[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udDZMEcAUpw]
Congrats! Stay tuned for next weeks contest… Check back each day…
~Peter
So the other night, I came home from Youth Group, just absolutely exhausted and worn out, and maybe even a little discouraged (not about YG) and all of a sudden Tiffany says, you’ve got to come in here and see this. So I rushed over cause you never know how long the “This” will last before you miss it. And I racing into my son Noah’s room to see this:
You’ll notice that the animals are stuffed in his shirt and they are holding him super close! In that last picture you can even see the panda’s head poking out of the top of his shirt. It’s moments like these that I would love to just know what he was thinking… Either way it brightened my day to say the least!
It made me think… What moments have you had lately that have brightened your day? When was the last time someone said, “Come here, you’ve got to see this…”
I thank God for moments like that… Let’s make sure we are going slow enough to appreciate these moments!
~Peter
It was a great privilege for me to be able to speak at all three of our church services yesterday. It started with the 9:00 and motored through the 10:30 and finished up with the 5! A big thank you to Pastor Chris for giving me the opportunity to speak and to each person there yesterday…
As you know, we finished our teaching series 19.12. We have been working through this at the Five and we were able to share this last portion with the rest of the church yesterday. So, here are some of your comments and your questions… Remember, it isn’t all about my answer… it is about our conversation! So join in! Let’s go…
1. A church is a place but the Church is everywhere. A bank is just a building unless there is money tellers and bankers. A hospital is only a building unless there are doctors, patients, and medical supplies. And similarly a Church is just a church unless Christians are there. Some churches aren’t Churches and some buildings that aren’t churches can be a Church.
~good thought! I think the part I like best is that some buildings that aren’t set up as churches can be used as some of the greatest Church’s. God can use anyone and anything. The Church is God’s people… He said I will build my Church! I am so incredibly for the Church! I can’t wait to see the Church grow into what God has intended for us…
2. Hebrews 12:27 connects to me with each person’s faith. If a person’s faith cannot be shaken, it will remain. Also, nice use of the MFUGE video. That was exactly what I was thinking when I saw the sermon title.
~You are right on the money… the only thing that will remain is our faith! Cling to it!
3. I really have tried many times to witness Jesus to people but they usually will tell me whatever and won’t listen. I want them to know Jesus but what are some ways to witness without trying to seem like I’m forcing it on them? Because most people I try to witness to will just say that I am just accusing them!
~First off, there are many ways that you can witness to people. I’ve used everything from the gospel braclet, evangecube’s, Four Spiritual laws, Roman’s Road, tracts, stories, situations, etc… Sometimes one of the greatest tools to use in witnessing is your convictions! Just stand on what you believe to be right, and hold firm to that. People will look at you and ask you why you choose not to curse, or drink under age, or smoke, or whatever the circumstance may be. When you set yourself apart from the world it makes you stand out. People will notice! Use the opportunities that arise to have a conversation. Build that relationship… Honestly and genuinely care for the individual. Shower them in love, and be compassionate and gracious towards them!
Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the Light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
4. Doesn’t the text say that you have come and not you have been called?
Yes, you are correct!
~Peter
So, I’ve got to admit, there are times when I just want to sit around and focus on the here and now, and the has been. It’s in moments like those that I generally also focus on what went wrong in the here and now, and that has been. I was talking with a close friend yesterday and we were talking about the types of conversations that we have in any one given day. You know, the complaining conversations, and the chit chatty types, and also the general run-down types…
It occured to me that I need to keep my conversations in check. Not just the language, but even something larger than that… The type! I need more conversational dreams! I want to spend some time thinking and dreaming about what God wants to do here in D-Town, better yet, on my block where I live. I want to dream about what God wants to do with my wife and I.
Where do you find your conversations headed? What type do you fall into most often?
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 19:14
~Peter
We are about to drop Hundreds of cookies on Doylestown and the surrounding areas! The Youth are getting ready to package up home made cookies and deliver them to some of the best people in our church… Our Senior Saints!
I can’t wait to watch as our teens love on our church family!
Praying for opportunities!
~Peter
Last night we had a lot of fun… It was good to be together with all of you. Let’s jump right in… We were continuing in our series 19.12 and we were looking at how our commitment to Christ calls us to be committed to others!
Here’s last night’s question…
I read Hebrews 12:12 to be speaking to us to strengthen ourselves, not others- right before it talks about being disciplined and not growing weary, – what part leads you to think that it is speaking about strengthening others?
You are correct in saying that it applies to yourself. However, there is a much broader principle that applies beyond just yourself. The New Bible Commentary says this about vs. 12
“The call to strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees recalls the image of an athletic contest. It is a challenge to abandon fear and despair and not become exhausted in the race of faith (cf. Is. 35:3–4). The quotation from Pr. 4:26 (‘Make level paths for your feet’) is a warning about following the way that God has provided, not swerving to the right or left. It is particularly important to help those who are spiritually lame to keep to the right pathway, so that they may not be tripped up and permanently disabled, but rather healed. In other words, Christians have a responsibility to care for one another and to encourage one another not to fall by the wayside. The practical implications of all this are revealed in the following section.”
Hope this helps…
~Peter
So, lately I have been laying around with my feet up and just thinking of various things I could possibly be doing… Okay, that’s actually a lie… We have been super busy getting our house in working order, fixing things that should have been fixed years ago, and taking the youth group to MFUGE. All of these things have kept me from writing anything… I must admit that I wish that I were able to write more often, I feel like some of my most creative times are when I am writing, or when someone comments, or when we start a discussion from a simple thought or idea.
We are settling in, and getting things fairly laid out. I planted my first flower bed today, and I am pleased with the outcome of that. 3 yards of composted manure certainly helped! We are feeling more and more at home with each passing day. All that to say, hopefully you will be seeing more thoughts and conversations here in the very near future.
~Peter
So, sorry that this is so late… My wife and I have been moving and setting up house and getting all things ready to go for the big day… (which happens to be today) But we are really excited… stressed, tired, and excited…. Ever been there? Sure you have… So because I know you have, and because I know you all are such great people, I know you will be gracious and leniant to a young buck like myself who is a wee bit late on the response to the question….
On to the question…. It’s a great one by the way…. Pastor Chris Sutton was our speaker this past week. Below is his reply to this question…
“Pastor Chris showed us a clip with nicodemus and Jesus and it made me think, what happened to the people who died before Jesus came for us and our sins?”
That is an excellent question! Thank you for sending it! The people who
lived before the time of Christ were saved by faith just as we are saved by
faith. Abram lived centuries before Jesus. The Bible says that, “Abram
believed the LORD, and He credited it to him as righteousness” (Genesis
15:6; Romans 4:3). So, one way to look at it is to say that the people
before the time of Christ were saved by looking forward to Calvary; whereas,
we are saved by looking back on Calvary. They were saved by looking forward
to God keeping His promises (which He did in His Son); whereas, we are saved
by looking to Christ who fulfilled (completed) all of God’s law and was
without sin. The cross/resurrection event is the focal point of all
history. The ancients looked forward to it. We look back on it. Both
actions are a matter of faith (belief).
Keep thinking and asking questions… Let’s do this together!
~Peter
Last night was another great evening at the Five. I’m glad that you were there. It really has been great getting together each week… You can keep on praying for the ministry of the Five here at FBC.
Last night I gave a challenge for Dad’s to step up there game in watching out and protecting their children from sin. However it doesn’t just apply to us as Dad’s. There is a universal call to every man woman, teen and child to guard their heart and mind from sin! We were in 1 Samuel and the story found there reminds us about how serious sin is to God. It is not something to mess around with and take lightly.
On to the questions…
1. Why do you think that God needed to punish the whole house of Eli and not just Eli and his sons?
I think that God needed to punish the whole house of Eli because it seems to me that the whole house of Eli was living in sin. It wasn’t just the boys… It was everyone. Each one of us is responsible for our own actions. Eli was responsible to judge the nation of Israel and lead the nation in the direction that the Lord would have them go. He unfortunately was accused of putting his sons in front of God. The punishment that God chose we cannot explain. God’s ways are higher than our ways. The Bible says who can understand the mind of the Lord. What I can tell you is that God is a just and fair God. He would not have done something out of anger or high tempered emotions. This was necessary.
2. You mentioned a period when God killed those that mixed with the Moabites. I get that they were sinners, but can’t racists use that as an example to justify their actions?
First off, there is never any kind of justification for racism. The passage that I referenced last night was Numbers chapter 25 verses 1-5. This passage recognizes the fact that those that were killed from Israel were going to a neighboring nation and joining themselves to that nations gods and idols. They were worshiping false gods and that is unacceptable according to the Lord. This is yet again another example from remaining pure, staying away from sin.
This would be a very difficult passage to argue racism from. God does not require the life of those who do not declare Him God, it is the lives of those who know better and run and worship at the feet of false idols. God deals very seriously with our sin. Therefore so should we!
3. What constitutes a man?
This is a difficult question to answer. Each culture defines manhood in a different way. I am reminded of something very simple and insanely ridiculous to even be drawing a spiritual truth from, “Madagascar 2”. In that movie Alex the lion reunites with his family and has to go through a rite of passage ritual in order to be allowed into the pack. I know, that was just outlandish. However, all that to say each culture has an age that it is recognized when a boy enters into “manhood”. I don’t know that I can answer this question. I think however the real question that you should be asking is, “What types of things should I be doing as a man after God’s heart?”
4. The enemies of Israel often said to Israel “May your children be fatherless.” This was a statement not only of “I wish you were dead” but also recognizes the leadership role the dad has in the family and the community. It was like saying “May your family and community lose its rudder.”
What about single dads? Sometimes hearing about the role of fathers just heaps guilt onto single dads, especially if they sinned and caused the family to break and realized it later (often too late). What about the role of moms in supporting the dads – letting him take appropriate leadership, supporting him, etc.
Clearly each one of us makes mistakes. There is no doubt. Some of us will make mistakes that leave deafening marks in the lives of those around us. God has something called Grace and Forgiveness for that. From that point forward there is an incredible opportunity for each of us to do the best that we can with the time that we have to help make amends and build the bridges back in the lives of those that we’ve hurt. My point last night was not to inflict guilt or heap on regrets of should haves or would haves but to help each one of us as dads reflect on the responsibility that we have in the lives of our children.
I didn’t have an opportunity to speak to the moms supporting the dads… Yes this is a very touchy and time consuming issue of men being the leaders in their household.
My prayer is for dads both married and single to turn to God and seek God’s heart as they raise their children.
Whew! Well, you guys have some great thoughts… Let’s keep this conversation going! I love it!
~Peter
The other night I watched bits and pieces of Dave Matthews playing live at the Beacon Theater in New York. I have to admit that I am a Dave Matthews fan. I never had the DMB sticker on my car, I did sport the hemp necklace for a while, I never went to a show, but all the while still loving what the band was pumping out musically. This concert was what I always expected a DMB show to be like… Except there was a lot less smoke than I expected! Anyhow…
I can give you one really good reason why I like Dave Matthews Band. Because he has some of the most stinkin talented musicians I have ever seen. I can appreciate every single one of them as musicians. Carter on the drums is absolutely redic… Boyd on the Violin tears it up, Lassard on the bass has an amazing funk and groove, The Big man on the trumpet is a phenom, and the new guy on the sax just played as if he has always been with the band. They are incredibly gifted and talented musicians…
One thing which I never could have predicted, since I’ve never seen them playing together, was how well they played together. Yeah, I know that seems like duh, they should definitely play well together if they are that gifted, but I mean these guys just play extraordinarily well together. Not only are they playing well, they are doing so with smiles on their faces, just looking at each other like, “Yeah, that was awesome, and we know it!”
One song I watched, I think that when Matthews wasn’t singing in the mic, he was looking at Carter the whole time, even having a conversation, all the while doing amazing things! They were in the zone. The crowd was loving it. To be honest, I was getting in to it. It started off with me saying, I just want to watch one song, and then it was half an hour later I realized that Jon and Kate plus 3 million was on next, so you know how it went from there…
Here’s the deal… They are phenomenal musicians yes, but as I was watching them jam I wondered how many of us get to that sweet spot in our relationship with God? Have you been in a situation lately where you can just sit there and enjoy who God is and totally be in tune with what He is doing in your life?
What types of things do you do in your life to get to that sweet spot with God?
~Peter