rooted

Love Week 2011

Love Week 2011 kicked off last Friday with 25 churches in Charlotte coming together to serve our city!  We are pushing for a goal of 25,000 hours served during the week, in all, to demostrate God's love to the city of Charlotte.  As of Wednesday night, we have served over 18,000 hours.

Erin and I served a few hours this week at Hope Haven with our few members of our small group.  We painted, cleaned, and put together Ikea furniture for their new "family room." (Don't ask me the english translation of the Swedish word Ikea!!! Someone in our group even said, "Ikea furniture makes you lose your religion!")  It was cool when the people of Hope Haven (clients and staff) came out to cheer and show their appreciation of us coming.  But honestly, even if they didn't thank us; it would have been just as fulfilling showing some "LOVE" to Hope Haven!

Here is a pic of our group showing the LOVE:

 

Make War

Simple Choices

All things start with a simple choice: to do something or not to do something!  

Daniel, in the Old Testament, made a choice to honor God with his choices (see Daniel 1:8-9).  That was a bold choice and probably a hard choice (I mean he was giving up a "buffett" that would put Golden Corral to shame).  But every choice has the potential to affect your life in a positive or negative light.

Daniel's choice to honor God (check out his prayer for forgiveness) caught God's attention (see Daniel 9:23). Which brings us to an obscure verse stuck in the middle of Daniel's dream in Daniel 10:

Vs. 12 - "...Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart (made the choice) to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard..."

God didn't immediately answer Daniel the first time he prayed, but God set in motion "all things to work for the good" from the first prayer!  Notice Daniel stayed consistent with his choice to honor God; he didn't give up!  And it's never too late with God to start making choices that honor God...He allows U-turns at any time!

Are your choices presenting God opportunities or road-blocks to bless you?

 

 

There is Hope: God's Love & Compassion

So many people (within and without of the church) want to paint God as this raging, mean, "ready-to-pounce on you" figure; who gets such joy in punishing you for your sin! 

But as you read the Bible (which is always a good thing to do when you want to learn more about God), you see who God really is in His nature.

Now you may be thinking "Doesn't all sin have a punishment?" Yes!!!  All sin has a price and that price has to be accounted for by someone!  The payment of sin is either paid for by the person after deathin a place called Hell OR by accepting Jesus' death on the Cross as your forgiveness of sin!

You see, Jesus paid the punishment for all sin (past & future)!!!

And when we accept that payment, all "guilt" of sin is wiped away!  God does not want us living in the "guilt" of sin.  He loves us too much to allow us to live in sin and calls us to run to Him to repent (to give up that sin).  Do you have the mental picture of this: God, not as laughing because He gets to punish you, but as a loving Father who wants to hold you when you get hurt?

Micah, in the Old Testament, gives such a clear picture of God's character when it comes to us turning away from our sin.  You see, God's chosen people had turned away from Him and embraced sin (they turned their back on God).  And God sent/allowed events to happen to turn His people back to Him (so many people confuse these events with punishment).  But God /sends/allows these events to happen as His way to say "What I have for you is so much better than this sin you are choosing!"  Micah writes to tell the people that God is allowing these events to happen, but as soon as the people turn back to God...He will love them like nothing ever happened!

Check Micah 7:18-20 out:

"Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of His inheritance?  He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in steadfast love.  He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities underfoot.  You will cast all our sins into the depth of the sea.  You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as You have sworn to our fathers from the days of old."

It's great to know that God loves us even when we choose other things over Him!  He will throw the rememberance of our sin to the deepest part of the sea.  And He will wrap His arms around us and love us being back with Him! 

Now that's a love you can "bank on" never failing you this Valentine's Day!

You Just Lost One - Blair Wingo

Taking a Stand

So glad we have students who are still willing to take a stand for Christ...even when a referee is against them!

 

Check out the full story here.

Make War - Tedashii

As the old saying goes...

...that's about as dumb as a bird flying into a glass window for five months straight trying to get inside!

You know that old saying don't you?

Well, it's not really an old saying; just an experience I have witnessed over the past few months.  My desk has windows around it and there is a bird who must love me because it keeps trying to get to me.  It will repetitively fly into the window, bounce off it, then recoup to try again!  My favorite is when it lands on the window sill and stares intently into the window as if saying "Why am I not getting anywhere?"

There are times in life I feel like that bird; as if I'm bumping into a glass window everytime I try to move forward!  When that happens I am reminded that "...God determines man's steps..."; but it's my responsibility to take (walk) those steps.  When I fail to follow God's directions...I'm just like that bird...continually moving but gaining nothing!

Don't be as "dumb" as a bird flying into a glass window!  Follow God's directions and see where He takes you!

I'll Be Honest... - A Confession - Psalm 142

You are about to read something that..if you'll be honest..you will say "That's me too!"

Psalm 142 was written many, many years ago by a guy who, if he were alive today, would be shunned by many pastors and church members alike for the sins he committed.  David was a guy who had many past failures; yet, he is known as "a man after God's own heart."  And I believe God led David to so eloquently write about his thoughts and feelings after his sin so I (even if I'm the only one) could know: I am not the only one who feels the guilt of sin!

As I read Psalm 142, I felt within myself saying "That's me too!"  I cried out in prayer to God verse 6: "Attend to my cry for I am brought very low."

After I finished reading the psalm the first time, I felt God say "Read it again! I have something to show you!"

 

My Problems:

You see, there are times I feel spiritually defeated.  Satan accuses me of my past sins (keyword: past).  He brings up past sin and says "Look at what you've done! You've messed up so bad that God will never use you!"  Sadly other people (even thoughs who you thought you could call a friend) stand and judge me too.

- But God stands with mercy - verse 1

 

There are times that I can't go on in life - things, circumstances, situations, temptations, etc weigh me down to the point of "freezing" me right where I stand!

- But God is powerful enough to keep me moving - verse 3

 

There are times I try to "fix" my own problems.  I think I know best - actually what I am saying to God is: "I know more than You!"  I run to the next "thing" to comfort me.

- But God is calling me to run to Him for refuge - verse 5

 

Then there are times I am bound to sin because I've allowed it to take root in my heart.  I am imprisoned/enslaved to sinful desires - as if I can't break away.

- But God holds the key to freedom - verse 7

 

God's Cure:

Satan wants to keep me defeated, BUT God sent Jesus so I can live victorious!  Look what David learned after his sins:

1. God will listen when I cry out to Him (I must speak - pray - to Him). - (vs. 1-2)

2. God will guide me...but He will not force Himself on me! (I wouldn't have ended up in the mess if He was guiding in the first place). - (vs. 3-5)

3. God will "fight" for us (I make a bigger mess when I try to "fix it" myself). - (vs. 6)

4. God will bring me through to a place better than I was before. - (vs. 7)

 

It all starts with me talking to God about sin!  I will never move out the never-ending cycle of sin until I get honest with God about my sin problem!

 

Are you willing to be honest with God?  Break the cycle and run to freedom!

David Crowder Band - "Shine"