Weekly Note From the Pastor
March 27, 2008
I wish that life was always on the high. That we could surf the wave of glorious accolade until Christ returns, but that is not reality. After the Heavenly Easter weekend of salvation and servitude, we come back to earth and realize there is still sickness and suffering all around… and ministry goes on. I have really been hurting lately for the many troubled marriages of friends and church family. Satan knows where to attack, and as much as it has been foretold and prophesied in recent years, the attack upon the family and home of every Believer has been wrought with same relational casualties. There is a song that keeps coming to my mind that I would like to share. It is an old favorite by Michael Martin Murphy and it reflects some of the thoughts that have crossed my mind lately as I pray and agonize over these families.
I’ve been looking at people
And how they change with the times
And lately all I’ve been seeing are people
Throwing love away and losing their minds
Maybe it’s me who’s gone crazy
But I can’t understand why
All these lovers keep hurting each other
When good love is so hard to come by
So what’s the glory in living
Doesn’t anybody ever stay together anymore
And if love never lasts forever
Tell me what’s forever for
And I see love hungry people
Tryin’ their best to survive
When right there in their hands
Is a dying romance
And they’re not even trying to keep it alive
So, what’s the glory in living
Doesn’t anybody ever stay together anymore
And if love never lasts forever
Tell me what’s forever for
So what’s the glory in living
Doesn’t anybody ever stay together anymore
And if love never lasts forever
Tell me what’s forever for
“A wife belongs to her husband instead of to herself, and a husband belongs to his wife instead of to himself.” 1 Corinthians 7:4 CEV
Easter 2008
March 25, 2008
What an incredible weekend! It never ceases to amaze me at the tremendous servanthood displayed at TCOC. We had record attendance for Easter services with over 32 responses, 14 of which were first time salvations! The Eggstravaganza was also a huge success with thousands of people in attendance! I feel like I am the most blessed pastor on earth!
Weekly Note From the Pastor
March 20, 2008
I have been practicing diligently on my lines for The Nicodemus Account. It always amazes me how the lines come back to me. They become so integrated in my mind that the memorization returns fairly quickly. In actuality, the toughest part is when I change the script a little bit. It seems I want to quote the script the way it was a few years ago. Funny how what you learn first sticks with you the easiest. That is why first impressions are so important. That is also why it is important for your kids to hear about eternity, sex, and other sensitive subjects from the parent(s) first. I want the initial impression to be the truth. We must be careful about what we allow our minds to think about and our tongue to utter. Like recording lines on a record, the lines you burn on your soul are hard to record over.
“In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares, but he who guards his soul stays far from them.” Proverbs 22:5 NIV
Weekly Note From the Pastor
March 12, 2008
There is one show that our family watches together… American Idol. I was thinking last night as I watched the remaining twelve being interviewed, having photo shoots, signing autographs, being solicited by ad campaigns and clothing lines. What a change in their lives in just a few short weeks! It must be difficult to handle all the pressure of performing, as well as not letting all the hype change who you are or go to your head. The very term ‘idol’ conjures up meanings that can become a trap and cause a person to gain a wrong perspective. The word actually means: an image or other material object representing a deity to which religious worship is addressed; any person or thing regarded with blind admiration, adoration, or devotion. A quick rise to stardom can cause a person to “think of himself more highly than he ought” (Romans 12:3 AMP).
“So don’t be impressed with those who get rich
and pile up fame and fortune.
They can’t take it with them;
fame and fortune all get left behind.
Just when they think they’ve arrived
and folks praise them because they’ve made good,
They enter the family burial plot
where they’ll never see sunshine again.” Psalm 49:16-19 MSG
AOL… Father Figure
March 11, 2008
I have never seen a family so starved for a male figure to look up to. They hang on every word I say. They laugh at every joke or impression I do. I had to explain to my own children why Daddy was all of sudden so popular and hilarious… they understood. These kids seem to compete for my attention and favor. My heart aches as I see what they have missed. If their father only understood! I pray God uses me in this opportunity and that a new sense of who God is and the relationship they can have with him is not like their earthly father. Because He will never leave them or forsake them!
Weekly Note From the Pastor
March 6, 2008
I gave oversight to another funeral this week. Not always the most pleasant, but always a prime opportunity to present the Gospel Truth to a group that is forced to think about life-after-death. I like to seize those moments because our carnal nature has a way of suppressing those feelings and memories so that we can go back to life as normal. We can see this illustrated by the 9/11 aftermath. The churches were filled with people for about a month after the attack, but the fervency of spiritual renewal soon waned in the pursuit of selfabsorbed lifestyles. Remember, we are to live as if Jesus is coming back today! We must be like the five wise virgins in Matthew twenty-five, and not like the five who were foolish and tried to correct their misdirection after it was too late. Live each day in the fullest Christ has to offer, but with the realization that it could be your last. There’s an old song Sherri likes that says “Seize the day, seize whatever you can ‘cause life slips away just like hour glass sand.”
“You know what sort of times we live in, and so you should live properly. It is time to wake up. You know that the day when we will be saved is nearer now than when we first put our faith in the Lord. Night is almost over, and day will soon appear. We must stop behaving as people do in the dark and be ready to live in the light.” Romans 13:11, 12 CEV
