daddy4ms

This is a new feature replacing "Playing on the Radio", but will be similar because it will include music.  I will be sharing songs from my "Gospel Playlist" on my phone. The gospel is good news.  It reminds us what Christ has DONE for us.  As I share, I hope it will be an encouragement to you today.  Song today is:  Greater by MercyMe

I love this new song by Blanca called "Greater Is He."  It reminds us that no matter what we face, we have a God that is with us and greater than all things.  It is another song recently released based on 1 John 4:4 which says " 4  You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." I face a giant In over my head Help me to look up I take a deep breath And take the next step Though I may be weak I know who is with me [Chorus:] And greater is He living in me Than he who is in the world Whatever may come, His strength is enough My heart is at peace, for greater is He I face an ocean The waves are raging Help me to look up You’ll do what I can’t And I’ll walk on dry land I’ll step out on the sea ‘Cause I know who is with me [Chorus] And in His name, giants will fall And in His name, oceans will part And in His name, there’s nothing we won’t overcome This is ou...

Today's song is by Chris Tomlin and is called "Greater". I heard it once and immediately loved the words.  Be reminded that "greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world." From him, through him, and to him are all things To God be the glory His word endures from beginning to end To God be the glory To God be the glory Greater is the one who lives in me Greater is the love of Jesus Greater than my sin Greater than the grave Above all other thrones Above all other names Greater, You are greater He was, and is, and forever will be To God be the glory His power in us, He is strength for the weak To God be the glory To God be the glory Greater is the one who lives in me Greater is the love of Jesus Greater than my sin Greater than the grave Above all other thrones Above all other names Greater, You are greater Jesus, You reign forever Jesus, You reign forever There’s no one like you Jesus, You reign Jesus, You reign fore...

Here is a song to remind you about our great God.  It is from Chris Tomlin's newest album.  Who is God? Who are you?  This song does a great job reminding us! To God be the glory!

As I was returning from a great weekend with family in Kansas City this weekend, I heard the song below.  I don't listen to radio or music in the car very often.  So, it was new to me.  Be reminded of the one who is greater today!

One of my favorite Chris Tomlin songs is "Our God."  This is a great reminder of who God is and I love the bridge that reminds us, "God is for us, not against us."  Be reminded about our great God today.

Several of you asked about the video from my sermon last week.  Here it is:

Introduction:   Note from Francis Chan at back of Big Red Tractor Book Quotes from Greater by Steven Furtick   “That’s the beauty of the greater way. It’s all about what Jesus has already done and what He desires to do through us. Period.   Nobody does greater things for God because they’ve got it all together. And nobody is disqualified because they don’t.   Including you and me. God doesn’t do greater things exclusively through great people. He does them through anyone who is willing to trust Him in greater ways.” Greater than John the Baptist-Luke 7:27-28 ·          Jesus speaking about John the Baptist says o    Quote Malachi 3:1-OT prophecy about John the Baptist ·          No one greater than John yet least in the kingdom of God is greater than he o    No One-speaking of OT prophets §   because he saw what they prophesied, he proclai...

This Sunday, I am preaching on the topic of  "Greater" based on three passages in Scripture.  They are: 28  I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” (Luke 7:28) 12  Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. (John 14:12) 4  You, dear children are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. (1 John 4:4) I look forward to talking about the greater life God has planned for us.  If you are in the Hesston area, join us at Hesston MB (610 W. Randall) at 10:10 a.m.  Or come early at 9 a.m. and enjoy pancakes served by our youth as a fundraiser for their mission trip to Chicago.

The last few days I have been preparing for a sermon I will preach on July 7th.  It has been influenced by the book, Greater, by Steven Furtick.  I am going to look at three times in the New Testament when we are told we will be greater than someone or something else.  I have enjoyed the study and preparation for this message.  Do you believe you are greater or just ok?  Have you read these greater verses and then dismiss them? Is great good enough in the Christian life? I hope these questions will be answered when I preach the sermon.  Please be praying for me in preparation and delivery.  I will post notes from the sermon after July 7th.

I have been sharing posts over the last several weeks from The Gospel of Yes by Mike Glenn. I recommend the book to you. If you want your life and the church to be known as a place of yes rather than no, this book is for you. Here are some final quotes from the book: "Over the years I've had to let go of a lot of concepts of God that proved too small to contain the God I was trying to follow." "When you find your "yes" and it aligns with the greater "yes" of God to his world, things bigger than you always happen." "No matter the circumstances, no matter how loud the "no" that I was dealing with, Christ would bring a "yes" that would give meaning and hope." "If God tells us "no", then his "yes" has promoted the "no." "So the people of Jesus have to find a way to be the "yes" of Christ to our wounded world." "The church has to become a plac...

Here's another video clip from Steven Furtick of Elevation Church on our identity in Christ.  Be reminded about who you are! I highly recommend you picking up his books, Sun Stand Still and Greater .  

Last week, I finished Greater by Steven Furtick. I highly recommend the book if you wanting something greater in your life. Are you tired of the status quo? Are you tired of settling for an average faith? Have you given up on the dreams and passions you had? Do you avoid taking risk because you doubt God can use you? If you answer yes to any of the questions, you need to pick up this book. Here are some quotes from the final chapters: Scriptures to read: 2 Kings 6:16-17, 1 John 4:4, Ephesians 1:18-21 "Satan is the maestro of mediocrity." "If you want to live surrounded by God's miracles, you have to come to terms with the fact that you'll always be surrounded by enemies." "What matters is what my Father sees in me and what He says about me." "He (Paul) prays that the Ephesians would know how the power of God is accessible and available to them as ordinary, average, common believers." "whenever you do what God has c...

What happens when you work hard for God and lose your passion? Steven Furtick has a few thoughts in his book, Greater : "Greater isn't an automatic, permanent position; it's an intentional daily decision." "But I find encouragement here. God isn't present only for my epic showdowns and life-altering crises. He's also superintending my everyday struggles. No detail or circumstance in my life falls outside His concern. He cares about little frustrations that can cause me to come unhinged. And since most of our spiritual momentum is gained or lost in the everyday affairs of life, it's good to know that God is actively involved in them." "The next time you sense yourself getting spiritually dull, don't try to regain your momentum by doubling down on your self-effort. Instead, go to God." "But I've learned that the greater life isn't about living the perfect life. It's about keeping your passion intact, no matte...

Greater is not a book about the prosperity gospel, but instead has a great chapter on humility. Here are some quotes from Steven Furtick: Scriptures to read: James 4:6, Philippians 2:6-7, Matthew 20:28, Luke 12:37, John 3:30 "The greater we become in God, the less about us our lives become." "Because the key to walking in freedom is often connected to obedience in the areas of our lives where we're locked into patterns of resisting God's Spirit." "Thinking it's all about us is kryptonite to the greater life." "The only path to greater heights in the things of God is to get lower. The lower you get, the higher God can take you." "Because Jesus's identity was secure, there was no reason for Him to be offended."

Some more thoughts from Greater by Steven Furtick: Scriptures to read: 2 Peter 1:4, 2 Corinthians 1:20, Romans 8:28 "You have your own trust fund set up too. When you pray for something and that particular thing doesn't happen, who's to say God isn't taking your faith and the prayers you prayed about that situation and posting them to another account in your life that you're going to see at a future time?" "He's a reliable manager of anything that is entrusted to Him. Including our very lives." "Everyone experiences what seem to be unanswered prayers. But in God's economy, no one's faith is ever wasted." "That's how you send your situation upstairs for further review--by drawing near to God and focusing on His faithfulness." "Most of us give up too soon on the greater life God has for us. Don't lost hope. With God, nothing in your life is ever beyond resuscitation." "God is too fai...

Here are a few thoughts about faith and suffering from the book, Greater , by Steven Furtick: Scriptures to read: 2 Kings 4, John 11:33-36 "And where God is silent, the power of His presence is most profound in how He grieves with us." "Even when it seemed as if He was deaf to their prayers, He was collecting their faith and making a plan to use it in a greater way."

I am continuing to read Greater by Steven Furtick. I read several chapters this week about the greater life God has for us. He even shared a story about Lysa TerKeurst that I had never heard. These chapters were an encouragement to understand who we are and how God can use whatever we have. Here are some quotes: "That's because you can't step into your new life until you first set fire to whatever is tethering you to your old life." "God does not necessarily tell you how He will do it, only that He will do it." "There's a good reason He doesn't feel the need to give you a navigational system. It's because He is offering to be your navigational system." "Just because God doesn't show you the details doesn't mean He doesn't know them." D.L. Moody said, "If God is your partner, make your plans big." "Only God can send the rain. But He expects you to dig the ditches." "Greate...

Routines and rhythms are good. We need them in our lives in many ways such as chores, exercise, schedules, holidays. But what about our spiritual lives? Should our prayers, worship, Bible reading become routine? Steven Furtick in his new book, Greater, addresses this in Chapter 3. Here are a few quotes to ponder: "When you start mindlessly plowing, activities like Bible study and church attendance begin to fall more into the "I have to" than the "I get to" category." "Igniting God's vision starts with becoming more acutely aware of God's presence in your life." "Sure God is everywhere, but it's a different thing to believe that He's personally watching over the intricacies of your life." "It shouldn't freak you out to realize that God's eyes are on you. Because He doesn't see you through eyes of disapproval or disappointment. His presence is not a sign of condemnation. It's ...

On Thursday, I started reading Greater by Steven Furtick. He has written one of my favorite books on prayer called Sun Stand Still. In Greater, he challenges us to not settle for "good enough" while at the same time avoiding frustration because we cannot achieve "greatest." He looks at the life of Elisha throughout the book. Here are some quotes from the first two chapters: "By leaving and then sending His Spirit to dwell inside His followers--ordinary people like you and me--Jesus released a greater power for us to do extraordinary things on an extraordinary scale. The kinds of things the early church saw and did. The kind of things He still wants to do today through us." "For most of us, the experience of our daily lives is a far cry from the greater works Jesus talked about in John 14:12." "There's a huge gap between what God said in His Word and the results we see in our lives." "Are you ready to o...