Posts

Renovating our "house"

I had a thought for a sermon and thought I'd share part of it on my blog. Today’s Sermon is Titled “Renovating our ‘house’”. Our house, referring to our bodies as the Temple of the Holy Spirit as stated in our text for today, 1 Corinthians 3: 5-17. The sermon hit me as I was working at the Huddle House, thinking of what I had to do that evening in preparation to the renovation of my mother-in-law’s house. It hit me that so many times we, as Christians, focus our energy on the physical things of the world without one thought to the spiritual side of our being. These days we don’t live in our houses for 50 plus years like we did in the last century. My grandfather still lives in the house he and my grandma bought and paid for in 1955, even after her passing. These days instead of staying put, we’re more often inclined to move around. With that being said, we still renovate our houses today. We make changes every 5 years, maybe more often, maybe less, but still yet, we make changes, n...

What we're made of...

When is it that we find out what we're really made of? Is it during the good times? Perhaps it's during the times when we don't know where to turn. Usually during the trials in our life is when we find our inner strength. During these past few months, the trials have come as thick as the "Ole' 96'er". But during these trials, unlike in the past, this time I have stood my ground, with my Lord Jesus by my side giving me His strength. Too many times in my life I have run from trouble. Finally for the first time in my life I am sticking my ground. I am not letting the powers of evil deter me from my task given by God. I made a vow to God that I would follow where He leads me, so in order to keep that vow, I must be strong and stand my ground. How are you at standing your ground? Do you have a tendency to run away from trouble? Do you not deal with the things in life that need to be dealt with? When we stand our ground, we need to be sure that we don't let...

To preach or not to preach...

As my education furthers and I feel the tugging of God at my heart telling me that I am ready for a ministry and I should be ready to accept a position, I am wondering what everyone's opinions are on this subject. Many of the people at my school and in my classes working to achieve their Bachelor's degrees are in or have been in the ministry even without the proper education. I was at my family's house around a month ago and received heavy resistance from them when I told them I am applying for paid positions in churches. They believe it's not right because I do not have the proper education. Keep in mind that these are the people who are also criticizing me for going into ministry in the first place as well. In my opinion, if we refuse to accept it when someone says that God is calling them to be a preacher, even without an education, who are we to doubt that? If we do doubt it, aren't we putting a box around God and saying that He couldn't possibly prepare som...

Is planning all it's cracked up to be?

It's been a while!! Here's the topic: Life Plan and Personal Mission. Do you have a Life Plan and Personal Mission? I just completed my Personal Planning and Management Bible class. Only 3% of America today says that they actually plan. I mean make goals, write out strategies, the whole works. What about a Personal Mission statement? Do you have a Mission in Life?? Here is mine: To serve God in the way He calls me, anywhere He calls me, anytime, To recapture areas where the enemy has taken hold, and Raise my children and love my family like Christ loved the church. Tell me more about whether you do or not and why?!

The End of Christianity in America?? For real???

I have been watching the media ever since my last post and they've been going on about "the end of Christianity in America". For real??? I really hadn't noticed! I will agree that there are problems with some Christians, but hey, we're all sinners, right?? We will never perfect, but there are standards. For example, on AC360 the other day, Anderson had 2 people, one was a reverend, the other was some kinda Theological professor at a university I think, I can't remember. Anyway, Anderson (whom I like very much) was pitting these two against each other and against Rick Warren (author of "The Purpose Driven Life"). The discussion was about proposition 8 in California. These two are arguing the end of Christian America because they've allowed gays to marry. Let's clear something up. There are two issues in the paragraph, gay and abortion. I don't believe gays should marry, it says in Genesis that God created man to procreate. Why would G...

Are we on our way to being just like the people we're fighting?

The following is an excerpt out of a paper I just wrote reflecting on chapters in a book called "A Mind for God" by James Emery White. Feel free to comment on what you've read in this excerpt out of my reflection paper. I really felt strongly about what was going on so I had to share. I look forward to hearing what you have to say! What you are about to read is a highly Christian view on world issues. Please take that into consideration while reading. Out of all things discussed in the four chapters read, the second chapter hit me the hardest. When White talks about how Darwinism influenced Hitler and the Germans in the Third Reich, it really stirred my thinking. How far are we willing to let our culture slide before we as Christians make a stand for what we believe? There are Christians who do stand up for what they believe, but there are far more people who profess to be Christian who do not line their thinking up with Christian views. How can we even profess our religi...

My First Sermon

Have you ever heard the song, “I’m in the Lord’s Army”? (Sing, “I may never march in the infantry, ride in the cavalry, shoot the artillery, I may never zoom on the enemy, but I’m in the Lord’s Army.”) I got an email the other day and that song just struck a cord. The saying was this: Prayer: Don’t give God instructions, just report for duty. Have you ever felt that you wouldn’t be accepted because of your past? Have you always lived in fear of the things you have done, that they might come back to bite you someday? You aren’t alone. I know that I have in the past. Moses in fact did just this as well. In Exodus 2:11-25 Moses fled to Midian in fear of his life because of Pharaoh. Later on when God calls to Moses in the burning bush in Chapter 3, Moses continually questions God and comes up with excuses why not to go back and be God’s servant. Have you ever resisted God, ran away refusing to serve Him, either out of fear or shame, or maybe because you wanted to deny that God could possib...