preacherman

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Enjoying LIfe

James mentions in his letter that our lives are but a vapor; here today and gone tomorrow. I am 34 years old and it seems like life has flown by so fast. I have settle in my own mind and life to enjoy and cherish every moment that I can. I want to enjoy life. Yes, I know that there will be storms but I am going to strive cherish and enjoy every moment of life that I possibly can as a father, husband, and believer.

So, do you think life is short? Has the years gone by fast for you? How do we cherish every moment of life? How do we enjoy the life we have despite the storms? Do we enjoy the todays? What robs us of our joy in life? If we have lost the joy how do we get it back?

What do you think?
Share your thoughts.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Persecution

Have you experienced persecution from those who claim to be "Christians" or those of the "World" or "Neither"?

What do you think?
Share your thoughts.

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Things Kids Say

My mom and the grandsons were driving to Vacation Bible School when my middle son Collin said, "I see heaven." Riley my nephew sreamed with hands over his face, "Hi God. Hi Jesus. I love you guys so much!"

When playing at the playground at the Mall of Abilene my middle son Collin told Pop that He was as old as God. I guess 60 in the eyes of a child is as old as God..LOL!

When the boys were looking at the clouds my oldest son Ethan said, "I see Mario!" Quinn the youngest said, "I see a bird." Granny said she saw a turtle. My middle son Collin said, "I see Pop!"

My son Ethan wasn't dunking his brothers in the pool, he told us that he wasn't dunking them he was baptizing them.

What stories do you have about your kids or grandkids. Please share some funny stories with us. I believe that innocence and humor is helpful to the soul.

What do you think?
Share your thoughts.

Letting Go

Letting go of the past is hard to do but the past can keep us as believers from moving forward. The past is one of Satan's favorite weapons. We all make mistakes but we can't change the past. I know many people who live in the past and dwell on past mistakes. I know believers who have said, "I've made so many mistakes that God will never forgive me." Others say, "If you knew the mistakes I've made in the past you'd never want me to do this service or ministry from God." We all fail. We all make mistakes but living in the past hinders our faith and a healthy relationship with God and Christ.

Listen to what the Message translation says in Philippians 3:12-ff: "I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wonderously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward - to Jesus. I'm off and running and I'm not turning back.
So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision- you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, lets stay on it.
Stick with me friends. Keep track of those you see running this same course, headed for this same goal. There are many out there taking other paths, choosing other goals, and trying to get you to go along with them. I've warned you of them many times; sad, I'm having to do it again. All they want is the easy street. They hate Christ's cross. But easy street is a dead end street. Those who live there make their bellies their gods; belches are their praise; all they can think of is their appetites.
But there's far more to life for us. We're citizens of high heaven! We're waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Mast, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthy bodies into glorious bodies of His own. He'll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around Him."

Paul mentions that he is off and running and he's not looking back. Paul could have stopped running if looking back he would have allowed Satan to get him to only live in the past.
So many things could in his past could have caused his faith to shatter. Paul could have been the prime example of what to avoid as a Christian yet Paul let go of the past mistakes and pressed on toward Christ and heaven. What a powerful testimony to us all!

The questions I want us to discuss are: Why does Satan use past as a powerful weapon? What happens to Christians if they live in the past? What happens to our faith if we get caught up in the past? Can churches get caught up in the past? What happens to churches when they do? Have you known a Christian who gave up because of past mistakes or living in the past? How do we let go of the past? How do we fix our eye on Jesus and reach toward Christ? What has helped you live for the moment and future?

Friday, June 05, 2009

Are You Sure?

As a youth minister I remember being at camp and asking a group of 150 teens, "those of you who are Christians, if you were to go to meet God tonight, if he was to return, do you think you would go to heaven? How many of you could say you would be saved?" Only about 5 teens of the group raised their hands. I asked this question at youth rallies, youth devotionals, and meeting all over the country and still had very few respond that they would know that they were saved. Why? Self-esteem perhaps? Doctrinal teachings of their churches? Maybe. Both?

I stressed that Jesus Christ wants us as believers to know that we are saved. How are we to make other believe if we ourselves don't? Listen to the words in Romans, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to seperate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." I love the words of John as well, "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may KNOW that you have and eternal life." (1 John 5:13; NIV).

I hope that we will bring up believers that will know that they have eternal life. I hope that we can be confident in our salvation and relationship with Jesus Christ.

So the questions I have are: Why do some doubt their salvation? How does this doubt affect the relationship we have with Jesus Christ? How does this doubt affect our influence on the world? Should we have this confindence? Why is having confidence in our salvation so important? Have you doubted? Why? Is it self-esteem? Doctional teachings? What can we do to change what is being taught? How can we help other believers have confidence in knowing that they have eternal life?

What do you think?
Share your thoughts?