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Spending today in prayer and worship here today. This is similar to the International House of Prayer in Kansas City. 

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.  

Today's New Book Friday was recommended by my friend Russell. We were Facebook friends and then met in Dallas while I was on sabbatical. We talked for three hours outside of Starbucks until after midnight. Thanks for the recommendation, Russell!

One of my stops during Sabbatical Trip 2 was to The Village Church in Dallas, TX.  I attended their worship service two weeks in a row. I also had the opportunity to observe their children's ministry for 5th grade and younger.  Here are a few thoughts from this visit: Matt Chandler and the Village Church have been taking some heat recently via social media. I was encouraged by Chandler's confession and repentance during the worship service. He was humble and gave permission for the congregation to contact any of the elders if they had been hurt by their actions.  His words and posture showed sorrow for his and others' actions Children's Ministry curriculum that is gospel centered and Jesus focused--I know this seems like a no brainer, but so much of the curriculum for kids is about morals and being good.  I appreciated Kid's Village (1st-5th) focus on the attributes of God. These are prominently placed in all of their rooms. See picture below. Repetitio...

I am excited and thankful for my sabbatical which begins tomorrow, May 1st and goes through July 31, 2015. I appreciate the opportunity provided to me by my church, Hesston MB.  To me, this is a great blessing and sign of a healthy church as they allow their staff to take time to grow as individuals and leaders.  Below are my tentative plans as shared with the congregation. Sabbatical 2015   Dates: May-July 2015 As I prepare to go on Sabbatical in the summer of 2015, I have been praying about what this time of refreshment, renewal, and relaxation should include.   Here are a few possibilities: ·         Time of prayer & reflection   ·         Attendance at various churches to observe what their Sunday morning looks like   ·         Visits to specific churches who are ministering effectively to children, couples and fami...

Today, Steve (Bethany's dad), myself, and Mitchell are on a day trip to Dallas, TX. We were up bright and early to catch a flight from Wichita to Dallas.  Then stopped by Steve's church in Dallas, lunch at In & Out Burger, and then headed to American Airlines Center to watch the OKC Thunder play the Dallas Mavericks.  Below are some pictures from the trip:

Have you ever returned from a conference and tried to remember a book you saw at the book table?  I decided to share with you a list of books that were featured at D6 2013 in Louisville.  I hope this helps you find the book you are looking for. SPEAKER TITLE Tommy Sanders I'm Counting On You Manual Only   Jim Burns Creating an Intimate Marriage   Jim Burns Closer: 52 Devotions   Jim Burns How God Makes Babies   Michael & Hayley DiMarco Obsessed: Breaking Free From the Things That Consume You Michael & Hayley DiMarco The Brave: Conquering the Fears That Hold You Back Ron Deal The Remarriage Checkup Ron Deal The Smart Stepdad James Dobson   Building Confidence in Your Child   Jim Burns The Purity Code   Michael & Hayley DiMarco The God Girl Journey   Michael & Hayley DiMarco True Purity   Ro...

Check out the latest video for the D6 Conference.  What a great reminder about why we do what we do! Register to attend Dallas or Louisville at www.d6conference.com Impress: D6 2013 from D6 Conference on Vimeo .

As you read  this I am driving to Dallas for the D6 Conference.  I look forward to the drive as I get to talk with a friend to pass the time.  I am looking forward to all the main stage speakers, but most excited about Pete Wilson & Dennis Rainey.   Here are the labs I plan to attend on Wednesday: The Parent Project: Pre-Evangelistic Community Service to Hurting Families that Makes a Difference Mobilizing Men in your Congregation Helping Parents Raise Boys who Love Jesus 10 Common Marriage Ministry Mistakes I will be part of the social media team while I am there.  Here are ways you can connect with me and participate if you are unable to attend: I will be tweeting during sessions. The hashtag is #D62012 and you can follow me @JL_Martin. I will write a blog summary for each main presentation. You can join the live conversation during the sessions that are live-streamed. You can find which sessions will be live-streamed and their approxim...

A week from today I am headed to Dallas for the excellent D6 Conference.  I will be part of the social media team while I am there.  Here are ways you can connect with me and participate if you are unable to attend: I will be tweeting during sessions. The hashtag is #D62012 and you can follow me @JL_Martin. I will write a blog summary for each main presentation. You can join the live conversation during the sessions that are live-streamed. You can find which sessions will be live-streamed and their approximate times here: http://live.mediasocial.tv/d6conference . Here you can ask questions and see what others are saying. I hope you will interact with me September 26-28.  You can still register to attend  here

I will be part of the social media team again this year for the D6 Conference in Dallas on September 26-28.  See information below showing other members of social media team and which speakers will be streamed live.  I hope you will share thoughts or send questions as we interact via social media during the conference.  I will be posting quotes & thoughts here on my blog as well as quotes on Twitter.  This is a great way for you to receive great content if you are unable to attend. Download social media guide here