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Be reminded that no matter what is going on in your life right now.  You are loved!  Enjoy this song by Stars Go Dim. We hide pain in the weirdest places Broken souls with smiling faces Fighting for surrender For now and the after Just look around and you'll see that people Are scared to say how they really feel, oh We all need a little honesty You are loved If your heart's in a thousand pieces If you're lost and you're far from reason Just look up, know you are loved Just look up, and know you are loved When it feels like somethings missing If it hurts but you can't find healing Just look up, know you are loved Just look up, know you are loved. ooh We're not made to be superheroes, Photoshopped, all size zeroes We're a light not expected But not quite perfected yet. Look up see the sun is shining There's hope on a new horizon Calling you, calling... You dont have to prove yourself Dont try to be someone else

Here are some quotes from books I am reading right now: If the gospel is regularly being preached in your church, you will eventually become a magnet for the messiest kinds of sinners. I remind myself and my church that a message of grace may attract people, but a culture of grace will keep them. Messy people own their stuff. Sinners repent into the safety of the gospel. when we cease praying for our churches, we cease serving them and instead think ourselves powerful enough to mange quite well without the Holy Spirit's illuminating and enabling power. But the gospel of God's grace in Jesus Christ frees us from hypocrisy. It frees us to boldly own our inadequacies, our flaws, our failures, and especially your sins. As we mature in the faith, then, He increases and we decrease. The gospel is fuel for courageous unself-consciousness. Therefore, wise parents aim their discipline at the heart. Fundamentally, Christian parents discipline heart attitudes, not behavi

We often forget.  We see throughout history the Israelites and the church forgetting. We need to be reminded often of who God is in Scripture, church history and in our lives and churches. This is a new feature on the blog on the names of God.  Why?  Because these names are not just what God does, it is who He is.  I hope this will encourage you as you are reminded of how good, great, and awesome our God is. Yahweh Jireh Yahweh is the Hebrew Name for God. It is "I AM". It is used over 6000 times in the Old Testament.  It was such a holy name that the Jews would not even say it.  Jireh means provider. 14  So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” (Genesis 22:14) What it reminds me?  I stress often about finances.  It reminds me to remember God's provision over the years in my family and in the churches where I have served. God provides!

Today I am posting at http://www.1corinthians13parenting.com/blog/  Check out my thoughts on the gospel.  I am looking forward to future posts on how the gospel affects marriage, parenting, and the church. 

This is a new feature on the blog.  Usually on Mondays, I get caught up on my favorite podcasts.  This usually results in a lot of tweeting on that day.  However, if you are at work and not checking Twitter during that time, you might miss some of the great truth being shared by others.  So, I am sharing some of best tweets from the previous week which include great wisdom and truth.                       Our kids don’t just need to see how that movie or this video is bad; they need to see how Jesus is better. @ JKlumpenhower When the message is about what you need to do, you miss what Jesus does for you. @rjgrune Maturity in the Christian life is movement away from dependence on principles to the point of inherent desire. @byronyawn                        Legalism is found where general application, "love your husband" has been turned into specific application, "like this", as new law. @sarahtaras Good leaders know that emphasizing what they'

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have chosen the word, gospel, to think about and meditate on in 2016.  Gospel in the Greek literally means, "good news."  My best definition of gospel is the "life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ." I hope to have a deeper understanding of the word and definition at the end of 2016. Check out previous posts on this topic. 5  When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, 6  they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, 7  and there they continued to preach the gospel. (Acts 14:5-7)   19  But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. 20  But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. 21  When they had

“Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22  set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)

This song has been playing on the radio for several months now. K-Love plays the version by Kari Jobe who helped write the song.  It is called Forever and the version I am playing is by Brian Johnson and Bethel Music.  Be reminded of what Jesus has done for you.  I must confess I had heard the song but never really listened to the lyrics.  Once I listened and thought about the lyrics in worship a few weeks ago, praise and worship to Jesus welled up within me. Hallelujah! The Lamb has overcome! The moon and stars they wept The morning sun was dead The Savior of the world was fallen His body on the cross His blood poured out for us The weight of every curse upon Him One final breath He gave As heaven looked away The Son of God was laid in darkness A battle in the grave The war on death was waged The power of hell forever broken The ground began to shake The stone was rolled away His perfect love could not be overcome Now death where is your sting? Our resurrecte

Today I attended the Anabaptist Vision and Discipleship Series at Hesston Collge.  The speaker was Shane Claiborne.  I have heard him speak a couple of times before. Below are a few of my favorite quotes from today: The Christian faith spreads best not through force but through fascination. The commuter church makes community really difficult. We have a God who is loving people back to life.  We often forget the power of God's grace to bring people back to life. Grace is endangered. We need to create a new culture in the church. We need to admit we're not perfect. World is not looking for perfection but honesty. God works through the cracks. God works through our imperfections. As unchurched and unbelievers describe the God they don't believe in, I realize I don't believe in that God either. Some of the loudest voices have not been the most beautiful. The answer to bad theology is good theology not no theology. We can misplace our hope in politics and candidates. We sho

Today is my oldest niece's birthday. Happy Birthday! Hope you have a great day.

We often forget.  We see throughout history the Israelites and the church forgetting. We need to be reminded often of who God is in Scripture, church history and in our lives and churches. This is a new feature on the blog on the names of God.  Why?  Because these names are not just what God does, it is who He is.  I hope this will encourage you as you are reminded of how good, great, and awesome our God is. Yahweh Rohi Yahweh is the Hebrew Name for God. It is "I AM". It is used over 6000 times in the Old Testament.  It was such a holy name that the Jews would not even say it.  Rohi means shepherd. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1) What it reminds me?  God guides, protects, and watches over us.

A few weeks ago, I started two new books on the same day.  The first is Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments by Geerhardus Vos and the second was The Pastor's Justification by Jared C. Wilson.  Here are a few quotes from the first chapters of each: Vos revelation does not stand alone by itself, but is inseparably attached to another activity of God, which we call Redemption. In the case of Biblical Theology this is historical, in the case of Systematic Theology it is of a logical nature. Each of these two is necessary, and there is no occasion for a sense of superiority in either. Biblical Theology draws a line of development. Systematic Theology draws a circle. The highest practical usefulness of the study of Biblical Theology is one belonging to it altogether apart from its usefulness for the student. Like unto all theology it finds its supreme end in the glory of God. Wilson And I have learned in ministry and out over the last twenty years the secret of pasto

This is a new feature on the blog.  Usually on Mondays, I get caught up on my favorite podcasts.  This usually results in a lot of tweeting on that day.  However, if you are at work and not checking Twitter during that time, you might miss some of the great truth being shared by others.  So, I am sharing some of best tweets from the previous week which include great wisdom and truth.           "The law cannot do any more in sanctification than it did in justification." ~John Murray via @JustinHolcomb          The gospel is a shocking transfer. Without it, Sundays wouldn't be celebrations, they'd be performance evaluations followed by pep talks- Paul Dunk via @Trent_Stutzman People who believe in the glory story put their faith in whatever happens to be this week's 6 steps (or 7 habits) to success. In doing so, they intrinsically put faith in themselves as people who can follow those steps & develop those habits if they just try hard enough. @ElyseF

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have chosen the word, gospel, to think about and meditate on in 2016.  Gospel in the Greek literally means, "good news."  My best definition of gospel is the "life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ." I hope to have a deeper understanding of the word and definition at the end of 2016. Check out previous posts on this topic. 25  Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans. (Acts 8:25)   40  But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea. (Acts 8:40) One observation as we begin the book of Acts.  Most of the verses which contain the word "gospel" up to this point are focused on what we proclaim or preach. It would seem to push us away from thoughts about "living or being the gospel."  Instead is something t

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9  not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8:9)

Here is a great song playing on the radio right now by Casting Crowns called Just Be Held . It is a reminder that even when we can't hold on that God is holding on to us.  When we are faithless, He remains faithful.  Enjoy! Hold it all together Everybody needs you strong But life hits you out of nowhere And barely leaves you holding on And when you're tired of fighting Chained by your control There's freedom in surrender Lay it down and let it go So when you're on your knees and answers seem so far away You're not alone, stop holding on and just be held Your world's not falling apart, it's falling into place I'm on the throne, stop holding on and just be held Just be held, just be held If your eyes are on the storm You'll wonder if I love you still But if your eyes are on the cross You'll know I always have and I always will And not a tear is wasted In time, you'll understand I'm painting beauty with the ashes Your life is in My ha

We often forget.  We see throughout history the Israelites and the church forgetting. We need to be reminded often of who God is in Scripture, church history and in our lives and churches. This is a new feature on the blog on the names of God.  Why?  Because these names are not just what God does, it is who He is.  I hope this will encourage you as you are reminded of how good, great, and awesome our God is. Yahweh Rapha Yahweh is the Hebrew Name for God. It is "I AM". It is used over 6000 times in the Old Testament.  It was such a holy name that the Jews would not even say it.  Rapha means healer. Our God heals physically, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually. for I am the Lord , your healer (Exodus 15:26) What it reminds me?  God heals.  I do not believe healing (or other gifts such as miracles, speaking in tongues, etc.) ended with the coming of Christ or completion of the Bible.  God still heals today.

I'm proud of our 5th/6th graders and the great job they did at Schowalter Villa tonight. It was one of our service projects where we delivered Valentines and played BINGO with residents. Here are some pictures:

I finished Counsel From the Cross by Elyse Fitzpatrick last week. I highly recommend this to everyone and especially to pastors, counselors, and teachers. Here are some quotes from 2 of the last chapters (more quotes from final chapter in a later post): we learn not only that our thoughts should linger on the gospel, but also that doing so will change our attitude and mood. For every one look that they take at their sin, they need to take ten looks at God's love for them in Christ. From the gospel we learn who we are and how God sees us. His love for us is to have a powerful effect on our love for others, and it is the only thing that will motivate us to love as we have been called to. The problem with a large majority of these books (Christian parenting or marriage books), however is that they have pointed out the obligations of the gospel without first rehearsing the declarations of the gospel. but gospel-oriented parents give the law to show children their need for

This is a new feature on the blog.  Usually on Mondays, I get caught up on my favorite podcasts.  This usually results in a lot of tweeting on that day.  However, if you are at work and not checking Twitter during that time, you might miss some of the great truth being shared by others.  So, I am sharing some of best tweets from the previous week which include great wisdom and truth. The same act of faith that constantly looks to Christ alone for justification looks to Christ alone for sanctification and glorification. @MichaelHorton_  The important thing is the presence of faith in Christ not the intensity or degree of faith. @whitehorseinn #Abraham  Dead religion invites you to burdensome obedience. It's all riding on you. The gospel invites us into freedom & loving obedience. @pauldunk Read God's Word. Underline heavily everything about what our Savior has done for us. You need this... (Bo Giertz) No matter what we face, we face it with the power and presence

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have chosen the word, gospel, to think about and meditate on in 2016.  Gospel in the Greek literally means, "good news."  My best definition of gospel is the "life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ." I hope to have a deeper understanding of the word and definition at the end of 2016. Check out previous posts on this topic. 6  And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. (Luke 9:6) 20  One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel , the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up (Luke 20:1)

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

We often forget.  We see throughout history the Israelites and the church forgetting. We need to be reminded often of who God is in Scripture, church history and in our lives and churches. So, starting today, I will be sharing a new feature on the blog on the names of God.  Why?  Because these names are not just what God does, it is who He is.  I hope this will encourage you as you are reminded of how good, great, and awesome our God is. Yahweh Nissi Yahweh is the Hebrew Name for God. It is "I AM". It is used over 6000 times in the Old Testament.  It was such a holy name that the Jews would not even say it.  Nissi means banner. It was used after an Israelite victory.  15  And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner,           (Exodus 17:15) What it reminds me?  No matter what I or you may be facing today. We have a God who is victorious.

As I have continued to read Gospel Powered Parenting by William Farley, I have struggled.  Chapter 3 was difficult.  I would probably not recommend this book to parents because of this chapter.  Chapters 4-5 seemed to help a little, but something is missing.  I am going to finish the book, but won't recommend it to others.  His understanding of fear, holiness, and grace are much different from mine and more importantly my understanding of the Bible.  With that said, I believe fear, holiness, and grace are biblical.  However, I would see a different definition in Scripture than Farley. These chapters heap condemnation on parents if they don't measure up.  But then he says something that makes me question my strong feelings.  This book has confused me more than any other book I have read because of how it mixes law and gospel.  Most books I disagree with are heavy on law and moralism only.  This one blends law and gospel which makes it difficult to differentiate the two. Belo

Below are pictures from our 2nd Gospel Party:

Tonight at Hesston MB (610 W. Randall), we are having our second Gospel Party.  What is a gospel party?  It is a time to celebrate God and what He has done.  The party is open to all children 4th grade and younger and their families.  Anyone in the Hesston area is invited. If your child attends, please send an adult with them. The gospel party will include crafts, a meal provided by the church, music and a lesson.  Schedule is: 6:15-6:45 p.m.-Meal provided by church 6:45-7:15 p.m.-Music, Lesson, and Prayer 7:15-8:00 p.m.-Crafts Hope to see you there!

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have chosen the word, gospel, to think about and meditate on in 2016.  Gospel in the Greek literally means, "good news."  My best definition of gospel is the "life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ." I hope to have a deeper understanding of the word and definition at the end of 2016. Check out previous posts on this topic. 10  And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. (Mark 13:10)   15  And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. (Mark 16:15)  

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” (Galatians 3:13)