Come and See

In John 1 we are told of how Philip had met Jesus, and was convinced that he was the Messiah...the one Moses and the Prophets had foretold. So he goes to tell his friend Nathaniel. Well Nate isn't so easily convinced. He knows Jesus is from Nazareth and evidently Nate didn't think any good thing could come from Nazareth (that would be a presupposition, a potential obstacle for belief). Philip says one thing, "Come and see." That is what we want others to do. Come and see for themselves. Come as you are, and meet Jesus as He is. Jesus is the Differencemaker! Invite others to come and see.---The fastest growing churches in America have one thing in common...they are crazy about inviting people to come and meet Jesus.---Just do it. Get silly about it. Use our invite cards or make your own. Do all you do for God's glory.

Joined and Knit Together

Synergy is a word used to describe the effect of two different components or people coming together to accomplish something that neither of them could have accomplished alone. Together hydrogen and oxygen provide an element that covers 3/4 of the earth, that makes life possible. Paul writes in his letter to the Ephesians "From him (Jesus) the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." God has gifted the body of Christ, the church, with various spiritual gifts. No one person has all the gifts, thus we need each other to be complete. God pretty much demands that we work together, if we are to be complete in Him. Yes, everyone is supposed to do their "part", but notice in the verse above that the whole body is to be joined together by every supporting ligament. We need to do our part together if we are to achieve God's will for His church. An ankle by itself is useless, but a foot and leg without an ankle are not even close to being efffective as intended. Church---let's get together and do greater things for God's kingdom together. Yes, we can do some things faster alone, however we can do more and biggere together. "And He died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and was raised again."---What does that mean to you? Do you need to humbly submit and say what can I do to help? Where can I fit to do the greatest with this team of warriors? Bloom. You were created for a purpose! Live. (Eph.4:16: 2 Cor. 5:15)

Inviter

We are in the "inviting" business. We invite people to church. We invite people to meet Jesus. We invite people to get to know Jesus. We invite people to hear about our relationship with Jesus. We invite people to have their own personal relationship with Jesus. Keep on inviting. Never grow weary in introducing people to Jesus. The first thing Andrew did after he met Jesus was go get his brother and bring him to Jesus.---fine example to follow. Invite your friends and family to the "DifferenceMaker" series. Come as you are, meet Jesus as He is.

It ain't no party

Being a missionary in a Third World country "ain't no party." Amanda is in West Africa on a two-year stint. She is among a primarily Muslim people trying to help translate the Bible into their language. There are many barriers and challenges. However, she has really grown in her love for God's Word and for the people in her village. The hot season, the rainy season, the mosquitoes and the lack of what we're used to ---all bring their own challenges. Yet, Amanda and her co-worker Brittany are faithful. Remember them and pray for them in your daily prayers to finish strong. I am proud of these young women of exemplifying dying to self, and giving up two-years to serve others. ---But, I'm sure they don't look at it that way at all. Go girls!

Follow HIM

"Levi got up and followed him." Jesus' call to "follow him" is a call to faith. Even though we don't know where he is going or where he is leading us; we should know from his track record that it is the right way. Who wants to go the wrong way? Going the wrong way is a waste of time and money; and often leads to heartache. We spend a lot of money on devices that help guide us the right way. Jesus' call is simple. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life; and no man comes to the Father except through Jesus Christ. ---Follow HIM.

ESPN.COM

You ladies need to check this website out. It is informative and takes neither a liberal or conservative point of view. In fact, the ladies on The View had one of its regulars on this week. It often carries stories of life that bring a tear even to the toughest man. It talks about the journey of life that people and groups of people called (teams) go through every day and every week. It speaks to the heart in season and out of season. I clued our illustrious secretary into this website yesterday, where she read a heart-wrenching story of a young man and young woman dealing with real life issues. http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4489416

Father of the Bride

Okay, it's no joke now. I got my first "your-stupid-you-know-nothing-about-weddings-we-don't need-your-input" looks. I assumed the check-writing posture which is similar to the fetal position. I will be here until the wedding is done. For those that don't know, Brittany is officially engaged and will be getting married in February. The fun begins. I'm going to pick a night to watch Father of the Bride wearing my snuggie.