is because at many times in my life the most fun thing for me to do was at church. Our youth group was fun and we had wild times together.
I wonder how many more people would be a part of the church, or allow Christ into thier lives if they didn't think being a Christian was going to be boring. God is not here to take your fun away. He just wants to be a part of the fun in your life.
For your viewing pleasure here are a couple of clips from our MAC meeting. And no we don't restrict ourselves to only gospel songs.
Sorry if this is sideways. I am still trying to figure it all out. Thanks for being patient.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Having fun is a good thing. As Darren pointed out in our Men's Abassadors for Christ (MAC) meeting tonight, God created us for relationship. Relationship with Him first and second with our fellow man. One of the natural ways that we build relationship is through having good times together.
If I were completely honest much of the reason I am serving Christ today is because at many times in my life the most fun thing for me to do was at church. Our youth group was fun and we had wild times together.
I wonder how many more people would be a part of the church, or allow Christ into thier lives if they didn't think being a Christian was going to be boring. God is not here to take your fun away. He just wants to be a part of the fun in your life.
For your viewing pleasure here are a couple of clips from our MAC meeting. And no we don't restrict ourselves to only gospel songs.
Sorry if this is sideways. I am still trying to figure it all out. Thanks for being patient.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
To My Pastor Friends: Where the message comes from.
"We are not saved to be "channels only," but to be sons and daughters of God. We are not turned into spiritual mediums, but into spiritual messengers; the message must be part of ourselves." -- Oswald Chambers.
As a pastor it is more than vital that we stay in the word of God. Sermon preparation is never an acceptable substitute for personal devotional time and bible study. If you are finding that it is dificult develop sermons and a direction for your sermons, or if you always have to look outside of yourself for sermon ideas and direction; it is because you are not allowing God to work his will in you. Your sermons and what you preach should come from an outpouring of your soul.
"The natural heart will do any amount of serving, but it takes the heart broken by conviction of sin, and baptized by the Holy Ghost, and crumpled into the purpose of God before the life becomes the sacrament of its message." -- Oswald Chambers
If you are having a dry time in sermon preparation. If you are not deeply convicted about where to go next. You must get alone and get into the word. Find out what God wants in you, and from that your soul will cry out to your congregation through the Holy Spirit. Then your life and message will be a sacramtent to God.
Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 2 Timothy 2:4 (NIV)
I'm praying this for us all my brothers.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
As a pastor it is more than vital that we stay in the word of God. Sermon preparation is never an acceptable substitute for personal devotional time and bible study. If you are finding that it is dificult develop sermons and a direction for your sermons, or if you always have to look outside of yourself for sermon ideas and direction; it is because you are not allowing God to work his will in you. Your sermons and what you preach should come from an outpouring of your soul.
"The natural heart will do any amount of serving, but it takes the heart broken by conviction of sin, and baptized by the Holy Ghost, and crumpled into the purpose of God before the life becomes the sacrament of its message." -- Oswald Chambers
If you are having a dry time in sermon preparation. If you are not deeply convicted about where to go next. You must get alone and get into the word. Find out what God wants in you, and from that your soul will cry out to your congregation through the Holy Spirit. Then your life and message will be a sacramtent to God.
Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 2 Timothy 2:4 (NIV)
I'm praying this for us all my brothers.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:Vistaview Dr,Burleson,United States
Failures and Triumphs: They are all a part of life.
I have not done so well on my commitment to blog three times a week. Sure there are always valid reasons. There has been a great deal of work for me lately and I have been putting in longer hours than I should, but still these are excuses.
I have learned that life is full of successes and failures. They will come for us all however, what we do with them is what matters.
For instance I could give up. I blogged three times the first week of my commitment and now I have gone two full weeks without touching my blog. So I could say, "The commitment was wrong I underestimated how much was going on in ministry and life and I shouldn't make commitments to blog when there are so many more tangible ministries I am in." Then I could allow my failure to cause me to give up on the commitment I made.
Or, I could stay the course. Even though I have missed my goal and I am seemingly behind, I could pick up where I left off and keep on going.
It's like being in a race and being behind but still doing your best to finish. A few weeks back I was watching the winter Olympics and the cross country skiing was on. They were showing the finish of the race and talking about the dramatic battle for the gold. The discussion continued long after the medals had been decided. As we continued to watch the goal line stretch a racer came around the corner and with a dramatic burst of adrenaline he pushed hard to overtake the racer in front of him. He battled down the stretch to edge him out of 32cd place.
As he collapsed from exhaustion I laughed and thought, "32cd place or 33rd place, does it really matter." But now I realize it does. It was his personal best that counted, his time to shine, his defining moment.
In life we aren't always in a race but Paul says we should always be racing, striving for the prize. The only competition is against yourself, it doesn't matter if you fall behind as long as you keep going and finish strong.
So if you experience failure remember when I am weak, then I am strong, and keep on running.
I have learned that life is full of successes and failures. They will come for us all however, what we do with them is what matters.
For instance I could give up. I blogged three times the first week of my commitment and now I have gone two full weeks without touching my blog. So I could say, "The commitment was wrong I underestimated how much was going on in ministry and life and I shouldn't make commitments to blog when there are so many more tangible ministries I am in." Then I could allow my failure to cause me to give up on the commitment I made.
Or, I could stay the course. Even though I have missed my goal and I am seemingly behind, I could pick up where I left off and keep on going.
It's like being in a race and being behind but still doing your best to finish. A few weeks back I was watching the winter Olympics and the cross country skiing was on. They were showing the finish of the race and talking about the dramatic battle for the gold. The discussion continued long after the medals had been decided. As we continued to watch the goal line stretch a racer came around the corner and with a dramatic burst of adrenaline he pushed hard to overtake the racer in front of him. He battled down the stretch to edge him out of 32cd place.
As he collapsed from exhaustion I laughed and thought, "32cd place or 33rd place, does it really matter." But now I realize it does. It was his personal best that counted, his time to shine, his defining moment.
In life we aren't always in a race but Paul says we should always be racing, striving for the prize. The only competition is against yourself, it doesn't matter if you fall behind as long as you keep going and finish strong.
So if you experience failure remember when I am weak, then I am strong, and keep on running.
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