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Here is my first Christmas song to post for this season.  It is called "His Name Shall Be Called" by Matt Redman.  Be reminded who He is. 

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” (Colossians 3:12)

Today, I am posting over at 1 Corinthians 13 Parenting.  Head over  here to see my thoughts on being thankful. 

I would like to share some of my favorite resources to use with family during Advent. I hope they will be a blessing to you and a way to fix your eyes on Jesus during this Advent.  The Donkey in the Living Room by Sarah Cunningham--I met Sarah at the D6 Conference in Louisville. This is a fun tradition that was established in her own home as a child. We used this resource last year as an ebook, but it is available now in Christian bookstores.  Adorenaments or The 12 Names of Christmas by Family Life--These have been a favorite tradition for our family. This has been edited to include an adult version and child version. Each of these ornaments uses a name and image of Jesus and includes a brief reading for each Adornament or name of Jesus. The ornaments are great for families with younger kids.  The ADVENTure of Christmas by Lisa Whelchel--We used this several years ago in our family. Lisa shares the stories of many of the traditions that we participate in during th...

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. The names of God are important 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 Shalom 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.  Shalom means peace. 24  Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace. (Judges 6:24) What it reminds me?  When I am anxious and fearful, God offers peace. When life is spinning out of control, God is still on the throne and is all-powerful.  In our busyness and chaos, God can give us peace as we get our eyes up on Him and off our circumstances. ...

I love theology.  Others do not.  Today's Favorite Book Friday is on theology by Michael Horton.  I appreciate his discussion of the 4 D's.  Horton writes, "One way to see how knowing, experiencing, and living are interconnected is to describe each main doctrine of the Christian faith in terms of four Ds: drama, doctrine, doxology, and discipleship.

  I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, (Philippians 1:3) Today, as we gather to say thanks to the God who gives all good gifts, I am thankful to God for all the people who have impacted my life and for all He has provided. Happy Thanksgiving from the Martin Family!  Enjoy your time with family and friends.

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. May we never think that pondering the Almighty's love is only for beginners. @ElyseFitz Keep giving each other the gospel. Articulate it, explain it, pull it apart--don't let it just become a word. @jonmoffitt In Christ, it's already been done. So now, doing can just be a response to already being. @mockingbirdnyc in the immediate aftermath of a broken experience, we need his presence not a prescription. @mattbheard I'm moving from a prayer life to a praying life. Praying is affected by how much I need Christ for all of life. @cbc_theocast God's plan is not to st...

In 2016, I chose the word "gospel" to focus on and read verses related to this word.  I have finished this study and I am starting my words for 2017 "in Christ" a few months early.  Each week, I will post 1 verse that includes the phrase "in Christ". I look forward to growing in understanding of what it means to be "in Christ." 6  For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7  For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8  but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9  Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11  More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lo...

Here is a great reminder about identity and who we are.  Enjoy this new song by Carrollton called Tell Me.

Today, I preached at Hesston MB on Philippians 2:14-18.  Below are notes from the message. Just Do It Philippians 2:14-18 Introduction : Title of sermon is based on Nike’s Slogan- This slogan was coined in 1988 & was highly successful as one of top two taglines of 20 th century because it was "universal and intensely personal. While Reebok was directing their campaign at aerobics during the fitness craze of the 1980s, Nike’s objective was to target all Americans regardless of age, gender or physical fitness level which led to Nike becoming worn as a fashion statement, not just as fitness gear. (wikipedia) As humans, we are doers.   We gravitate towards DIY (do it yourself). As I read our passage today, be listening for how we “just do it.” Indicative and Imperative Elyse Fitzpatrick defines indicative as what has already been indicated or declared about you, it informs us, an accomplished fact, it’s what has been done by God; imperative comes to us ...

We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.”    (Romans 12:6)

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. The names of God are important 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!

Tonight was our all church family night for Operation Christmas Child. Thank you to all who make it possible through donating & cooking food, donating & filling boxes, setting up tables & chairs & more. We had a great turnout & hope you had a great time. I will post on Hesston MB Facebook page when I get a final number. Here are a few pictures from the night:

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. Christ's death, Paul says, has not only saved us from something but for something. @mockingbirdnyc We are called to a discipleship that grows out of living on the Vine-in Union w/Christ & together w/the communion of saints. @MichaelHorton_ What belongs to Jesus?-His righteousness. He gives his righteousness to law keeper, law breaker & everyone in between. @ElyseFitz God pours truth through broken vessels. There is no perfect theologian or teacher--including the men who wrote the Bible. @faithandlifeks We have done a disservice to parables by naming them. W...

I love books! Are you surprised?  Probably not.  I love reading and learning.  But what may be hard to believe is that I hated to read in high school and college.  When I was forced to read in seminary, I was not a fan.  After a 6 month break from required reading after seminary, I fell in love with reading for enjoyment and education.  Here are some quotes from Elyse Fitzpatrick and Matt Heard from books I am reading: Kairos is time infused with potential and possibilities as we steward both opportunities as well as difficulties. I end up surviving instead of living. Existing in the chronos of my days instead of experiencing the kairos that's there also. in the immediate aftermath of a broken experience, we need his presence not a prescription...our need for God's embrace trumps our need for his instruction. When sin entered the garden, the primary consequence was a deep rupture in relationships. Maturity in Christ does not occur because ...

In 2016, I chose the word "gospel" to focus on and read verses related to this word.  I have finished this study and I am starting my words for 2017 "in Christ" a few months early.  Each week, I will post 1 verse that includes the phrase "in Christ". I look forward to growing in understanding of what it means to be "in Christ." 21  But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22  the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24  and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus , 25  whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26  It was to show his righteous...

Here is a new song by Hawk Nelson called "Live Like You're Loved."  What a great reminder to live from our identity not for it.  I love the chorus: "So go ahead and live like you're loved. It's ok to act like you've been set free. His love has made you more than enough. So go ahead and be who he made you to be."

We are excited about our all church family night this Wednesday, November 16th.  This is open to all ages and the community.  Our evening will start with a meal at 6:00 p.m. followed by singing and lesson at 6:45 and filling Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes at 7:15.  There are several ways you can donate:  items for shoeboxes (see list on Hesston MB Facebook page here) , finances (each box needs $7 for shipping-checks made payable to Hesston MB) and/or you can donate food for the meal (sign up here ) Below you will find a few pictures from previous years.

I recently read this book as part of a blog tour, but now it has become one of my favorite books.  Check it out!

“ For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)

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. The names of God are important 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.

This past week, I have reading three specific books.  Core Christianity by Michael Horton, Life With A Capital L by Matt Heart, and Because He Loves Me by Elyse Fitzpatrick.  Here are quotes from recent chapters: The logic of karma or the law is broken because the God of justice is also the merciful God of grace. The gift has been given. Therefore we are free to give. And what we give is our thanks to God and our good works to our neighbor. The good news draws us out into the world, looking up to Christ in faith and out to our neighbor in love and good works. We are called to a discipleship that grows out of living on the Vine--in union with Christ and together with the communion of saints. At the core of the Christian faith are objective, historical realities that secure our faith. And with our salvation fully secured, we are able to look up in faith toward God and out to our neighbor in love. Plumbing theology is simply a matter of receiving from God and then...

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 energizing foundation of the Christian life is God's commitment to us, not our commitment to him. @JustinBuzzard The good news is not an agenda for us to fulfill but an announcement of God's victory in his Son. @MichaelHorton_ Outreach ideas-our motivation-the glory of God; our strategy-be nice; our message-the grace of God in Christ. Great message! @ByronYawn The Christian walks under the umbrella of grace, covered by grace, & moved to life & faith & holiness by grace. @EthanMagness Jesus didn't just ascend a mountain to give a new law. He ascended ...

In 2016, I chose the word "gospel" to focus on and read verses related to this word.  I have finished this study and I am starting my words for 2017 "in Christ" a few months early.  Each week, I will post 1 verse that includes the phrase "in Christ". I look forward to growing in understanding of what it means to be "in Christ." 24  After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. (Acts 24:24)

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14  in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13-14)

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. The names of God are important 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.

Today marks my 8th anniversary at Hesston MB Church.  I am thankful for being called to this church and community and look forward to the future together.  Many things have changed since I started here on November 1, 2008.  There have been joys and struggles.  God willing, I will be here for many years to come.  I love this town and love the people in our church family.  Celebrate with me by either reading a book or drinking a good cup of coffee.