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This past week, I was reading and meditating on Romans 5:1-2 at the Perk.  I have included the passage here for your convenience:   1 " Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God." I am familiar with the theological meaning of our justification by faith.  We are justified not by our works but by what Christ did for us on the cross.  Christ's righteousness is imputed (God counts the righteousness of Jesus as our own) to us.  Many times we refer to Hebrews 11:1 for a definition of faith which says, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." But I was drawn to do some deeper study of this word, "faith."  Is faith a belief, a trust, or something totally different?   As I studied, I discovered the Greek word, pisteuo, ...

The Hesston Mennonite Brethren Church will be hosting a video-seminar on The Art of Marriage. Couples must register for the seminar by Tuesday, Jan. 31 and the seminar will take place Feb. 10 and 11 from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Feb. 10 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 11. There is a fee of $25 for the seminar. Pastor JL Martin will be coordinating the weekend event. “I think this is something that is for any couple, dating, engaged or married.  There are things that newly-weds can do to develop good habits and things for couples married 30 to 50 years on how to keep their relationship strong," he said. Martin said the weekend will focus on communication and conflict. “It's video-based and uses humor, as well as some skits, to get the content across, as well as real-life stories of couples," he said. Martin said issues range from the death of a child to every-day communication needs. “One story is a couple that the wife was playing with the kids,...

I am now three chapters into Jesus + Nothing = Everything by Tullian Tchividjian.  So, I wanted to share a few quotes from chapter 3.  "What are you missing in life that prompts you to go after this particular addiction? They're deciding to yield to that addiction, to give themselves to it, to embrace it, because something else they crave is lacking." "Identify where your restlessness is rooted--because that's where a confrontation with the gospel is needed." " In fact, when it comes to Christian life and experience, many of us have understood the gospel as the thing that gets us in, while the thing that then keeps us in (we assume) is our own effort and performance.  We recognize that the gospel ignites the Christian life, but we often fail to see that it's also the fuel to keep us going and growing as Christians." "John Calvin famously said that all our hearts are idol-making factories. . . An idol is anything that's usurping the pr...

I am continuing to read Sticky Faith by Powell & Clark.  Chapter 2 is entitled, " The Sticky Gospel".  This is a great place to start on a book about parenting and faith.  The authors write, "Kara and I think that the core of Sticky Faith is developing a clear and honest understanding of both the gospel and biblical faith. As our kids are led into an awareness of their significant role in the kingdom of God demonstrated throughout Scripture, they will have the best chance of discovering a faith that is compelling and life-giving." Is this what you teach your kids?  Is this what your church teaches? I agree with the authors that we have done a disservice to the younger generations because we have taught that Christianity is about "sin management".  Powell & Clark write, "When your children are taught what it means to live as a Christian, typically they receive a list of what to do and what not to do."  Does this sound familiar?  To me...

This post is not intended to sway you into letting children under the age of 13 to watch Courageous , but instead to discern as a parent if it would be right for your kids.  As you probably know, Courageous, came out on DVD last week.  I had received it as a gift and was interested in watching it again.  I have already seen the movie three times so I was familiar with the themes and content of the movie.  My children became very excited about watching the movie before ever seeing it.  My son was even going to pass going to a friend's house because he wanted to watch Courageous with his dad. So, on Saturday night, we sat down as a family to watch the movie.  We let our daughters (ages 9,8, & 4) know that there was some fighting and guns.  Molly, our youngest, watched most of the movie but the content was hard for her to understand. But she really enjoyed the scene in the cop car about the "snake kings".  Mackenzie is our highly sensitive d...

Hesston MB is excited to be providing The Art of Marriage conference on Feb. 10-11 at the church. The times are Friday from 7-9:30 p.m. & Saturday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.  The Art of Marriage is based on the popular Weekend to Remember sponsored by Family Life. It is DVD based and includes 6 sessions over the weekend. The topics are listed below. So, who should attend Art of Marriage? YOU. There is something for couples at all different stages. It would helpful for seriously dating couples and newlyweds as they anticipate or begin their lives together as a couple. Couples who have been married for several years can be encouraged to continue growing as a couple or make some necessary changes if certain bad habits have developed. Couples with teenagers might need a chance to renew or restore the intimacy that they once had that has seemed to fade. Empty nesters can benefit from learning new information as well and evaluate the legacy they are leaving. The Art of Marriage is very wel...

Thought I would share a few quotes from books I read today by Tchvidjian, Harvey, Powell & Clark: Jesus + Nothing = Everything by Tullian Tchvidjian "I was learning the hard way that the gospel alone can free us from our addiction to being liked-that Jesus measured up for us so that we wouldn't have to live under the enslaving pressure of measuring up for others." "I was realizing in a fresh way the now-power of the gospel--that the gospel doesn't simply rescue us from the past and rescue us for the future; it also rescues us in the present from being enslaved to things like fear, insecurity, anger, self-reliance, bitterness, entitlement, and insignificance." When Sinners Say I Do by Dave Harvey (one of the speakers for Art of Marriage) "Let's look briefly at three of the most important components of a solid, biblical theology of marriage . . . The Foundation of Your Marriage-The Bible,  The Fountain of Your Marriage-The Gospel, &  T...

Click here to see press release announcing theme and speakers for 2012 D6 Conference.

So, as the those New Year's resolutions are coming and going.  I thought I would write about my plans for ministry growth in 2012.  Every year I have the opportunity for continuing education through seminars and conferences.  I also make sure I am reading a lot to help me grow in between conferences.  Here are the conferences I plan to attend in 2012: Orange Conference-- The first on my schedule is the Orange Conference.  It is a gathering of ministry leaders for children, youth, and adults with a focus on church and home working together.  I have never attended this conference before but have enjoyed Reggie Joiner's book, Think Orange .  I am excited about this conference as it has several great breakout sessions and gives a slightly different take on what it means to equip parents to pass on faith to their kids.  For more information, go to their website  here . Conection 2012- This is a conference for the Mennonite Brethren Church....

Occasionally, I like to share what I am reading at the moment.  A few of the books are for classes, groups, or staff discussion, but the rest are for edification and growth.  Here is my list for the start of 2012: The Resolution for Men by Alex & Stephen Kendrick The Legacy Path by Brian Haynes The Good & Beautiful God by James Bryan Smith Who Stole My Church by Gordon MacDonald The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy Keller Sticky Faith by Kara Powell & Chap Clark Jesus + Nothing = Everything by Tullian Tchividjian Here is a quote from The Good and Beautiful God : "As we spend time in quiet and rest and contemplation, sitting at the feet of Jesus, we gain strength to act in wisdom in the hustle and bustle of a busy world."