daddy4ms

My Aunt Kay Jean suggested I start sharing a verse of the day.  I liked her suggestion but decided instead of a verse of the day, I would share a verse of the week.  Be reminded of who God is from His Word. 15  After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2  But Abram said, “O Lord God , what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3  And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” 4  And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” 5  And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6  And he believed the Lord , and he counted it to him as righteousness. (...

My Aunt Kay Jean suggested I start sharing a verse of the day.  I liked her suggestion but decided instead of a verse of the day, I would share a verse of the week.  Be reminded of who God is from His Word. 1  In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

Pressing On.....Together-Ephesians 4:14-16-Matt Heard Ephesians 2:10-we are God's handiwork The work of art is not just the work itself but the people of God working together. Six Essentials of Pressing On Together: Compass -Where are we going? -Vision, USMB Future Story, Alignment Map -How are we going to get there? - 3 Core Commitments, Strategy, Goals Multitool -Do we understand our roles? - Awareness of each other's gifts and roles; Appreciation of mutual value Rope- Are we cooperating? - Collaboration, Trust, Communication, Leadership, Fun & Gratitude First Aid Kit -Can we fix what's holding us back? - Problem-solving skills, Conflict Resolution, Accountability, Affirmation, Commitment to the Vision Cake -Are we celebrating our progress? - Community, Synergy, Results, Worship

Today, I am posting over at 1 Corinthians 13 Parenting on the topic of "being a dad."  This will conclude a 3 part series on "man up".  I hope it will be a blessing and encouragement to you.  It's not what you think.  Go here

Be encouraged by the Word of God this morning.  Here are some promises of God from the Psalms compiled by Kenneth Boa: “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.   But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.   He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.   Whatever he does prospers” (1:1-3). “Blessed are all who take refuge in him” (2:12). “Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord will hear when I call to him” (4:3). “For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield” (5:12). “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.   Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you” (9:9-10). “The Lord ...

Here is a song that we sang in college and that I was reminded of when I attended Jr. Camp at Tabor College this summer.  Be reminded of the victory that Jesus has over Satan.

If you are a regular reader of the blog, you know I have been sharing the promises of God compiled by Kenneth Boa.  Today, I am sharing the promises from the book of Joshua.  Be encouraged! “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.   Then you will be prosperous and successful” (1:8). “Be strong and courageous.   Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (1:9). The Lord our God is God in heaven above and on the earth below (2:11). “So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there.   The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers.   Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord handed all their enemies over to them.   Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to the h...

My word for 2014 is focused on the power of God.  Are you feeling weak today?  Be encouraged by the truth of God's Word that in our weakness, Jesus is powerful. 9  But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. ” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV)

I have been encouraging people a lot lately to get their eyes up on Jesus.  I have written several posts recently based on quotes from Matt Chandler and many others encouraging us to look up.  Be encouraged by this song today.

My post is appearing over at 1 Corinthians 13 Parenting Today.  It is for husbands to encourage their wives.  Check it out here

Here is another song to encourage you today:

I was given this resource recently and began reading through the cards today.  I want to share them with you.  Check back throughout the week for these encouraging reminders about prayer. They were written by LaVern Loewens who is the grandfather of Richelle Arrasmith, Renae Sams, and Rachel Burkholder.  He is Rosemary Prieb's father.  He has given me permission to share with you.  I hope your prayers will be transformed!

Last night, we had our final Family Night of the year.  Our theme was "Top Secret."  Families enjoy a meal together then participate in fun and learning together.  The night included decoding a secret message, finding clues and a scavenger hunt.  We looked at ways to encourage members of our family through God's Word.  We even sang a few songs. I am thankful for my girls who are my great helpers each Family Night.  They set the tables, fill up drinks, put dessert on tables and even help me get the supplies on the tables.  Thank you Molly, Megan, and Kenzie!

As men, we often find it hard to have another man in our lives who knows us well.  And I mean knows all about us--the good and the bad.  This is one area that I have not invested a lot of time in over the years.  Obviously, I share with my wife, fellow pastors, and others within leadership.  But what about someone else. As a pastor, it is nice to have someone outside of my church to share with openly and challenge me. I don't like to use the word accountability because it tends to focus on trying harder or relying on self rather than being empowered by the Holy Spirit.  A great book on this topic is Gospel Centered Discipleship by Jonathan Dodson. He has a great section about what he calls "fight clubs." You can view posts about the book here & here. I have been meeting for several weeks now with a guy who is helping me in this area.  I share openly about how I am doing spiritually, specifics about marriage & parenting, what is going on in the ...

As a guy, I hate asking for directions when I might be lost.  I like to use the GPS on my phone, but this can often lead me to go weird ways when I know exactly how to get somewhere.  To prove the point, I have driven to Sterling often (since I graduated from there), but have ended up taking the longer route the last two times I have driven there.  This driving illustration leads me to direction we need in our lives.  I have several decisions related to ministry and home that need to be made.  At times, I can become overwhelmed with deciding between two good options.  As I was praying on Tuesday, I was pondering these decisions and asked God to speak to me through His Word.  He did.  Here is the Scripture that was brought to mind: 1  Do not fret because of those who are evil      or be envious of those who do wrong; 2  for like the grass they will soon wither,      like green plants they wil...

Several months ago, I preached a sermon based on Ephesians 1 about our identity in Christ.  I am thankful for this short video clip reinforcing in a creative way what God says about you and me.  This was created by Elevation Church where Steven Furtick is the pastor.  Be encouraged and remember who you are today! Elevation Creative: Who Am I? from Elevation Church on Vimeo .

On Thursday, I decided to type "in Christ" into my Bible app on my phone and see the Scriptures as a reminder of my identity in Christ.  Here is a partial list: Sons of God (Galatians 3:26 No condemnation (Romans 8:1) ·          Mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5) ·          Eternal purpose (Ephesians 3:11) ·          Made alive (1 Corinthians 15:22; Romans 6:11) ·          Proud of work for God (Romans 15:17) ·          Bold (Philemon 1:8) ·          Forgiven (Ephesians 4:32) ·          Brought near to God (Ephesians 2:13) ·          Hope (Ephesians 1:12) ·          Justified by grace (Romans 3:24) · ...