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Today, because it is Halloween, I am posting a book that I have on my Christmas list by Steve Brown.  The subtitle is dropping the masks that keep us apart. I look forward to reading this book.

This is a now a regular feature on the blog.  Usually on Mondays, I get caught up on my favorite podcasts and 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 gospel is the announcement of God's purposes, promises, and achievements—not ours. @MichaelHorton_ My feelings WILL NEVER change the absolute truth of the Gospel. In Christ I am new, I am loved and Righteous, cleaned, accepted forever. @benlpatrick The more we stand in awe of God, the less we'll stand in judgment of each other. @bobgoff Discipleship is a process of paying more attention to God's righteousness and less attention to ours. @PrestonSprinkle via @mathdrmitchell God always answers the prayer of faith.God answers in 1 of 4 ways: yes, no, not yet, or i...

Donavon Riley-The Lost Sheep & Coin-Luke 15:1-10 There's Facebook You and the True You. All of Scripture is about Jesus.  There's God's truth and then there's our truth. How bad do you have to be separated from the sinners? (i.e. tax collectors) They were the worst of the worst. Not only did Jesus spend time with tax collectors but he also ate with them.   In Luke's gospel, who you sit with is who you want to be identified with. Lost sheep & Lost coin-When they find what was lost, they celebrate. When Jesus tells parables of grace, what Jesus says is what causes people to crucify him. We treat parables as if they are snapshots.  How many times .....? What if the answer is there is never a time that the Shepherd does not seek the lost sheep?  Everything that comes to you from God is gift. You cannot earn it. You don't deserve it. How we react to grace resembles story of Hosea and Gomer? Caleb Keith-The Prodigal Son-Luke 15:11-32 This is the father story t...

Daniel Van Voorhis-The Pharisee & Tax Collector-Luke 18:9-14 Theme of Luke 18-Prayer We see Pharisees as Bond villains or storm troopers. Before we judge them, remember they are trying to live out the law they have been taught. However, we often identity with the tax collector. Pharisees & Those Who Have Contempt For Others Contempt-one of the great problems in our society. It's killing our culture.  The Pharisee-"Look God, I'm doing it." Let's take the black hat off of the Pharisee. Tax Collectors They sold out to the government. They working for Caesar Rejected the coming of the Kingdom Jesus hangs out with them We are all Pharisees and tax collectors.  We have sold out to the government and said, "God, look at what I'm doing". We all need a Savior. Who do I hold contempt for? In our contempt, we think we are protecting. We hold contempt for certain kinds of sinners. We are all three of the these characters.  But in Christ eye's we are ...

Today, Bethany and I are headed to Dallas for the Christ Hold Fast one day conference.  Check back tomorrow for quotes from the speakers. I am looking forward to hearing the gospel and a weekend away with my beautiful wife without kids.  

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. 13  I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, 14  but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. (Philemon 1:13-14)   6  Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. (Revelation 14:6)

Here is a song by Lauren Daigle about how God makes us alive.  This is a great reminder of God as victorious, rescuer, loving, Savior, and relentless toward His people.

Today over at 1 Corinthians 13 Parenting, I am sharing thoughts about Judgment House.  Many disagree with me on this topic, but I think it important to think critically about what it teaches people about who God is.  Checkmy thoughts out here

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 weekly feature here 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.

Here are my notes from my message today at Hesston MB.  Preaching Backwards-- Philippians 2:1-4 Introduction : What if you read the final chapter of a book instead of starting at the beginning?   Would it ruin the book or allow you to enjoy the characters & situations because you know how it ends? Or read Return of the King before reading The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings? What if you watched Return of the Jedi without watching Star Wars or The Empire Strikes Back?   This morning, we are going to start in verse 4 and move backwards through the passage.   Often in sermons, we want to know what we need to “do” so this morning we will start with what we do and work our way back to verse one to see how and why. Review-Therefore -Greek work “oun” translated so (AMP, ESV, RSV) or therefore (New NIV, NKJV, NASB)-Pastor Brad preached two weeks ago about suffering of Paul & Philippians.   Stand firm together, strive together (have each other’s back-fight...

“ I have been crucified with Christ . It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me . (Galatians 2:20)

Loved this book and its focus on identity in Christ from the book of Ephesians. 

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. 8  Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9  who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10  and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, (2 Timothy 1:8-10)   8  Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of...

Tonight was our Fall Gospel Party at Hesston MB Church.  Our Fall Gospel Party includes supper, inflatables, singing, story, and a drawing for prizes.  The theme for tonight was Good, Good Father based on the song and the new children's book by that title. The goal of each Gospel Party is to "celebrate who God is and what He has done." Enjoy these pictures from tonight. Thanks to all who made the Gospel Party possible!

This is a now a regular feature on the blog.  Usually on Mondays, I get caught up on my favorite podcasts and 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. Trying to disengage our work for Christ from our union with Christ does violence to method the Spirit has chosen to sanctify us. @ElyseFitz The Bible is not a self-help manual. It is a love story of a hero's pursuit of His beloved. Jesus is the hero and you are loved. @1christiegirl The Christian faith is not "great is my faithfulness" but rather "great is God’s faithfulness." @ZachMaldo If we want a life rich with fruit that blesses others, it doesn’t happen by doing more, but by abiding more. @bcloritts Church, be reminded--the most important thing is Christ ...

What a great reminder about who God is from Natalie Grant.  He is the King of the World.  No matter what you are facing today, be reminded the King of the World loves you and wants to be in relationship with you.

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. King of Kings   King of Kings reminds us who is in control.  Jesus will come again.   14  They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.” (Revelation 17:14) What it reminds me?  Jesus wins.  No matter what happens in this world including the election, Jesus is still on the throne.  There is no politician who will save us or our country.  We worship a risen Savior who is the ultimate King. I am...

I received a free copy of Union With Christ by Rankin Wilbourne to be part of a blog tour for an honest review.  Below you will find my review which will also be posted at Amazon. Wilbourne writes, "One of the major arguments of this book is that union with Christ was once considered to be at the very heart of why the gospel is good news. Nothing is more basic or more central to the Christian life than union with Christ." I would highly recommend this book because of the topic as well as a thorough treatment of the subject. The book is divided into four parts: Union with Christ: What is it and why do we need it; Union with Christ: Where did it come from? Where did it go?; Union with Christ: What problems does it solve?; and Union with Christ day by day. Rankin Wilbourne does an excellent job explaining what union with Christ is and why it is important.  His definition is union with Christ means you are in Christ and Christ is in you.  For the rest of part...

“ For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” (Ephesians 1:4)

I am part of a blog tour for Rankin Wilbourne's book, Union With Christ. I will post a book review on Sunday, October 16th.  Today, I am posting several quotes from the book.  If you are wondering what union with Christ is or looking for a good book on the subject, Wilbourne's book is for you. Nothing is more basic or more central to the Christian life than union with Christ. We may know what God has saved us from, but have we lost sight of what God has saved us for? Our neglect of union with Christ explains the gaps between our faith and our lives. When the work of Christ for us becomes abstracted from the person of Christ within us, is it any wonder there is a chasm between our heads and our hearts or between our beliefs and our experiences? faith means finding your identity in Christ. Christ dwelling in us by His Spirit is a guarantee that we can and will change. the faithfulness of God is not dependent on the strength of your faith...Our faith is indeed fickle...

This is a now a regular feature on the blog.  Usually on Mondays, I get caught up on my favorite podcasts and 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 gospel doesn’t lead us to work harder; it leads us to rest better (in Christ). @scottythom  The Christian life is the practice of living in what God has done and is doing. @PetersonDaily Proper application of the text is asking, "How does it apply to Christ?" And looking at the implications for us in terms of our union W/ Him @TheEscoMo The motivation to live godly doesn't come from "I owe God," but rather from the truth that "Jesus paid my debt, so now I no longer owe God." @ZachMaldo "Our inability to be still and know God is our major stum...

Today, Bryan Loritts book, Saving the Saved is released.  Earlier today, I posted a book review.  This afternoon, I want to share my favorite quotes from the book. The church has become a meritocracy. It was never meant to be this way.    We’re all complicated messes in need of daily grace.  If we want a life rich with fruit that blesses others, it doesn’t happen by doing more, but by abiding more    Our sins were expunged, not through our white-knuckled, try-harder morality, but through the death of Jesus. We call that grace.  Life in the meritocracy tends to be all about me and my attempts to find value and love through, well, my attempts. So off we go, trying to ascend “Mount Significance” through our own efforts, hoping to catch greatness along the way. But what if I told you there’s a completely different way, a counterintuitive path? What if I showed you that the great God who created you and me not only relieves us of our strivi...

Below you will find a book review for Saving the Saved by Bryan Loritts.  I received a free advance electronic copy of the book for an honest review.  This book releases today.  As the title suggests, this book is about moving from trying harder and performance in the Christian life into living from who God says we are.  The book is comprised of 3 parts: What Goodness Isn't, Authentic Goodness and Living In and Reflecting God's Performance-Free Love based on the gospel of Matthew. Loritts does an excellent job of presenting the reason this book is needed through examples from Scripture, his own life and the church. It reminds us that our relationship with Christ is not based on our performance for Him or what he calls "meritocracy".  Instead, Bryan helps us refocus on Christ and what it means to abide or be in relationship with Him. I would recommend this book for anyone especially those who are striving to earn God's love or who question their i...

I'm excited about our Fall Gospel Party at Hesston MB Church (610 W. Randall) on Wednesday, October 19th from 5:30-8:00 p.m.  Bring the whole family for a night of food, fun, and praising God for who He is and what He has done. 5:30-6:15-Inflatable fun and more 6:15-6:45-Free Meal 6:45-7:15-Singing & Story Time 7:15-8:00-Inflatable fun and more This year, our theme will be Good, Good Father and our story will be based on new book by Chris Tomlin & Pat Barrett (songwriter of song by the same name).  Several families will win a copy of the book! See you on October 19th. If you have questions, contact Pastor J.L. at 620-327-2847.

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. 14  To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 2:14)   11  in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted. (1 Timothy 1:11)