Wow, it has been a while. There has been a lot going on. This past Sunday was PAY Day at church. Parent And Youth Day. This is where we take the opportunity to share all our information on all the events and programs we have for middle and high school students at our church.
This week has been spent following up with all the people that signed up to join our staff or to join a small group. Tuesday I did manage to get in a round of disc golf. It took one extra hole for me to defeat Dante. This morning we had another great meeting with the Howard county area youth leaders network. Tonight I played filled in on the softball team. We won both games. I went to the plate with two outs in the last inning and two on. I got a hit right between the shortstop and third baseman to score the game winning run. Tomorrow? who knows.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Home Sweet Home
Well, I am finally back home. After being gone for 10 days it is good to be back. The first five days were spent at Fusion Camp and then from there we went to the hospital for a night (to spend with Jake who is now doing much better) and then to my parents for a few days. It is good to be back home and to start getting ready for the ministry year 08-09.
It has been great to actually have time to watch the summer Olympics this time around. Usually I am so busy during the summer that I always seem to miss watching the Olympics. It was great to see Michael Phelps do incredible things, and to see such great competition. The Olympics are reality TV at it's best.
It has been great to actually have time to watch the summer Olympics this time around. Usually I am so busy during the summer that I always seem to miss watching the Olympics. It was great to see Michael Phelps do incredible things, and to see such great competition. The Olympics are reality TV at it's best.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Out of Control
Fusion Camp 08 was truly "Out of Control".
We are just finishing up a great week of camp. The Cabbies lead us in worship and Pastor Dave did a great job speaking the Word to the students. It was amazing last night to sit at the campfire and hear how many lives were touched this week in so many different ways. God was at work in the lives of our students and many of them will never be the same.
Not only was God at work in the lives of our students, but our staff as well. Several of our staff members stood up at the camp fire and shared what God had done in their lives over the past several days. It amazes me over and over again how God can bring just the right people together at the right time and do incredible things that only He could do.
Right now I am in the Hospital in Johnson City, NY with Jake. I am tired after a long week of camp, but it is hard to sleep in this hospital room. The good news is that he is feeling much better. I hope they send us home tomorrow.
We are just finishing up a great week of camp. The Cabbies lead us in worship and Pastor Dave did a great job speaking the Word to the students. It was amazing last night to sit at the campfire and hear how many lives were touched this week in so many different ways. God was at work in the lives of our students and many of them will never be the same.
Not only was God at work in the lives of our students, but our staff as well. Several of our staff members stood up at the camp fire and shared what God had done in their lives over the past several days. It amazes me over and over again how God can bring just the right people together at the right time and do incredible things that only He could do.
Right now I am in the Hospital in Johnson City, NY with Jake. I am tired after a long week of camp, but it is hard to sleep in this hospital room. The good news is that he is feeling much better. I hope they send us home tomorrow.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Multicultural Ministry
Hey all, I have another blog completely designated to Multicultural Ministry. I just put a few new post. If you want to check out my thoughts on the subject you can go to www.multiculturalministry.blogspot.com
Thanks,
Jared
Thanks,
Jared
Monday, August 4, 2008
Fantasy Football
It is almost that time again. Last year I finished 10th out of 12 team, but this year is my year. So far five of us are back from last year (Amie, Scott Covington, Derek Haywood, Dusty Michener, and myself). I am still hopeful that the other seven will be back as well. I need some good draft picks to improve my team. I also need to decide what I should do with the manning brothers before the keeper deadline on August 13th. I have both Eli and Payton, I should probably only keep one. Normally this would be an easy decision, but the Payton coming off of an injury it complicates things. I would appreciate input from anyone and everyone. Peace Out.
Walk This Way!
Walk This Way? What way? In the humble ways of Jesus.
The Walk that we have before us is the Christian life. Accepting Christ is starting line, but for some believers accepting Christ is not only the starting line, but also the finish line. Starting a relationship with (for them) is only about getting fire insurance. (being safe from hell) For others we have seen great progress in our spiritual life, yet at different time and situation we find ourselves stuck spinning our wheels. If your Christian walk is any thing like mine it feels like as soon as I take two steps forward I take one step back. Other times I feel like I am going off road all by myself.
It is easy on this journey to loose focus, because is not about our destination, Heaven, which is secure. It is about what we gain along the way. You can rush through your journey, but you will miss much of what God has for you. You can make you own path, but you will find yourself wandering aimlessly. Or you can seek to humbly follow God where ever he leads.
You see, I believe that “It is our deepest need, as human beings, to learn to walk intimately with God. It is what we were made for. Back in the beginning of our story as humans, before the fall of man, before we sent the world off its axis with our sin, there was a paradise called Eden…And what they enjoyed above all the other delights of that place was this --- they walked with God. They talked with him, and he with them.” (This paragraph was from some Merge material from Sonlife)
So here we are thousands of years later seeking to walk with almighty God, but we are distracted by so much. The world appears to have so many great things to offer. The seeming need for wealth, power, popularity, and comfort can become the driving force or our journey. The selfish and sinful desires that we all struggle with never seem to stop. The words loving, serving, and humble do not seem to match up with the worlds definition of what it means to be a man. Even our Christian culture can distract us by trying to tell us it’s all about you and word, You don’t need anyone or anything else on you journey.
So where do we go from here? I like to keep it simple. We walk in the humble ways of Jesus.
As Christians we are called by God walk humbly as Christ did, by following his example and being an example for others.
1. Christ’s example of humility Phil. 2:3-8
a. Do Nothing out of (v. 3)- 100% word
i. Selfish ambition
ii. Vain conceit
1. Each of can easily point the finger at someone else
b. In humility (v.3-4)
i. Consider others better than yourself (v.3)
ii. Look not on your own interest (v.4)
iii. Look on the interest of others (v.4)
1. These are not as easy to point the finger about
2. Selfishness is a gift from Adam
a. I want to be just like God
c. Jesus did play God (even though he was God) (v.6-8)
i. Not trying to be equal with God (v.6)
1. He did only what he saw the father doing (John 5:19)
2. How often do we play God?
a. We shape our future
i. Winter rolls in and we feel called to minister in Florida
ii. Money runs thin and we feel called to find a job that would compensate me better
iii. A relationship experiences tension and we feel called minister to another
iv. (Jake and baseball) How often (as believers) do we tell our children you can be whatever you want to be. Instead of the truth you can be whatever God wants you to be.
ii. Made nothing of himself (v.7)
iii. Made himself like a servant (.v7)
1. Who do you serve?
iv. Became human (v.7)
v. Appeared like a man (v.8)
vi. Humbled himself (v.8)
vii. Became obedient to the death on the cross (v.8)
Transition:
The reality is we are never going to be humble like Christ on this earth, yet we are called to walk humbly like Christ.
So… Is there another Biblical example that we can look at to help us better understand how to walk humbly like Christ?
2. Paul’s example of humility Phil. 1:20-23
a. Paul wants Christ to be exalted in his body
i. By life
ii. By death
iii. Paul’s life is Christ
iv. Paul’s death is gain
v. Living means labor for Christ
vi. Being with Christ is far better
1. Death
a. Most of us have not face the decision of
i. Don’t live for Christ and live
ii. Live for Christ and die
1. Jim Elliot
2. Life
a. Paul understands god left him on this earth for a reason
i. There is a reason God did not take you home immediately
ii. There is a reason God preserved my life- Van trip-
b. The reason is to be Christ to others on this earth (1:23-26)
i. To be Christ
ii. For others benefit
1. To help others progress in their faith
iii. To help others experience joy in their faith
iv. To help others joy in Christ overflow
c. God has you here for the same reason. To walk in the ways of Christ as an example to others.
Transition:
How do we know that Paul is an effective example to follow as we follow Christ? One is we are talking about the legacy he left behind. Two is we can look at other passages of scripture where we see others following his example.
3. Humble living
a. Who followed Paul? (3:17)
i. Churches who followed Paul
1. Corinth
2. Ephesus
3. Galatia
4. Colosse
5. Thessolanica
6. Rome
ii. People who followed Christ
1. Barnabus
2. John Mark
3. Silas
4. Epahporditus
5. Timothy (1Corinthians 4:14-17)
a. Paul desires the church in Corinth to Imitate him
b. That is why he is sending Timothy
c. Timothy will remind you of my walk as I walk with Christ
i. Example of Joel and Jake imitating me
ii. It will fade with time.
b. Who do you follow?-Physical illustration of following me as I follow christ
i. Some of you had people come to mind immediately
ii. Some of you immediately thought, Of course I follow my pastors
1. This relationship can only be a handful of people at a time.
2. This kind of relationship requires close contact
iii. Some of you thought of people who have been that example to you in you past.
iv. Be humble enough to learn from some who has been on this journey longer
c. Who follows you?
i. Are you humble enough to give of yourself to benefit someone else’s walk
1. Give of your time
2. Give of your energy
3. Give of your privacy
4. Give of your emotion
Conclusion
This is the call of Jesus. To walk as a disciple who makes disciples. Not living for ourselves, or walking by ourselves, but walking with God and living for others.
Brennan Manning, in his book Signature of Jesus put it this way.
If we dare to live beyond self-concern, if we refused to shrink from being vulnerable, if we took nothing but a compassionate attitude toward the world, if we were counter cultural to our nation’s lunatic lust for pride of place, power, and possessions, if we preferred to be faithful rather than successful, the wall of indifference to Christ would crumble. A handful of us could be ignored by society, but hundreds, thousands, millions of such servants would overwhelm the world. Christians filled with authenticity,
commitment, and generosity of Jesus would be the most spectacular sign in the history of the human race. The call of Jesus is revolutionary. If we implement it, we would change the world in a few months.
It’s up to you will you walk humbly in the ways of Jesus?
I hope so.
I hope to see along the path as we continue our journey together.
The Walk that we have before us is the Christian life. Accepting Christ is starting line, but for some believers accepting Christ is not only the starting line, but also the finish line. Starting a relationship with (for them) is only about getting fire insurance. (being safe from hell) For others we have seen great progress in our spiritual life, yet at different time and situation we find ourselves stuck spinning our wheels. If your Christian walk is any thing like mine it feels like as soon as I take two steps forward I take one step back. Other times I feel like I am going off road all by myself.
It is easy on this journey to loose focus, because is not about our destination, Heaven, which is secure. It is about what we gain along the way. You can rush through your journey, but you will miss much of what God has for you. You can make you own path, but you will find yourself wandering aimlessly. Or you can seek to humbly follow God where ever he leads.
You see, I believe that “It is our deepest need, as human beings, to learn to walk intimately with God. It is what we were made for. Back in the beginning of our story as humans, before the fall of man, before we sent the world off its axis with our sin, there was a paradise called Eden…And what they enjoyed above all the other delights of that place was this --- they walked with God. They talked with him, and he with them.” (This paragraph was from some Merge material from Sonlife)
So here we are thousands of years later seeking to walk with almighty God, but we are distracted by so much. The world appears to have so many great things to offer. The seeming need for wealth, power, popularity, and comfort can become the driving force or our journey. The selfish and sinful desires that we all struggle with never seem to stop. The words loving, serving, and humble do not seem to match up with the worlds definition of what it means to be a man. Even our Christian culture can distract us by trying to tell us it’s all about you and word, You don’t need anyone or anything else on you journey.
So where do we go from here? I like to keep it simple. We walk in the humble ways of Jesus.
As Christians we are called by God walk humbly as Christ did, by following his example and being an example for others.
1. Christ’s example of humility Phil. 2:3-8
a. Do Nothing out of (v. 3)- 100% word
i. Selfish ambition
ii. Vain conceit
1. Each of can easily point the finger at someone else
b. In humility (v.3-4)
i. Consider others better than yourself (v.3)
ii. Look not on your own interest (v.4)
iii. Look on the interest of others (v.4)
1. These are not as easy to point the finger about
2. Selfishness is a gift from Adam
a. I want to be just like God
c. Jesus did play God (even though he was God) (v.6-8)
i. Not trying to be equal with God (v.6)
1. He did only what he saw the father doing (John 5:19)
2. How often do we play God?
a. We shape our future
i. Winter rolls in and we feel called to minister in Florida
ii. Money runs thin and we feel called to find a job that would compensate me better
iii. A relationship experiences tension and we feel called minister to another
iv. (Jake and baseball) How often (as believers) do we tell our children you can be whatever you want to be. Instead of the truth you can be whatever God wants you to be.
ii. Made nothing of himself (v.7)
iii. Made himself like a servant (.v7)
1. Who do you serve?
iv. Became human (v.7)
v. Appeared like a man (v.8)
vi. Humbled himself (v.8)
vii. Became obedient to the death on the cross (v.8)
Transition:
The reality is we are never going to be humble like Christ on this earth, yet we are called to walk humbly like Christ.
So… Is there another Biblical example that we can look at to help us better understand how to walk humbly like Christ?
2. Paul’s example of humility Phil. 1:20-23
a. Paul wants Christ to be exalted in his body
i. By life
ii. By death
iii. Paul’s life is Christ
iv. Paul’s death is gain
v. Living means labor for Christ
vi. Being with Christ is far better
1. Death
a. Most of us have not face the decision of
i. Don’t live for Christ and live
ii. Live for Christ and die
1. Jim Elliot
2. Life
a. Paul understands god left him on this earth for a reason
i. There is a reason God did not take you home immediately
ii. There is a reason God preserved my life- Van trip-
b. The reason is to be Christ to others on this earth (1:23-26)
i. To be Christ
ii. For others benefit
1. To help others progress in their faith
iii. To help others experience joy in their faith
iv. To help others joy in Christ overflow
c. God has you here for the same reason. To walk in the ways of Christ as an example to others.
Transition:
How do we know that Paul is an effective example to follow as we follow Christ? One is we are talking about the legacy he left behind. Two is we can look at other passages of scripture where we see others following his example.
3. Humble living
a. Who followed Paul? (3:17)
i. Churches who followed Paul
1. Corinth
2. Ephesus
3. Galatia
4. Colosse
5. Thessolanica
6. Rome
ii. People who followed Christ
1. Barnabus
2. John Mark
3. Silas
4. Epahporditus
5. Timothy (1Corinthians 4:14-17)
a. Paul desires the church in Corinth to Imitate him
b. That is why he is sending Timothy
c. Timothy will remind you of my walk as I walk with Christ
i. Example of Joel and Jake imitating me
ii. It will fade with time.
b. Who do you follow?-Physical illustration of following me as I follow christ
i. Some of you had people come to mind immediately
ii. Some of you immediately thought, Of course I follow my pastors
1. This relationship can only be a handful of people at a time.
2. This kind of relationship requires close contact
iii. Some of you thought of people who have been that example to you in you past.
iv. Be humble enough to learn from some who has been on this journey longer
c. Who follows you?
i. Are you humble enough to give of yourself to benefit someone else’s walk
1. Give of your time
2. Give of your energy
3. Give of your privacy
4. Give of your emotion
Conclusion
This is the call of Jesus. To walk as a disciple who makes disciples. Not living for ourselves, or walking by ourselves, but walking with God and living for others.
Brennan Manning, in his book Signature of Jesus put it this way.
If we dare to live beyond self-concern, if we refused to shrink from being vulnerable, if we took nothing but a compassionate attitude toward the world, if we were counter cultural to our nation’s lunatic lust for pride of place, power, and possessions, if we preferred to be faithful rather than successful, the wall of indifference to Christ would crumble. A handful of us could be ignored by society, but hundreds, thousands, millions of such servants would overwhelm the world. Christians filled with authenticity,
commitment, and generosity of Jesus would be the most spectacular sign in the history of the human race. The call of Jesus is revolutionary. If we implement it, we would change the world in a few months.
It’s up to you will you walk humbly in the ways of Jesus?
I hope so.
I hope to see along the path as we continue our journey together.
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